Days in the Mind of One that is Great and Powerful

Chapters

The Confrontation
The Strangers
The Rematch
The Alliance
The Explanation
The Meeting and Her Artifact
The Arrival Of Night
The Revelation
Side Story: Meanwhile, in America...
The Dragon, the Americans, and some Truth
A Shard of A Secret
The Bittersweet Reunion
Side Story: Maestro's Nightmare
The Re-Conection
The Strange Alicorn And The Sunset
Side Story: When Maestro Meets Tempest
The Power of Chaos
Xavier, Maestro's Estranged Pal
Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 1: Loyalty
Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 2: Honesty
Side Story: Maestro's Visions
Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 3: Kindness
Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 4: Generosity
Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 5: Laughter
Side Story: Briget's Breakdown
Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 6: Hope
Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 7: Magic
Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 8: Dual Crisis~ Shifting Heart and Dark Magic
Side Story: Feelings Expressed, Finally
Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 9: Forgiveness
Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 10: Natalie Lends a Hand
Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 11: Uncertain Future
Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 12: A New Small Step
Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 13: Change for the Better
Side Story: Xavier's Revelation
Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 15: Forward Movement
Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 16: Mending Connections
Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 17: A Hand To Others
New Lease On Life
Jet Attacks
The Circus Crisis
Side Story: The Dark Realm
Plan Of Attack
The Magic Thief and Cacophony Chromium- Part One
The Magic Thief and Cacophony Chromium- Part Two
The Final Battle: Vs. Cacophony Chromium
Epilogue: Bright Future
The Offer
Side Story: Double Anthrofication
The Principal, New Friends, The Artist Thestral, and The Gearhead
Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 14: Lightness of Heart

The Confrontation

Trixie came out of the room grinning. She was now ready to get back at Twilight. She then thought to herself. Trixie’s going to beat her, steal her magic, and be on my way. It’s a foolproof plan! She then came up behind the group of friends, chuckling evilly. “Well, Well, Well. Twilight Radderson we meet again” Trixie’s beautifully boastful voice spoke out. Twilight looked towards the source of the voice (yours truly) and came face to face with someone she didn’t think to see here. Trixie. “You’ll pay for what you did to Trixie earlier. Trixie is here to get revenge and she isn’t going to leave unless you agree to fight” Trixie continued.

“...Who is that?” Ashley asked.

“ Why does she talk in the third person?” Harry also asked.

Twilight didn’t respond. She thought what Trixie said, ‘You’ll pay for what you did to Trixie earlier’...’earlier’....”Oh no” Twilight said with obvious realisation. “Darrell?”

Trixie laughed “Yes it is I, Darrell. Well... was Darrell, now she is “THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!” she boomed.

The rest of the friends expressed shock and confusion “Darrell?” they all said.

Twilight explained “Trixie Lulamoon was a travelling magician in MLP. She boasted about things she didn’t do and when she was found out Twilight showed her up and she fled Ponyville. She returned wanting revenge with a powerful new item she acquired but ultimately was stopped again.”

Trixie added in “Trixie can also do much more spells than you can, thanks to her unknown Benefactor. While you need to learn how to use your magic, Trixie can do it like she has done it all her LIFE!” She emphasized the last word by shooting a blast of magic straight for Twilight, luckily just missing it.

Ashley turned to Matt with a sour face “Unless somehow he got magical powers from between the end of school and now, you should be good to counter anything he throws at you” Ashley mimicked.

Matt returned “Hey I didn’t know he was going to turn into an evil anthro pony with magical powers!”

Twilight shouted to stop the two from arguing “Would you two shut it! Right now I need to stop Trixie and even though I’m not all too familiar with my magic yet, I’m not going to run away!”

Taking a stance Twilight began to get ready. It was time for a duel.

Focusing her magic, Twilight hurls a nearby bin straight at Trixie. Trixie counters by blasting it with a simple magic attack, sending its contents and remains to explode everywhere.

“You need to do better than that to stop Trixie” Trixie giggled. “Like THIS!” she shouts, firing another magic blast towards Twilight.

Judging from Twilight’s face, Trixie knew that she was thinking about making a shield. Trixie shook her head as Twilight obviously put the wrong thought into making the shield, and ,as expected, nothing happened. Trixie grinned, watching Twilight panic and duck down and watch as the blast flies by and smashes into a tree trunk.

Trixie drinks in Twilight’s look of despair at not being able to conjure a shield. But then gets a bit more serious when Trixie sees Twilight calm down.

“Trixie is bored of you doing nothing, here comes more!!” Trixie shouted firing another magic blast at the lavender Anthro.

Twilight grinned, with a spark of magic, a pinkish lavender shield appeared in front of her and deflected the attack right back at Trixie. The boastful anthro didn’t expect it and was pushed back by her own attack.

“How is that possible?!” she exclaimed in confusion.

“Believe it, take this!” Twilight responded by shooting her own magic blast at Trixie, this time sending her flying off into the dirt.

Trixie was a bit stunned that, unlike before, Twilight could now do a basic magic blast. Trixie grit her teeth. She’d catching on… she then smiled. Oh well. That only makes this more fun.

The gang were cheering Twilight on as she fought the bully that also went through a transformation. The said bully gets up and dusts herself off “Hmm, so you have managed to learn how to do basic attack and defensive moves. No matter Trixie will still take you out!” “Now it really gets good” Trixie smirked.

Twilight and Trixie clashed. Over and over they attacked with magic blasts and then blocked with shields, Twilight couldn’t believe how quickly she was able to learn to use basic attack magic, it probably had something to do with being Twilight and having the cutie mark in magic.

“Have a taste of Trixie’s scatter shot!” the blue unicorn blasted a flurry of blasts Twilight’s way. Focusing on the shots closest to hit, Twilight deflected them and sent her own barrage back at Trixie.

Twilight stepped back and panted. Trixie drank in the thrill, but knew that she was playing for a bigger purpose, but didn’t mind dragging this on for some time.

However, Trixie’s thoughts were disturbed.“Hey Trixie!” Twilight shouted out to smug anthro.
Trixie looked up and growled “What do you want!”

Trixie was quite miffed that Twilight was interrupting Trixie’s thoughts so much. Twilight continued “Is that all you have to try and take me down? Really, I expected something better from you, I think your benefactor is holding back on giving all your power”

Trixie’s face went blank, then puzzled “What are you talking about?!” she asked.

“Oh nothing much” Twilight turned around, pacing about and observing the destruction of their surroundings “Just that, this stranger that gave you the form and power of Trixie wasn’t so generous in giving you every ounce of it. They must actually intend for you to fail...as a test for me. You’re a practice dummy, Trixie” Twilight mocked.

Trixie became furious “Shut up! Trixie will show you that isn’t true! Feel my POWER!” she yelled.

A large beam of magic shot forth at Twilight, if it landed on her, everything would be over. But Twilight was scared or anything. She just...Grinned.

“What are you smiling at!” Trixie spat.

Twilight said nothing. The magic blast came into contact and exploded, causing a massive plume of smoke to rise.

Trixie thought she had won, she began to cheer “It’s over...Trixie won!”

“You didn’t win Trixie!” a voice boomed out.

Trixie stopped her celebration and turned around in horror. Twilight was still standing, completely unscathed.
Then Twilight laughed “But it is indeed over!”

With a strong stance Twilight focused her power and with a loud magic spark, she let’s loose a massive burst of energy at Trixie. The magician tries to deflect it with a shield, but the power was too strong for her too handle and after tripping on a rock, she falls backwards and, funnily enough, into another rubbish bin.

“And that is that!” Twilight finished, dusting her hands off, she returns to her friends, gaining cheers of congratulations for her victory.

Trixie stumbled out of the bin, “Again! Even after Trixie obtained all these powers? You will pay for this Twilight!” she yelled out in anger.

Turning to face the group she was met with only Rina, her face showing no end of surprise and confusion “Actually you are going to pay for all of this damage Trixie. You started it, remember?” Rina explained as she bounced off to find the others, leaving the fuming Trixie to wallow in her anger and confusion.

Twice. Trixie had been humiliated by Twilight not once, but Twice! She grit her teeth, and got up out of the trash. She couldn’t bear the mocking looks on the faces of the students she once terrorized, so she fled. However, she accidentally bumped into a strange figure in the park. The figure then spoke as he turned around. “Watch where you’re-!” He then cut himself off, and grinned from beneath his hood. “Ah, so you’ve changed as well? Interesting.” He then decided to take Trixie’s hand in his dark teal one. “We must speak elsewhere.” He then dragged her away.

Author's Note

Chapter two already? I told you It wouldn't take long. Now chapter three has a bit of set up too! So, as usual, constructive criticism is appreciated, and if you like/fave/dislike, I'd like to know your thoughts below. Thanks for editing got to Trixieistruemagic101. See you all next time!

The Strangers

Trixie yelled. “Unhand Trixie! Where are you taking her?”

The figure let go. “We’re here.” Trixie was in awe. It was some kind of factory from the looks of it. It even looked brand new.

Trixie then scoffed. “Why did you bring Trixie here?” she looked at the sky, only to notice that it was night. “It’s late! Trixie should be getting home now. She has school tomorrow.”

The figure chuckled. “You seriously want to go back after you were humiliated like that?” He then drank in the dejected look on her face, and grinned. “No worries. I’ve got something interesting for you.” He then stepped towards the factory, and beckoned her. “C’mon, don’t be shy. What I’ve got for you will make your suffering worth it, I promise.” Trixie was a bit hesitant, so the figure spoke again, outstretching his dark teal hand. “You do want to beat Twilight, don’t you? You want to pay her back for humiliating you twice, right? Then take my hand.” Trixie then took the figure’s hand, and he grinned. She followed him to a back room of the factory, and they then stopped. He then went to the box in the corner. It was somewhat small, but it looked like it contained a valuable artifact. He then spoke again. “In this box is an incredibly powerful artifact that fell from the sky. It is the same artifact that hastened my change into an anthro. I believe, that because of this, it must have magical powers.” He feigns at lifting the lid, and Trixie reaches for it, a desperate look in her eyes. He then stops before opening it, and continues to speak. “However! You must understand that this artifact may have… side effects… such as warping your mind, perhaps. Are you willing to risk that just to obtain power? After you make this choice, there is no going back.”

Trixie was desperate. She knew that this figure could probably see it on her face. However, she didn’t care. She then spoke. “Open the box. Trixie wants power! She wants power now!”

The figure grinned underneath the hood, and opened the box. He then presented her the black amulet inside. “Then the Alicorn Amulet is yours.”

Trixie reached out, and took it without hesitation. As she put it on, however, she started to feel strange. “Wh-what’s going on? The Great and Powerful Trixie demands to know!”

She then saw the dark teal of his hand melt away like an illusion in a red-orange flash, and be replaced with aqua. The figure then lifted his hood, and revealed an aqua face with red-orange eyes. His hair was orange and red, and his smile was sinister. His horn spiraled in a way that almost seemed hypnotic. Around his neck could be seen a platinum locket. Upon it could be seen an etched-in chess king. He then scoffed. “Heh. Pretending to be my half-bro and lure you in was a brilliant plan! After all, your previous self, Darrel, was always a bit dim.” He saw Trixie’s eyes seethe with rage, and he smirked. “Oh don’t be so furious dear, you got what you wanted! Albeit with quite a hefty cost.”

Trixie then felt her body slowly go numb. “What are you doing to Trixie!?”

The figure then laughed. “Oh, not much. Just… altering you slightly. Making sure that you don’t question me. You see, I’d put an extra enchantment upon that amulet before you came here: one that allows me, the caster, to control your every thought and move. I did so because the one who transformed you was getting slightly impatient, and asked me to intervene.” He then shrugged. “I just took a bit of liberty with her request, is all.”

Trixie then managed to spit out one last question before the spell fully set in. “Just who do you think you are?”

The figure then grinned. “I’m Chessmaster Star. You might once have known me as Renaldus Star. I’m your new master.” He then let out a hearty laugh, and, if one looked closely enough, one could see a single tear drop from Trixie’s face. Chessmaster then barked out an order, to test his new servant. “Swear allegiance to me!”

Trixie stood at attention, and spoke. “Trixie swears to obey Chessmaster’s command as long as she is of use to him.”

Chessmaster cackled. “Oh, when they see this…” He then became more serious. “However, I still need to fine tune a few things just a smidge before I send her off to steal Twilight’s magic for the mistress.” He then took Trixie further into the factory to work on those “adjustments.”

Elsewhere, an anthro with dark teal fur got a chill down his spine. He frowned. That's not good. I feel the unwelcome power of dark magic... He adjusted his blue glasses in a turquoise aura. He knew that it had to be somebody powerful- after all, mind manipulation was very serious dark magic. His frown deepened. He didn't like the options of who could possibly pull it off aside from himself- even though he'd never dare even think of using dark magic. There was one candidate in particular that concerned him: His half-brother, Chessmaster. Such a thought disturbed him greatly. His blue green eyes stared at the stars, questioningly. Why would Chessmaster do such a thing? To get some reward from some employer? He shook his head, not wanting to think about it. He then brushed away some of the reddish brown hair that had fallen in front of his face, pushing it near the center after noticing a strand of turquoise. His rainbow tail swayed in the breeze. He then sighed. If it really is Chessmaster doing it, then... He walked off to the distance, not wanting to think on it further. After all, he didn't want anything distracting him on his way home.

Author's Note

Here's chapter three! Wow, that got a bit dark, huh? No worries- this is just temporary. as for Chessmaster- If you've read my other fics, you'll know who I'm talking about. Once again, constructive criticism is appreciated, and if you like/fave/dislike, let me hear your thoughts below. My editor for this fic, Trixieistruemagic101, hasn't edited this chapter yet, and I don't know why. Until next time!

The Rematch

The next day at school, Trixie showed up, and decided to cause a little panic. She grinned dully. This’ll certainly get Twilight to show. Multiple students cowered in terror behind anything they could find. The fear was apparent in their eyes, and it was so delicious to Trixie, even if a part of her found it… disturbing. She constantly picked up students that tried to flee her presence and demanded to know where Twilight was. “Trixie needs to know where Twilight is. I order you to speak what you know!” she yelled. Twilight, who overheard, could hear an odd mechanical like tone laced into her words.

Twilight stepped forward and yelled out at Trixie to get her attention. “Hey Trixie!” Trixie turned around “You want Twilight? Well here I am!” Twilight yelled.

Trixie’s mouth slightly curled into a grin. Dropping the student, Trixie stepped forward a couple of times, as did Twilight. The two were now facing each other a mere two meters away, and from what Twilight could assume, another fight was in order.

“Trixie will win this time. Trixie is much stronger now, and she will crush you, Twilight!” Trixie droned on, her mechanical sounding voice was easily recognized. It sounded like she was being controlled to say that. The necklace she donned now may have been the reason, and Twilight felt like she knew that necklace from somewhere.

“Do ya think you got this Twi?” Terrance asked, more than a little worried.

“Don’t worry about me, just hang tight.” Twilight responded.

“She’s got rocks in her brain if she thinks she can stop you!” Ashley spoke up.

Matt was next to follow “As much as it pains me to agree with AJ... You beat her before, you can do it again!”

Rina of all people seemed unsure “I don’t know guys, she seems a little...off”

It seemed as though Twilight wasn’t listening, for at that moment Trixie enveloped the both herself and Twilight in a bluish dome. Trixie drank in the look of confusion that Twilight had on her face. “You weren’t able to do this before Trixie! How can you possibly-” Twilight’s sentence was cut short by Trixie firing an attack. Reacting just in time, Twilight nimbly dodged the blast.

“Less talking, Twilight. Trixie isn’t leaving until you lose.” Conjuring up a barrage of magic bursts Trixie yelled out “Let’s see how you deal with Bullet hell!” Trixie’s horn surged with magical energy, sending off wave after wave of magical energy from all directions. Twilight was forced to on the defensive. Trying to counter was out of the question, as Trixie left no opening for Twilight to act upon. Top that with her constant flurry of attacks, it took all she could muster to avoid and defend. It pleased Trixie greatly to see Twilight losing. After blocking and dodging attacks from the powered up Trixie, Twilight's magic was starting to fade, her mana reserves apparently low. Then, with one stray attack, Trixie sent her flying to the ground with a loud thud. The others cringed at her impact. For Twilight, things didn’t seem so good. Trixie sauntered over to the fallen Alicorn and trapped her in a bubble made from the dome that had surrounded them, so she couldn’t break free.

Ashley shouts out to gain Trixie’s attention “Stop it! Don’t ya think she’s had enough!?”

Trixie seemed unfazed by Ashley’s words. She turned around with a soulless stare and raised her hand up, she radiated a pulse sending Ashley backwards, making the farm girl unable to keep her footing...hoofing?

Trixie returned her gaze towards Twilight who was furiously trying to break free from her imprisonment. “Trixie, how could you obtain such power overnight? Answer me, damn it!”

“She won’t listen Twilight, she only listens to me!” a sinister, masculine voice said, revealing another being from behind the controlled anthro unicorn mare. He was an aqua colored anthro with a grin that instilled fear into everyone else.

“Don’t you recognize that amulet?” he added.

Twilight didn’t like this guy, but she looked over to Trixie’s necklace with curiosity, and her eyes widened as she remembers the black-and-red item around her neck. “T-The Alicorn Amulet? But how did it-”

The mysterious anthro spoke again. “I see that you remember it from the show. As for how it’s here…” He smirked. “It fell from the sky one day. It’s what turned me from plain old Renaldus Star into the far superior Chessmaster Star.”

Rina asked “You said she only listens to you?”

Chessmaster snickered “Watch this and you’ll believe.” He then sneered “Trixie, take Twilight’s magic!” he ordered.

With no visible hesitation, Trixie activated a spell that began to drain Twilight of her magic. Trixie watched as pain surged through the body of her enemy as her magic left her body, she was starting to lose consciousness when another masculine voice yelled out. “That’s enough Chessmaster!”

A turquoise blast severed the cord between Trixie and Twilight and the latter’s magic returned to her body, but not before a small plume formed in Trixie’s hand.

Onto the scene came a dark teal anthro with reddish brown hair that had a turquoise streak down the middle.

Chessmaster huffed. “Well if it isn’t my half brother, Maestro Spectrum Star. What brings you here?”

Maestro flicked his rainbow tail in agitation. “Chessmaster! Why do you use such dark magic!? You know what that can do to a person!”

Chessmaster scoffed. “It got results. And, If I get results, Her Ladyship will give me quite the handsome reward.”

Maestro glared with his blue-green eyes from behind his blue glasses. “Her Ladyship?”

Chessmaster covered his mouth with a hand and gasped. “Oops. My bad.” He then shrugged. “Oh well. You were gonna find out about her sooner or later.” He then gestured to Trixie. “She gave this one her transformation.” He then snatched the crystallized magic from Trixie’s hand, and continued. “She’ll be quite pleased that we have some of Twilight’s magic. And-” He then stopped, and chuckled. “I just got news from her. It seems that all we need is this small sample in order to put our plan into motion. So you can have the dead-weight back.” He then barked one last order. “Remove the Amulet, pawn! I’m going to need it again.” Trixie removed the amulet, and immediately collapsed. Chessmaster then picked it up in his magic.

“You may find her memories a bit...well...scrambled.” Chessmaster smirked.

Maestro yelled out “What is she offering your in return for your services, Chessmaster?!”

Chessmaster snickered again “What many of us in life dream of. Power. Her ladyship is willing to ascend me to a prince’s level if I help her with her master plans. I will be able to manipulate people as I see fit and so much more. It will be glorious!” Chessmaster laughed.

Maestro shook his head “She’s using you Chessmaster, don’t you see? If you continue down this path, she’ll just betray you without a second thought. Listen to what I’m saying!”

Chessmaster’s grin turned to that of plain boredom “I’m bored with you now brother, I need to get this to her ladyship.” he gestured to the plume of magic in his hand. “Ciao!” he waved as a portal appeared before him and he began to step through.

Maestro tried to catch him mid Teleport, but failed. He sighed, and muttered to himself “Well, this certainly didn’t go as planned…”

Ashley then spoke accusingly. “‘Didn’t go as planned?’ What in tarnation do you mean by that?”

Maestro sighed. “I’d hoped that I’d be able to tag along in his teleport, maybe find out who he’s working for. I mean, I have some suspicions, but I wanted proof.” He shook his head. “If Reina and Laranda knew about this, their hearts would break. After all, Chessmaster and I are the only family they have.”

The group of friend shook themselves off, and supported Twilight as she stood. Twilight then spoke. “I don’t know who those people are, but they seem important to you and that Chessmaster. Do you know something about what’s going on?”

Maestro shook his head. “Not very much, I’m afraid. All that I do know is that if things continue like they have, then we may end up living in a world full of Anthros.”

Rina then tilted her head. “Would that be so bad?”

Maestro hummed in thought. “Maybe not, but…” He sighed. “Some people might not… adjust well to the change. It isn’t for everyone, you know. For their sake, we need to stop what ever mess is coming our way, and fast.” Maestro then stood. “That’s why the Analyzers led Twilight to the Elements. They know something big is going to happen.”

As he started to walk away, Harry spoke. “Where are you going?”

Maestro then tossed a piece of paper towards Twilight, and she caught it. “That contains my contact info. Give it to Trixie when she wakes up as well. Something tells me that she’s more likely to be with us than against us now.” Before Maestro left he turned around one last time and said “If you want some answers, look for someone you already know, Twilight. I’ve been told she gave you some vital info before, so she may be able to give you some about this dark threat that has surfaced.”

With that Maestro vanished.

Author's Note

So here's chapter four. I didn't expect to post it so soon, but what're ya gonna do? When you work in a colab, you're kinda expected to provide you contribution ASAP. Thanks go to Trixieistruemagic101 for editing. And hey, a proper look at the character from the end of the previous chapter! Yes, another one of my many OCs has made it into this universe. He, along with his half-brother Chessmaster, are involved in many of my fics. That's all I'll say for now.

The Alliance

Trixie blinked blearily, and shook her head. “Where is Trixie?” she looked around. She was at... somebody's house, but couldn’t seem to recall how she wound up here. She then looked at the people near her- and jumped away.

Ashley attempted to calm Trixie down. “Now, calm down, sugarcube! We brought ya here ‘cause Twilight was concerned fer ya. We all were. This here’s Twilight’s house. She’ll be down t’ talk with ya, after y’get somethin’ t’ eat. We fixed ya a li’l somethin’.” A tray was brought over by Fluttershy, which contained some Apple fritters, some apple cider, and an apple brown betty for dessert.

With a thought about there being too much apple product and not enough pears, Trixie ate some of the food. She pointed at Twilight, who had now entered the room. “You! Do you know what’s happened to Trixie? Her memory seems to be a bit faulty…”

Twilight was about to say something that might have taken advantage of Trixie’s current state of mind, but seemed to recall something that dissuaded her. “You were being manipulated by another anthro. He was using you so that he could take some of my magic. He tossed you aside after he had no more use for you.”

Trixie seethed with rage. She wanted to get back at this person, whoever they were. “Tell Trixie who it was! They will regret messing with her!”

Ashley spoke next. “Calm down, sugarcube. We don’ know all the details yet. What we do know is that whoever gave you your transformation is ultimately behind it all.”

Trixie gasped. “The gall! Trixie’s own benefactor was using her!?” Her eyes narrowed. “Trixie is going to destroy them!”

Rina piped up. “I don’t think fighting her on your own will do you any good, Trixie. She’ll probably smoosh you like a bug! After all, who knows what things She can do now that Chessmaster gave her some of Twilight’s magic.”

Trixie’s eyes widened. “Chessmaster?” She then seemed to recall something, and gasped. “He used me! Just as he always did, but on a larger scale than before!” Trixie paced. “But how is Trixie supposed to defeat him and the malevolent benefactor by herself?” She placed her hand on her chin, and started to think about her options. She toned out the muttering of the group of friends before her. What can Trixie do? After all, she no longer has the power of the Amulet. The Amulet gave Trixie power, but turned her into a puppet! She then eyed the group of friends cautiously. Trixie could ask them to help, but such a thought disturbs her. Maybe they know somebody that can help her, though. It couldn’t hurt to ask. Trixie then cleared her throat to get the group’s attention. “While Trixie still thinks that she could take on both Chessmaster and her benefactor by herself, she was curious if you knew anyone that could… help.... You know, just in case.”

She saw Twilight roll her eyes, and then hand her a sheet of paper. “Contact Maestro. By the way he spoke, he implied that he’d want to meet with you. Maybe after talking with him you might be a bit more open about accepting our help.”

Trixie scoffed. “We’ll see about that, Twilight.” She then went off into the distance.

Away from the group of friends, Trixie pulls out her phone, and dials the number on the piece of paper. The phone rings once, and a masculine voice answers from the other side. “Hello? This Is Maestro speaking. May I ask who’s calling?”

Trixie took a deep breath. After all, this voice sounded similar to Chessmaster’s, but was notably different. For example, she could tell that it was far more caring. She then replied. “This is Trixie. She heard that you might be able to help her get back at the rotten fools who messed with her!”

She then heard Maestro sigh a bit. “Right. Say, could we meet somewhere to talk out the details? Maybe the park?”

Trixie then nodded slightly. “Of course! Trixie’ll be there!”

Maestro seemed to smile from the other end. “Good. See you there at 3 pm!” He then hung up.

When Trixie arrived at the park, she could see a dark teal anthro unicorn on a bench. He then waved, and Trixie went over. She then addressed him. “So you’re this Maestro that Twilight told me about? How can you help Trixie with her payback?”

Maestro adjusted his glasses with his magic, sighing. “Revenge, huh? On my half-brother Chessmaster, and that mysterious employer of his, am I right?”

Trixie’s eyes widened. “You’re related to him? How can I trust you?” So is that why he has such a similar locket around his neck? She’d noticed that it only had one difference: instead of a chess king, a musical note crossed with a paintbrush in an X-shape with seven lines curving in a leftward arc coming from the brush end was painstakingly engraved.

Maestro spoke, with a tad bit of agitation in his voice. “I’m on your side! I can assure you of that much.” He then sighed. “It’s just a bit difficult to accept that I’m going to have to go up against my bro, is all.” He then looked at Trixie with a serious look. “Wouldn’t you feel a bit torn if you had to fight against somebody from your family?”

Trixie seemed to calm a bit. “Trixie is certain that she would. She is sorry for doubting you.”

Maestro shook his head. “That’s fine. I can certainly understand why. After all, Chessmaster was the one who… well, you get what I’m getting at. Are you still interested in my help?”

Trixie then asked something. “What help can you offer?”

Maestro then lit up his horn in his signature turquoise glow. “Well, I’ve got an enchantment that can amplify magic power, as well as add ‘spell efficiency’ as I call it. Of course, the amplification isn’t quite as potent as the Amulet.”

Trixie voiced her confusion. “Why not make it just as powerful? Couldn’t you easily do that?”

Maestro shook his head. “Not really. To get said results, I’d have to have a mana focusing gem, like the red gem in the amulet.” He then sighed. “Such things only exist in Equestria, and I can’t exactly get there.”

Trixie then spoke. “So how did the amulet end up here? Last Trixie knew, it was being guarded by Zecora.”

Maestro hummed in thought. “Well, I can think of only one plausible reason. The person- or should I say pony- that gave you your transformation likely distracted Zecora, and stole it. She was most likely hoping to use it herself, for a bit of revenge on Twilight. However, something happened, and this ‘something’ caused her to toss the Amulet through a small portal that connects to our world. She most likely came after it later, and that is when she came across Chessmaster. However, this is just a hunch.”

Trixie blinked. “That’s a pretty elaborate hunch.” She then spoke a bit more calmly. “Trixie wants you to bestow upon her the enchantment!”

Maestro, however, seemed a bit hesitant. “Even with this enchantment, I don’t believe that you could do this alone.”

Trixie then smirked. “Then come with me! Let’s bring them down together!”

Maestro still was a tad hesitant, but sighed. “Alright. But, let me tell you this: I may have analyzed the teleport signature, but it may take a while to find when he went. There’s quite a few encryptions on the signature.” He then brightened the glow on his horn. “Now, this enchantment may be a tad… painful at first. You’re certain that you’ll still go through with this? There’s still time to back out. I will completely understand.”

Trixie had a determined look on her face. “Trixie won’t back down.”

Maestro’s right hand then started to share the glow of his horn. He traced a symbol that featured a unicorn horn and some kind of scale in the air, and then he touched the symbol to Trixie’s forehead. A slight shock ran through her body, through every nerve. At first it was painful, but soon it became an almost pleasant dull buzz. Maestro then decided to ask a question. “So? How does it feel?”

Trixie smiled. “Trixie feels amazing!”

Maestro nodded. “That’s good. Now we can get Twilight and her friends to help us as well!”

Trixie scoffed. “Twilight? Why would we need her help?”

Maestro then chided Trixie. “Listen. That enchantment isn’t as powerful as the one on the Amulet. Knowing my half-bro, he’ll have removed the brainwashing enchantment and replaced it with a secondary magic enhancement enchantment. With that kind of power, he will be extremely hard to deal with. Not to mention that his employer, whoever she is, May have found various ways to enhance her already presumably powerful magic. I highly doubt that we can do this by ourselves, Trixie. We need their help.”

Trixie wasn’t happy about it, but Maestro did have a point. With a sigh of defeat, she relented. “Fine. Trixie will work with Twilight. But that doesn’t mean that Trixie will like it!” She then hmph’d and Maestro rolled his eyes.

He then spoke. “Alright. Let’s go to them then. I’ve got a feeling that Excalibur Edge might be there with them. You’ll definitely want hear what she has to say, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” The two then journeyed back to where Twilight and her friends were. Among them was a white-and-blue alicorn anthro with a trio of swords (one red, one green, one blue) piercing through a gray diamond shield. Maestro spoke. “Well, what do you know! It is her! Hey Excalibur! How’re you doing?”

The aforementioned Excalibur gasped a little, causing her red hair to sway a little. “Maestro? What are you doing here?”

Maestro then got serious. Very serious. “We’ve got a problem, Excalibur. I told some of my findings to Twilight and her friends already. But, we need to know the entire picture to figure out what’s going on. Tell us what you know.”

Excalibur sighed. “I was just about to do so with Twilight and her friends when you came along. I’ll fill you in on what I know, and you’ll explain your findings afterward. Deal?” She extended her hand,and Maestro shook it. “Very well. Let me start from the top…”

Author's Note

So... chapter five... I didn't think I'd have it out this soon! So yeah, you know the usual shtick, what with all the stuff I usually ask you guys to do down here. Thanks again to Trixieistruemagic101 for editing. See ya guys next time.

The Explanation

Excalibur continued to speak. “You must understand that the Analysts originally had no interest in this world when they first discovered it. However, an event that happened long ago before the reign of the current Princesses changed everything. This event made them want to know more about this world- and so they studied it. They then noticed that certain people had similarities to ponies that lived in Equestria. This uncanny similarity made them certain that the right move was to hide artifacts on this world that would prove useful, should something magical threaten this world. One of these artifacts were the Elements of Harmony, which Twilight now possesses.”

Twilight voiced her curiosity. “So there’s more artifacts out there? How many can there be, seeing as not very many are mentioned in the show?”

Excalibur chuckled. “You’d be surprised.”

Trixie then spoke. “So we’ll need to find all of these artifacts. How will we find them all?”

Excalibur shook her head. “Not all of them could be necessary, but you’ll need at least one more in order to restore Twilight’s magic.”

Maestro hummed in thought. “Judging by what you’re saying, one of the artifacts is a Mana reserve of some kind. Sounds very useful.”

Excalibur nodded. “Indeed, your guess is astoundingly accurate. However, you might not be the only ones that know about the artifacts.”

Maestro sighed. “Let me guess. The enemy is probably after them too.”

Excalibur seemed to consider it. “Yes, I’d wager so. Though, I’m certain that they don’t know how to find them.”

Rina piped up. “So all that we have to do is find as many as we can, and try and stop them from getting their hands on any of them. Simple!”

Excalibur shook her head. “I don’t think so. Our enemy is extremely powerful, seeing as they can anthrofy. It takes a considerable amount of magic to use that spell.” She then put a hand on her chin. “Though I’m uncertain of how the enemy learned the spell…”

Maestro seemed to realize something. “I can think of one way that she learned it. She must have somehow snuck into the Analysts’ HQ and found something that denotes how to cast the spell.”

Excalibur seemed shocked in disbelief. “No way…”

Ashley spoke up next. “Something wrong, sugarcube?”

Excalibur sighed. “There was a report of files being moved around some time before Trixie was anthrofied. One of the files that was moved was the anthrofication spell scroll. I’d thought nothing of it at the time, but now…”

Maestro had a grave look on his face. “It’s worse than I thought…”

Excalibur was a bit confused. “How so?”

Maestro then sighed. “Look, I didn’t tell Twilight and her friends all of my findings because I needed to be certain that my fears were well founded. It seems my uncanny streak of being right about most everything is still going strong.” He then sighed. “You have no idea how much I wish that I was wrong.”

Twilight was quite curious. “So? What are your full findings?”

Maestro summoned forth a whiteboard and a marker. He then started to illustrate his point. “You see, it goes far beyond the World of Anthros I told you that might happen. It’s much worse than that. I’ve got two main concerns: this mysterious employer of my half-brother, and the future that comes with her reaching her goal. You see, if my hunch about her is correct, she will not stop if she defeats us. She will continue on, and rule this new world of only anthrofied ponies with an iron hoof. My true concern is that even if everyone ends up accepting their new, presumably permanent anthro forms, they will only suffer endlessly at the hooves of a tyrant who will stop at nothing to rule forever. That is what I truly fear.”

Harry looked ready to faint. Trixie then spoke. “So, who do you think is doing all of this? Give us your best guesses!”

Maestro sighed. “I’ve got nothing concrete, but many of my findings have made me narrow down the list to only two possible candidates. The first is Starlight Glimmer. This, however, would require the real Equestria to be vastly out of sync with the show, namely the Season 5 finale and everything in Season 6. The other possibility is Chrysalis, the former queen of the changelings. This one is a bit more likely, considering that she is the one villain that currently is a loose end in the show.” He then shook his head. “However, my analysis at this point is far too inconclusive to discern which one of them it is.”

Rainbow then punched her left hand, catching it with her right hand. “So how about we go storm their place?”

Maestro gave an exasperated sigh. “No can do. I’m still trying to decrypt Chessmaster’s teleport signature. It may take a day or two, possibly three, to crack.” He then looked towards Harry and Rina. “That gives the final two of the members of the six time to anthrofy before we try and cut their plans short.” He then lit up his horn. “However, that doesn’t mean that I can't help out our current anthros.”

Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “What are you going to do?”

Maestro extended the glow of his horn to his right hand. “I’m going to give you all enchantments. Magic amplification for Twilight and Edge, with a touch of spell efficiency, as well as strength enhancement and flight enhancement.” He traced a complex symbol, one that seemed far more mana intensive than the enchantment Trixie received. He then traced it again. He spoke up again. “Flight enhancement for Rainbow,” He traced a symbol that looked like it featured a pair of wings, “And strength enhancement for Ashley.” He traced another symbol that featured a barbel. He then spoke again. “A fair bit of warning, however. These enchantments, when first applied, are a bit painful at first, but it should die down shortly.” He then turned towards Twilight and Excalibur. “However, the enchantment I crafted for you two is a combination of multiple separate enchantment spells. I’ve never had to give an enchantment to an alicorn, so I don’t know what might happen.” He turned again, facing in the general center of the anthro friends. “I will understand if any of you are unwilling to go through with this- The choice is yours, but know that if you choose to get the enchantment, there is no going back.”

Ashley raised an eyebrow. “Why is that, sugarcube?”

Maestro spoke clearly and concisely. “These enchantments are permanent. Once I apply them, they cannot be removed. This means that you’ll be stuck with them until the end of your life. If any of you are willing, come forward now.”

The group seemed hesitant, so Trixie decided to speak. “Trixie agreed to be enchanted. Let her tell you, at first it does hurt slightly. However, that pain will soon be replaced by a dull yet pleasant buzz. And when it’s fully applied, you won’t regret it! Trixie has certainly never felt this good!”

The group then seemed a bit more at ease. The first to go was naturally Rainbow, followed by Ashley. Then Twilight stepped forward. Maestro then spoke. “Now remember, I’ve got no Idea what might happen by combining all of these enchantments. I’ll give you one last chance to back down.”

Twilight then spoke. “Tell me, is spell efficiency what I think it is?”

Maestro responded. “If you’re thinking that it is like a power saver for mana, then yes.”

Twilight then set a determined gaze on her face. “Set me up.”

Her reaction when the enchantment touched her forehead was drastically different. From what Trixie could tell, Twilight was acting as if her entire being was being bathed by the sun. It lasted for a few minutes, but eventually Twilight’s reaction went into that same calm state as the others, and she walked away smiling. As much as Trixie despised Twilight, it was good to know that she was not irreversibly harmed by the enchantment. Excalibur went next, and had a similar reaction akin to Twilight’s. When all was said and done, Maestro was looking a bit ragged. Trixie spoke with concern in her voice. “Are you okay, Maestro?”

He chuckled. “Heh, only slightly winded. After all, ever since I went from Josephus Star to Maestro Spectrum Star, I’ve had quite the knack for enchantment. I’ll be fine with a little rest.”

Excalibur then spoke. “I must say I’m impressed. However, I want to ask you something, Maestro. The Analysts said they had no hoof in your anthrofication. So, how did it happen?”

Maestro seemed to be able to tell that everyone else there wanted answers as well. He sighed. “Listen, it’s not all that different from how you guys got anthrofied- the e-mail, the glowing screen, the slow, painless change. The only difference that I have from Trixie’s experience is that I know who my benefactor is, and why he did it.”

Rina’s eyes seemed to have stars in them. “Who was it? Tell us, tell us, tell us!”

Maestro chuckled a bit. “I was just about to do so.” He then calmed himself. “It was Discord. He told me himself that he wanted to spice things up a bit by adding ponies that, while non-canon to Friendship Is Magic, certainly exist within Equestria. He wants to see just what kind of mayhem he can put into our endeavor.” He then looked towards Excalibur. “I’m only surprised that he wasn’t the one to anthrofy you. You got a special deal from the Analysts.”

Excalibur still seemed to want more answers, however. “What I don’t get is that, when we first met after I was anthrofied, you were already adept with your magic. Why is that?”

Maestro took a deep breath. “Well, for one, Discord made it as if I’d had magic all my life, like it had always been there. However, that isn’t the only reason. I’ve also been an anthro for four years, ever since right after I graduated High School early.”

Twilight and her friends were shocked. Trixie was too, but she recovered quickly, and asked a question. “So you’ve been anthro for four years? How come none of us have ever seen you around as an anthro?”

Maestro’s horn glowed. “Because I can do this!” The glow encased his entire body, and it started to change the fur vanished and was replaced with a fair skintone. His head became more human, and his tail contracted. His hair lost its exotic color, and became a plain chocolate brown. His hooves became feet once again. His horn disappeared. The only thing that was the same were his eyes. He then chuckled. “Do you like my polymorph spell? This is what kept my anthrofication from being discovered for four years!” however, he became dizzy, and the spell went away in a snap. Trixie was closest, and went to keep him steady. “Heh. Was a bit more drained from all of those enchantments than I first thought. Thanks, Trixie.”

Trixie huffed. “It’s the least Trixie can do for you. She did this in thanks for your enchantment.”

Excalibur then spoke. “Do you think that Chessmaster might attack again?”

Maestro shook his head. “I doubt it. Chessmaster is one that always thinks over things thrice. He will most likely wait for us to come to him, so he can fight us on his terms.”

Rina then posed a question. “Do you think that Discord will anthrofy anyone else?”

Maestro nodded. “I’m certain that he will. My only question is who, and-” All of a sudden, Maestro’s phone rings. “I wonder who that could be?” He answers the phone, forgetting to take it off of speaker. “Hello? This is Maestro sp-”

He was then cut off by a very irritated adult male voice. “Who are you!? What have you done to Josephus!? This is his phone that I’m calling! Tell me where he is at once!”

Maestro then spoke. “Chill! It’s me, Josephus! I just changed my name, is all.”

The voice on the other end gasped. “What!? Impossible! I know that Josephus would never do such a thing! He told me himself! You must be lying!”

Maestro stroked his temple in agitation. “Look, it’s me! C’mon, what’ll it take for you to believe me?”

The voice huffed. “Tell me the one thing that only he and me know. I demand your answer!” Maestro seemed to recall something, and whispered into the phone. The voice responded crossly. “Josephus told me that was his generic thing that he told all of his other friends! There’s only one thing that he only shared with me, and nobody else! If you really are Josephus, then tell me this: What did we name the binary star we found together?”

Maestro’s eyes grew wide. “Double J Nexo.”

The voice on the other end seemed to sigh. “So it is you… I’d never expect you to change your mind about changing your name, Josephus. Then again, it’s been fourteen years. Many things can change in that amount of time.”

Maestro seemed on the verge of tears. “Jozhir! It’s good to hear from you again! Sorry that I haven’t kept in touch, it’s just-”

Trixie raised an eyebrow at the name Maestro spoke. There’s no way, right?

Jozhir butted in again. “Look, that’s not important right now. People over here in the States are panicking. Strange transformations have broken out all across the nation. People grow fur, have their feet turn into hooves, some grow wings or horns, and some even change gender! It’s not natural! And the common thread between them all? An e-mail from one Mr. Dion. so that’s why I’ve avoided my email for the last two days. I was hoping that you might know how I can cure this epidemic. Well do you?”

Maestro responded. “No. From what I have gathered, it’s quite permanent. There’s no reversing anthrofication.”

Jozhir sighed. “So there’s no…” He seemed to blink, though nobody could see it. “Wait. You’ve got a name for this thing? So it’s happened over there too?” He got a bit agitated. “Well that’s just perfect. Next thing you know, the entire world will be these… anthros! The human race will go extinct! I don’t think I could live in a world where my gadgets were obsolete!”

Maestro raised an eyebrow. “Humans going extinct? Are you certain that would happen?”

Jozhir snapped. “Yes! According to my current understanding of Anthro DNA, which I must admit is limited, no combination of two opposite gendered anthro’s DNA through synthesis result in a strand of human DNA. Now, at such an early stage in research, I cannot be 100% certain, but my current findings are not very promising. If the Human race is to survive, I believe that whatever is causing all of these anthrofications must be rooted out ASAP.”

Maestro sighed. “Don’t you worry, Jozhir. I have a good idea of who’s causing all of this, and how to make it stop.”

Jozhir sighed in relief from the other side of the phone. “Good. If you need anything, say some of my gadgets, just let me know. I’ll be happy help. Good-bye.”

“Good-bye, Jozhir,” Maestro hang up.

Fluttershy was shivering. “I-is wh-what he said r-really possible? Th-the extinction of humanity?”

Maestro had a solemn look. “I didn’t want to think that it was. I had hope, that even in a world of anthros, humans might be born into it. After all, it’d be too sad to say good-bye to humans forever. However, with this news…” He tried to stand, but slumped back down onto Trixie again. “Listen. If that is a real possibility, we just have to stop it from becoming reality.” He then looked to Twilight. “I hate to impose, but do you think I could…?”

Twilight nodded. “My parents certainly won’t mind. We don’t often have guests, let alone ones that stay the night.” She then took over for Trixie as support, and led Maestro to the guest room. As for everyone else, they departed to their own homes, digesting what Excalibur and Maestro had told them.

Author's Note

Chapter Six! And now, the full weight of what's at stake has been revealed! My editor for this fic, Trixieistruemagic101 hasn't edited it yet, though. I'll see you all next chapter, perhaps with a new anthrofication scene? Fingers crossed!

The Meeting and Her Artifact

Trixie got up the next morning, still a bit overwhelmed by the revelation that was dropped on them yesterday. She decided to have a bit of breakfast to calm herself. When she got to the table however, she saw her father reading a newspaper. He then looked up. He seemed to glare at her with his untempered green eyes, a look of disapproval on his face. “I heard about the incident at school. It says here that you caused quite the panic yesterday. Care to explain, missy?”

Trixie gulped. “Look dad, Trixie really regret what she did. The principal has already called, and Trixie agreed to help clean up the school a bit. She’ll be helping out starting Monday.”

Mr. Evenlor sighed. “I hope this doesn’t happen again, missy. I’d really appreciate a bit of normalcy from now on, but that’s a bit much to ask ever since you… changed.”

Trixie knew that her dad was still struggling to come to terms with the anthrofication. He’d sometimes slip up here and there, but Trixie knew he tried. And if her mother had known… well, she’d probably not take it well. Trixie sighed as she sat down with her cereal. “Trixie promises it won’t happen again, dad.” They then ate in awkward silence. When Trixie finished, she went back to her room, and turned on her computer. She opened up her e-mail, just to check up on things. She blinked when she saw an e-mail from the Analysts. Those are the guys that are trying to protect the world or whatever, right? So why would they e-mail Trixie? She opened the e-mail, and started to read it.

Dear Trixie,

It has come to our attention that you have been contacted by the forces that oppose us. However, thanks to our contact Excalibur, we know that you side with us now. We would very much like to have your help in the upcoming events, so we will give you a task. We have hidden an artifact in the basement of your school. We believe that this artifact may help you, in more ways than one, so this is a mutually beneficial task. We have hope that you will succeed.

Wish you luck,

The Analysts

Trixie digested a bit of this new info. An artifact that they wanted her to have? Could this be true? Trixie was a bit unsure about this, as she’d been burned by mysterious people wanting to “help,” but she remembered that the Analysts were the good guys of this whole debacle, so she supposed that she could give them the benefit of the doubt. She got dressed, and thought to herself Maybe if Trixie does this now, She might get a bit of a head start with what the principal asked Trixie to do. She then headed off to school. On the way there, she came across Maestro with two anthros near him, both of them girls. One of them looked older than Maestro and Chessmaster, and the other looked younger than Maestro by a few years.

They came closer, and Maestro spoke. “Hi Trixie. I’m guessing you’re wondering who these two are, huh? Well, I’ll let them introduce themselves.”

The one with yellow fur spoke first. “I am Servo Star, the eldest. I once was known as Laranda.”

The one with blue fur giggled a bit. “Please forgive our half-sister. She’s always been a bit distant to those outside the family.” She then grinned. “I’m Janice Dazzle Star, the youngest! Maestro may have mentioned me before as Reina!”

Trixie then looked to Maestro. “So these are your…?”

Maestro chuckled slightly. “Half-sisters. They mean well.”

Trixie was a bit astonished. “So all of you are half siblings to each other?”

Maestro nodded. “We had one common parent between the four of us, and that was dad.”

Trixie noticed the past tense, but didn’t want to overstep her bounds. She changed the subject. “Well Trixie’s gotta go help clean up the school as restitution. She’ll be seeing you.”

Maestro grabbed her arm as she was leaving, causing her to look back. He spoke plainly. “Not even the principal will be at school today. What’s really going on, Trixie?”

Trixie seemed to notice a slight pang of discomfort in Maestro as he let go, but decided not to comment on it. She sighed. “Trixie was e-mailed by the Analysts. They said that they’d put an artifact there that they wanted Trixie to have. They said it was in the basement.”

Maestro’s eyes widened. “The basement?!?” He grabbed Trixie by the arm again, and she noticed him try and push down discomfort. He then led her to the school, talking on the way. “I know exactly where it is down there. I found it when I was wandering around the school during an alumni tour two years back. Good thing too, seeing as it might’ve taken you awhile to find it otherwise.”

Maestro unlocked the school with a key as his half-sisters caught up. Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Why do you have that?”

Maestro sighed. “Back in school, I was a bit of a prankster, so I’d swiped the keys to the place and made a copy of them so I could set up my shenanigans. Never got caught, but I’d simmered out of it by Junior year. Never disposed of the keys, and I’m glad the locks haven’t changed.” They went inside and found the stairs down to the basement. They went down and saw that the basement was cluttered, as if nobody had touched the place in years. They went near the center, and Maestro rummaged through the pile methodically until he grabbed something and pulled it out. He grinned. “Just where I left it.” He then handed it to Trixie.

It was a strange box of sorts, although there seemed to be no way to open it. She looked at Maestro. “This is the artifact? No offense, but it doesn’t look like much.”

Maestro hummed in thought for a while, and then snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it! Try using a bit of your magic to open it. I never opened it because I’d felt that I wasn’t the one meant to open it.”

Trixie’s horn glowed pink, and she enveloped her hands in the glow. And with a swift tug, opened the box without problem. She blinked at what was inside. “What is this?”

Maestro took a look inside at the artifact. He took in the look of it, and noticed that it was something he’d thought he’d never see. He audibly gasped.

Servo and Janice looked at it, but only seemed confused. Janice spoke up. “So what is it?”

Maestro spoke as Trixie pulled it out of the box. “It’s the Illusion Dynamo, one of Mage Meadowbrook’s eight enchanted items. Should come in handy for you, Trixie.” The object in question looked like a spherical hourglass.

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “How do you know that?”

Maestro chuckled. “Well, when I met Discord personally, he told me many things about the artifacts of Equestria.”

Servo sighed. “Let’s just get out of here. The air’s far too stale in here.” They all nodded in agreement, and left the school.

Author's Note

Chapter seven! so the analysts have contacted Trixie, and things are shaping up to be quite interesting with the new anthros. Hope you like how things are going so far! Thanks for editing go to Trixieistruemagic101.

The Arrival Of Night

Trixie and co. soon found where Twilight and friends had gotten to, thanks to help from Maestro. After introducing the new anthros to the rest of the group, Pinkie (she’d anthrofied? That was new) spoke up, pointing to the spherical hourglass-shaped item that Trixie had pinned to her blouse. So what’s that thing you’ve got there, Trixie?”

Trixie grinned. “This is the Illusion Dynamo, an artifact that the Analysts helped Trixie find. I believe they wanted Trixie to have it as a sign of trust.”

Twilight seemed a bit confused. “The Illusion Dynamo? What exactly is it, anyway?”

Maestro explained. “The Illusion Dynamo is one of the eight enchanted items of Mage Meadowbrook. It can give illusions a more ‘solid feel’ so to speak. This is why it is most suited to Trixie.”

Ashley then spoke. “So have you been given an artifact by the Analysts?”

Maestro shook his head. “No. But then again, I doubt I’ll need one- after all, my built in spell efficiency is more than enough.”

Micaela (Rainbow) crossed her arms. “Wait a minute. If you have it built in, why’d you nearly pass out after all of those enchantments?”

Maestro chuckled. “I’d never needed to use all of my magic, so I keep most of it sealed away using enchantments grafted into my very being. If I knew beforehand what the result would’ve been you would’ve seen me tap into my sealed magic, if only slightly.”

Trixie then spoke to Twilight. “So did you already find whatever artifact was here?”

Twilight nodded. “It’s the mana reserve that Maestro speculated about. I’m already feeling back at 100%!”

Trixie then spoke. “Look, about what happened…”

Twilight shook her head. “I’ve already forgiven you, Trixie.” She then put her hand out. “I just hope we can be friends now.”

Trixie accepted the handshake, and grinned. “We’re in this mess together, so Trixie supposes it couldn’t hurt to be friends, at least for now.”

The group then headed back towards the school, where they saw a peculiar sight- Chessmaster pushing his glowing red hand onto the vice principal. He then released his grip and turned to the group. He smiled evilly, the Alicorn Amulet gleaming around his neck. “Well, what do we have here? The incomplete Mane six and some stragglers, as well as-” He paused when he looked at Maestro, Servo, and Janice. His grin then returned. “What a wonderful surprise! The whole family’s been anthrofied! Glorious! Now, come to my side, and together we can get everything we rightfully deserve!”

Servo huffed. “Maestro wasn’t kidding. You’re hopelessly deluded.”

Chessmaster blinked. “So he’s already colored your opinions, has he?” He then glared at Maestro. “Well, now let’s see what you think of what I’m capable of!” He then guides the group’s gaze to a black swirling cloud that is where the vice principal once was. He smiled. “Beautiful, isn’t it? I can now anthrofy others at will, even forcing them into bodies not meant for them!” He then let out a guffaw.

Janice started to cry. “That’s horrible! Forcing somebody to become something that they aren’t is just wrong!”

Chessmaster huffed. “Whatever, just try and stop me now!” As he started to teleport away, Maestro leapt forward, and grabbed onto something. Chessmaster pushed Maestro off of him, flinging him into Trixie. Chessmaster then chuckled. “Sayonara!” He then vanished.

Maestro got up, furious. “Again! He escaped again!” He started to mutter something.

Trixie then shouted. “The black cloud is parting!”

Sure enough, the black cloud was dissipating, and the figure that emerged floored them all. She then shouted her iconic phrase from the show. “The Night shall last forever!” They were face-to-face with Nightmare Moon.

Twilight gulped. “How are we supposed to beat her? We don’t even have all of the main cast anthrofied!”

Maestro put whatever he’d managed to pull off of Chessmaster’s person into a pocket, and huffed. “I didn’t want to have to do this, but desperate times…” He then walked up to Harry and Pinkie His horn started to glow, but that wasn’t all. The spiral of his horn shone a brilliant white, as if powering the spell further. His right hand then shared the same glow as his horn, and he traced two familiar symbols- the enchantments that he’d given Trixie and Applejack- albeit with a slight tweak to the unicorn one.

Harry spoke first. “Maestro dear, what are you going to do to us?”

Maestro sighed. “Speed up Harry’s Anthrofication and give both of you an enchantment. I didn’t think that I’d have to use this spell, but desperate action is required if we are to properly beat Nightmare Moon.” He then pushed the modified enchantments towards their proper hosts. The instant they connected, Harry began to change. Harry grew white fur and a horn, and his body became more feminine as his feet became hooves. His ears also morphed to pony ones, moving to the top of his head. The final touch was his hair becoming purple as well as a tail of the same color growing. Maestro nodded. “Alright. Now we can beat her!”

Twilight then summoned the box with the Elements, and levitated one to each of her five friends, giving them the ones of their respective characters. She then put the tiara of the Element of Magic on her own head. But before they attacked, Twilight saw Maestro, Servo, and Janice light their horns. “Why are you doing that?”

Maestro then spoke. “We don’t know if the Elements will remove the forced anthrofication entirely. If it doesn’t, we want to be ready to remove it. With a theoretical spell, but it's something, right?”

Twilight nodded, and then she and her friends grabbed hands, and levitated into the air. The six colors of the elements then shot off towards Nightmare Moon, swirling around her. She screamed out, as she was enveloped in the light. As the light died down, the group noticed that the former anthro had been returned to a normal human. Passed out sure, but normal nonetheless. Twilight sighed as they touched down. “We won!”

Maestro cleared his throat. “It’s not over yet. Remember, we still have to beat Chessmaster and his employer.”

Micaela then spoke. “How long do you think that’ll take?”

Maestro sighed. “I don’t know. But, I believe that we’re dealing with Starlight Glimmer. Of this, I’m pretty certain.”

Rarity scrunched her brow. “Last night you said that you had two suspects. How can you have changed your mind this quickly?”

Maestro huffed. “The more I thought about it, the less it made sense for it to be Chrysalis. After all, at the current state of the show, she wants revenge on Starlight more than anyone. So, the more logical option is that the Equestria we’re dealing with is not in sync with the Season 5 finale as well as Season 6 and 7. Why this is, I cannot say.” He grunted in pain, and brought a hand to his head.

Flora (Fluttershy) spoke up. “Oh my! Are you alright?”

Maestro nodded. “Yeah. Just a migraine, nothing too huge to worry about.” He wandered into the school using his extra key. “Just need to take a bit of medication. Be right back.” He disappeared into the building, not noticing that Trixie had followed him. Trixie then saw him go into a random room, and shut the door. She went up to it, and cast a spell that let her hear what was going on inside. She was startled as she heard him speak. “Why? Why is this happening? Why did I have that strange vision involving the Maestro Spectrum from Equestria? Is it some kind of delayed side-effect of my anthrofication, or am I going insane? Not to mention all of these… feelings... They seem to belong to him, the original, but now they’re making things needlessly complicated! I mean, it’s not so bad around certain anthros, seeing as those feelings are platonic, but around a certain anthro…” he sighed. “Why! I just…” He took a deep breath. “Calm down. Maybe Discord might know what’s happening. I’ll go see him about this.” Trixie then left the school once she heard him coming near the door. She knew something about him that nobody else did! Just the thought made her feel… special. She decided to keep it to herself, if only for now.

Author's Note

Chapter eight! Now the full capabilities of Chessmaster whith the power of the Alicorn Amulet has been foreshadowed! Thanks for editing go to Trixieistruemagic101.

The Revelation

After the fiasco with Nightmare Moon, The group seemed to be discussing something when Trixie came out of the school. She didn’t bother asking them what it was, seeing as Maestro came out soon after, and asked anyway. “So, what are you guys discussing?”

Rarity spoke first. “We were just talking about what our next move will be. Any closer to figuring out where Chessmaster went off to?”

Maestro nodded. “With a fresh sample, one that is far less encrypted than the first, I’ve narrowed down his location to near the airport. I’m going to go scout the area, if anyone wants to come along.”

Trixie responded first. “Trixie’ll go with you.” she sauntered a bit closer to him, earning her a slightly distraught Maestro, albeit not so distraught for others to notice. She inwardly grinned. So that “certain anthro” Trixie overheard about… Could it be her? She seemed pleased at the thought. She must admit Maestro’s very… alluring. She noticed that Maestro looked into her eyes, and he seemed a bit more uncomfortable. Could it be he somehow knows what Trixie’s thinking? She shook her head. That’s ridiculous!

The others, however, had vastly different responses.

Ashley said she was needed on the farm, and couldn’t come.

Janice and Servo both said that they wanted to go someplace to experiment with their magic.

Fluttershy muttered something about helping out at the animal shelter.

Rarity said that she needed time to think up some designs for her new wardrobe.

Rainbow said that she was curious if she could move clouds, and sped off.

Pinkie spoke so fast that Trixie could barely make out that she was needed at a bakery.

Twilight shook her head. “As much as I’d like to come, I have other priorities.”

Maestro sighed. “I see…” He then composed himself. “Well, there might be somebody you’ll need to meet soon anyway. An anthro of a soldier, if I recall. Don’t know when you’ll meet, but it should be relatively soon.” He then left with Trixie to the airport, leaving Twilight a bit befuddled.

When they reached the airport, Maestro cut off whatever Trixie was going to say. “Think you have me figured out, don’t you?” He turned to face her, an unamused look on his face. “Well, let me just tell you a little something: You don’t.” He turned away, and started walking. His horn was glowing, and Trixie was certain that it was for some kind of analysis spell. “Just help me look around, and no funny business. Capiche?”

They walked in silence for a while, until Trixie could no longer stand it, and she spoke. “So, why are you acting so… cold all of a sudden? Don’t you…”

Maestro huffed, cutting her off. “Look. Those feelings aren’t mine. They belong to some other Maestro in some other reality and are for some other Trixie. They just don’t fit. That’s the other reason I came here for. Discord can help me sort out this nonsense, and hopefully things’ll be… normal. We could be friends. Just… bear with me for now, until I can get this nonsense sorted out.”

The awkward silence returned, until they returned to where they started. Maestro sighed. “It seems we can’t get a clear read on it just yet. Just as well. We’ve no true plan of attack anyway.” He then went up to a nondescript door, and knocked. It opened, and he called inside. “Hey D? It’s me, Maestro. I want to talk to you about something.”

A jovial voice called from inside. “Oh! Do come on in. I’d love some company at the moment.”

As Trixie started to follow, Maestro held up a hand. “Do you mind waiting out here? It’s kind of personal.” Trixie huffed, but didn’t object. Maestro disappeared inside. However, Trixie’s curiosity got the better of her, and she followed him inside. The first thing that hit her was how strange this place was. Then she reasoned that Discord had probably twisted its features for it to feel more “homey.” She soon reached the room where Maestro had entered. She peered inside, and gasped at what she saw. Indeed, the person before Maestro was Discord, looking exactly like he had in the show. She then picked up on the conversation, which Discord started.

“So! Something is troubling you?”

Maestro sighed. “That’s putting it mildly.”

Discord snapped his fingers, summoning forth a notepad and pen. “Oh? Do tell.”

Maestro pulled a hand through his hair, and started to explain. “Recently, I’ve started having… visions. They seem to be from the perspective of the original Maestro, the one from the Equestria this world is connected to. But that’s not all. His… feelings for a certain mare have started to also surface, forcing itself upon me. Tell me, is this some kind of side effect?”

Discord shook his head after a quick once-over of Maestro’s person. “As much as I would love to take credit for this little chaotic episode of yours, I cannot. The true reason this is happening is because Maestro, the one from Equestria, is trying to connect to you.”

Maestro seemed puzzled. “Why? Why is it only me that’s going through this?”

Discord hummed in thought. “Maestro, no matter which reality he inhabits, tends to like to keep tabs on his alternate selves. Of course, there are a few versions of him that seem oblivious to the multiverse, especially ones that haven’t reached his level of fame, or haven’t even taken up the mantle of Maestro.”

Maestro raised an eyebrow. “So what, he wants to talk to me?”

Discord chuckled. “I suppose you could say that, yes. I believe the feelings rubbing off on you was an unintentional side effect of his spell.” He readied to snap his claw. “I suppose you want me to remove them?”

Maestro nodded. “These feelings of his only stand to confuse me. I’d rather only have to deal with my own feelings, thank you.”

Discord snapped, and Maestro seemed to relax, as if an unseen weight had been removed. Discord spoke. “There you go. No confusing feelings of some other version of yourself. Now, can you tell me why you didn’t want them to integrate into you?”

Maestro sighed. “I just felt a tad too awkward around my friends, Trixie especially. The whole ‘used to be a guy’ thing among the majority of them makes it hard enough to be around them. Those feelings only stood to complicate things.”

Discord nodded. “Right, I completely understand. It doesn’t mean it would’ve been bad to keep them, though.”

Maestro scoffed. “Of course you’d think that.” He turned toward the door. “Thanks for your help, D.”

But, before he left, Discord spoke. “Oh, one more thing.” Maestro looked back at Discord, and motioned for him to continue. “Your friend, Jozhir, he’s wrong about the whole ‘humans going extinct’ bit. He’s just looking at the DNA the wrong way.”

Maestro seemed intrigued. “How so?”

Discord chuckled. “He’s coming at it with a mind of science, and not coming at it from a magical perspective. After all, the DNA of a anthro is laced with magic.”

Maestro realized something. “So you’re saying that he’d need to anthrofy to see the reason why it works the way it does? But, that still doesn’t answer how he’s wrong.”

Discord smirked. “Well, I’m in contact with someone that has seen many futures. In all the ones where all the current residents of your planet become anthros, the relationships between two anthros of opposite genders will ‘produce’ a human child about half the time.” He huffed, and continued. “Though he wouldn’t tell me what they discovered about the spell to make it act like that. Said something about ‘spoilers.’”

Maestro sighed. “I think I know who you’re talking about. Anyway, thanks for the help.” As Maestro reached the door, Trixie bolted out of there before she could be spotted.

Author's Note

Chapter Nine! Well, I've been about as blunt as a sharp sword, haven't I? Yes, Maestro is having... issues about the status of what the Maestro of the Equestria they're connected to has gone through.

Side Story: Meanwhile, in America...

Jozhir sighed. He didn’t understand it! Why didn’t his synthesization work? Was he doing something wrong? If so, what was it? He shook his head. I need to clear my head. Maybe talking to my sister would help. He got up from his lab desk and went out into the main room of the house, only to see his sister out in the backyard next to her personal plane, which was modified to spew out clouds from the back. He went out to her and spoke. “I can’t seem to figure it out, Mari. Why can’t I get the anthro DNA to properly synthesize?”

She looked back to him, her long auburn hair swaying a bit. “Well, maybe you’d need to become an anthro to fully understand their DNA. That’s what I think.”

Jozhir shook his head, causing his red hair to have a strand come loose. “You know how I feel about that, Mari. I don’t want to jump into it without some kind of idea as to what I’m signing up for. We don’t even know what we’ll become if we anthrofy! Though, I’d wager it’d be the ones with bat wings, seeing as they were most common among those that anthrofied over here.”

Mari’s amber eyes seemed to sparkle at the thought. “Oh, that’d be so cool if that was the case! It’d make my sky art so much more elegant! Using a plane is just so… clunky.”

Jozhir rolled his pale blue eyes. “Of course you’d think like that. As for me, I don’t want to anthrofy until I find some kind of clue that I might be wrong about my assessment.”

Mari huffed, crossing her arms. “You can be so stubborn, Jozhir.”

Jozhir shrugged. “I won’t deny that. It’s one of the few things that I have in common with dad.”

Mari sighed. “Don’t drudge him up. If mom heard you talking about him, she’d get mad again. After all, it hasn’t been long since the divorce.”

Jozhir frowned. “I know it’s only been a few years. That’s the reason we moved to the States in the first place. I can only wonder how our brother is doing, seeing as he’s over with dad in Australia. It must be hard for him, dealing with dad’s… problems.”

Mari shrugged. “Well, it doesn’t matter now. We changed our last names to match mom’s after the divorce to show her our support. Our brother went with dad saying that somebody had to keep an eye on him. We have to be strong, Jozhir.”

Jozhir went up to the plane. “Say, can I borrow your plane? I want to visit an old friend. See what he thinks.”

Mari sighed. “You mean that Josephus guy? He sounds nice.” She grinned, then got in the cockpit. “So, are you ready to fly?”

Jozhir got in the second seat and got ready. Mari put on her aviation gear and started up the engine. The plane started to go forward, beginning to rise. They got up off the ground and started to soar over the plains. Jozhir then thought to himself. I need to know for certain why he changed his name. I have my suspicions, but I need to know for certain. They were flying for a while and reached the East Coast by nightfall. Mari insisted that they get some rest, and continue their flight at dawn. Jozhir wasn’t happy about that, but he knew that it wasn’t smart to fly at night without proper equipment. They paid for a room at a nearby hotel, assuaging the misgivings by stating that they were siblings. They spent the night and would leave in the morning. Jozhir had one last thought before sleep claimed him. I wonder how our brother’s doing. Maybe I can find out when we reach Australia. Two birds, one stone. He then fell asleep.

Bonus: Meanwhile, in Equestria…

Maestro adjusted his glasses with his magic. Things were starting to get interesting. It was too bad that the person that had anthrofied into him on Earth had reservations about the Trixie anthro. Still, he understood why. He looked over to his sleeping marefriend, his Trixie. He smiled. She was one of the few so far that he could trust with most of the truth as to who he was.

He sighed. He knew that the others- The Harmony Six included- would not accept him if he revealed himself at this venture, and he was uncertain if Trixie would accept him if he revealed the truth either. He needed a little more time to gain their trust, and for them to gain his. Sure, he knew the rumors about the six, saying they’d accept anyone, but he had his doubts.

That was why he’d deemed that his mask of Maestro was necessary. He also knew that he needed to connect to everyone that called Mytharia home. After all, judging by what other Maestros from across the multiverse had said, a force of great despair was on the horizon. He’d been doing well on that front so far- many of the species of the world respected him, and considered him a friend.

He looked over to his adopted daughter, Prism the dragon. He smiled. She was the only one that knew who he was that wasn’t born into the family.

Speaking of family, he considered his half-brother, Chessmaster. He frowned. He hadn’t seen him in a while, and the striking similarities between the current population of Earth compared to the current population of Mytharia had him worried. Had his Chessmaster also fallen onto dark paths? This certainly wouldn’t be the only world that it’d happened in.

He turned his thoughts towards his half sisters, Janice and Servo. Janice had a successful endeavor as a jeweler over in Los Pegasus, and Servo was one of the Royal scientists. They were all well off, considering how rough things were after the death of their father. Maestro shook his head. He would not dwell on such things.

He turned his attention towards the two “Americans”. He knew who they would become, but he kept that knowledge to himself. After all, revealing who they were would be no fun. He’d met them and they were good ponies. But when he talked to other Maestros, he noticed that their situation was unique. After all, when it came to the two ponies that those two would anthrofy into, most of the time they weren’t related to each other, or any other pony. He sighed, and turned his attention back to his equivalent over on Earth. He knew that he’d have to tell him the full truth- about who were in the Analysts when they first decided to take an interest in Earth. About the dark secret of the Crown. He shook his head. He would save that for later.

Most didn’t know that he knew so much - after all, most presumed that he was just an artist, nothing more. He was okay with that misconception persisting for a while longer. He didn’t mind.

He then took out a book titled The Unabridged True History of Mytharia, and turned to the first blank page he could find, which was a few thousand pages in. He then started to write...

Author's Note

Another Side Story, this time with an extra segment! This is set up for the next chapter- and yes, they'll be showing up that soon. Edited by Trixieistruemagic101.

The Dragon, the Americans, and some Truth

Trixie and Maestro traveled in silence. Maestro had already confronted Trixie about eavesdropping on his conversation with Discord (seriously, just how perceptive was he?), but he knew that being mad would get him nowhere. As they walked, Trixie noticed that Maestro was frowning. She decided to address him. “Say, what’s eating you?”

Maestro sighed. “It’s this whole debacle with the memories. Sure, they’ve stopped for the moment, but some of them are a bit dubious.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

Maestro seemed to be deep in thought. “Well, sometimes it would show Maestro using a spell, and he’d look entirely different. He’d address this as his ‘real face’ which was underneath the mask. But what does that mean, seeing as I was Maestro the instant that I was fully anthrofied?” He then sighed deeply. “And then there’s this strange feeling that I felt crawl across my enchantments after dealing with Nightmare Moon. Like they were somehow… bolstered.”

Trixie shrugged. “You should ask him when you have the chance. It beats being in the dark about it.”

Maestro sighed as he reached his house. “You’re right. I need answers, and-”

He was cut off by the door opening. His half sister, Servo, was dealing with an anthro rainbow dragon that seemed to be at the age of 12. Janice was at the door. “I thought I heard your voice! We’ve got an issue here.” She motioned to the new anthro in the house. “She claims that she’s family. What do you think?”

Maestro blinked, looking at the dragon. He noticed the silver spines on her head, as well as some of the gold belly scales that were poking through her mismatched clothes. “Amira? Is that you?”

The dragon stopped antagonizing Servo, and lept at Maestro with glee, her copper dragon eyes gleaming. “Daddy! It’s so good to see you!” The excitable dragon squeezed him into a hug.

Servo and Janice looked dismayed. Trixie voiced her confusion. “Why did she call you daddy?”

Maestro chuckled. “Well, I always treated her more like family back when she was a tiger. I guess that she took on the personality of Prism, Maestro’s adopted daughter.”

Servo seemed to gather herself. “So this dragon really is Amira?”

The dragon put a claw-like hand to her snout as she let go of Maestro. “I may have been called that before, but I kinda like the ring of Prism better.”

The sky was dark, and Trixie was about to say her goodbyes when a bang could be heard from the backyard. All of them went towards it, and started to hear a conversation.

“-honestly! You could’ve let me fly here!” came an unfamiliar female voice.

A very familiar male voice then spoke. “Look, Mari. I couldn’t refuse that anthro’s offer to help cut our travel time. I’m just surprised that they managed to do it. They must’ve had a special talent in teleportation.”

Maestro got into the backyard, followed by the others. He gasped, and asked a question. “Jozhir? Is that you?”

The man that was in front of the plane turned to them, letting them get a good look at him. His skin was tan, and his red hair was a bit long. His pale blue eyes seemed to gleam in the moonlight. He was only a bit shorter than Maestro. He looked Maestro over. He sighed. “No wonder you changed your name to Maestro. You’ve anthrofied!” He then looked at the crowd, and noticed that all of them were anthros. He continued, raising an eyebrow. “Some of your anthro friends, I take it?”

Maestro explained, pointing to each antho as he mentioned them. “Servo and Janice are my half-sisters, and Trixie’s a friend. Prism is my adoptive daughter.”

Jozhir sighed. “I see.”

The woman with him went over to Maestro. “It’s so nice to finally meet you! I’m Mari, Jozhir’s sister.” She offered her right hand for a handshake.

Maestro smiled. “It’s nice to meet you too. Jozhir told me a bit about you over email a few years back.” When he accepted the handshake, he felt a jolt go up his arm. After the handshake ended, he noticed that she’d felt it too, and filed that knowledge away for later.

Trixie wasn’t amused at the scene, and it showed. She then decided to ask Jozhir something. “Say, why are you here, anyway? You can’t have come all this way just to see an old friend.” She had to make sure of something. She needed to know if this was who she thought it was.

Jozhir sighed. “I came to see how my brother Clyde is doing. Do you know him?”

Trixie bit her lip. So it is him! Trixie was unsure, but now… she knows why she was drawn to him as well! But, why now? She then sighed. “Yes, Trixie knew him. He entered a coma a few years ago, a little bit after you left. His dad barely leaves his side.”

Maestro raised an eyebrow, and knew that she was hiding something. He would confront her about it later, however. Jozhir shook. “I see.” He sighed, calming himself. “I’ll have to go see him in the hospital.”

Mari sighed. “I guess getting to know Maestro will have to wait. I’ll go with.”

Maestro nodded. “That’d be best. I can always see your sky art later.” After everyone else had left, he pulled Trixie aside. “So tell me. What do you really know about Jozhir and his family? I could tell that you’ve seen him before.”

Trixie sighed. “Trixie knew them back in elementary school, sort of. Back as Darrel, I had a crush on Jozhir, though I hid it pretty well.”

Maestro paled. “You were like that before you anthrofied?” He gathered himself. “At least your becoming a mare has straightened things out, I suppose.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “What’s so wrong with that?”

Maestro sighed. “It has to deal with a certain friend I had after I lost track of Jozhir. I don’t like to talk about it much.” He then went back towards the house, and called back. “Hey. Maybe if things work out, I’ll tell you about it sometime. See ya.” He then entered, leaving Trixie in the backyard.

Trixie then thought to herself. There’s so much that Trixie doesn’t know about him. Is that mystery what draws her to him? Her thoughts then drifted to Jozhir. The same goes for him. Trixie doesn’t know much about him, either. He always seemed so cool when he’d go on about his ideas for machines… She shook her head. She needed to get home, but it was very dark. She then thought of something. She lit up her horn in pink magic, and thought to herself. Here goes! She then popped out of the backyard in a flash of light.

Author's Note

Chapter Ten! They're here~! It might take awhile for them to become part of the plot, but it'll all tie in, don't you worry! This chapter is unedited as of yet.

A Shard of A Secret

Trixie woke up the next morning with not much trouble. She could hardly remember the dream she had. Something about Maestro, Jozhir, and Jozhir’s insufferable sister, Mari. She could only recall that it was a bittersweet dream. After getting dressed and finishing the ensemble with a duplicate of Trixie’s hat from the show, she paused before leaving the house, seeing her father passed out on the couch, drunk. She sighed. Even though it’d been a long time since the divorce, every once and a while he’d slip back into that state of mind he’d had afterwards- and binge on beer. He must’ve found an old photo of them back when they were sweethearts- those old photos hit him hard. That’s why Trixie had taken the liberty of getting rid of all the ones she could find. Apparently she missed at least one, however. She found it still clenched in his hand. She tore it away from her father, and took a look at him, and whispered. “I’m doing this for your mental and emotional health.” She tossed it in a neighbor’s trash can on the way down her neighborhood.

She stopped by the Star mansion that fine morning, a bit curious as to what Maestro had found out. She knocked on the door, and heard somebody coming to the door. It opened, and before her was Maestro, slouching a little more than usual. His hair was tangled and uncombed, and he had bags under his eyes. He was still in his pajamas as well. The look he had sent one message: He hadn’t slept well the previous night. He sighed. “C’mon in.” He stood away from the door, and Trixie followed him inside. He went into the living room, where his family was. They looked to be a bit shell-shocked, so Trixie surmised that he’d told them everything, seeing as they were family. Trixie knew he’d probably hide most of it from her, but she knew that was to be expected with his trust issues.

Trixie decided to break the ice. “So, what did you find out?”

Maestro tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes, and yawned a little. “Well, it’s nothing exactly new for us- we’ve never been what one might consider ‘normal’ even back as humans. It’s part of being a member of the Star family. Born with abnormal abilities or IQs, and grow up scorned and feared by society. It doesn’t comfort us much knowing that our counterparts in Equestria suffered likewise.” Trixie could see the melancholy look on his face, and surmised that this suffering had led to their lack of trust towards others.

Trixie wanted to see if she could get anything more out of them, so she pressed a little further. “Is there anything else you could tell Trixie?”

Maestro hesitated, and looked back to his family. They shared a silent conversation with their eyes, and he seemed to reach a decision. He sighed, and turned back to Trixie. “Well, it’s more like something i can show you. But first you must promise not to freak out, or tell anyone outside this room. Understand?”

Trixie nodded. “Trixie may like to use smoke, mirrors, and illusions in her stage magic, but when it comes to a friend’s trust, she doesn’t take it lightly.”

Maestro took a deep breath, and lit his horn. His magic covered his closed eyes, and Trixie could almost hear a lock open. The magic faded from over his eyes, and then he opened them. The sight made Trixie gasp a little. His eyes had slitted pupils; like Nightmare Moon, Chrysalis, or a thestral. He let her stare into them, and as she did, she calmed down. This was a shard of his secret- a piece that he was willing to share with her. Judging by the look on his family’s faces, she was the first outside the family that had seen this. Although, she wagered that they’d seen far more, because family. He smiled. “So you accept this show of trust, I presume?”

Trixie nodded. “No matter what, Trixie won’t talk to anyone that doesn’t already know about this. You have her word as an honorable showmare.” She took hold of her magician’s hat and bowed with a respectful flourish. After she was done, she put her hat on her head again.

Maestro nodded. “Perhaps you might get lucky, and I will tell you more later.” He seemed to take on a thoughtful look, then continued. “Mayhaps you should go check in on Jozhir? He called and said that he’d managed to convince the Hospital to let him stay by his brother over night- I guess that even here, the Soleros have quite the presence, even if they’re not going by the last name of their father, Tivar Rampart.”

Trixie gulped. She wasn’t exactly looking forward to talking with him again, telling him who she once was. Maybe she could…? Trixie shook her head. No. Trixie should mare up and face the consequences of her past. Sure, Jozhir will probably be mad, but hopefully with time, I can earn his forgiveness and friendship. She collected herself, and smiled. “Trixie will go see him. Thank you, Maestro.” Trixie then left the mansion. She tried keeping her emotions under wraps- after all, she was still a bit torn between Maestro and Jozhir. Sure, she was attracted to both of them, but which one should she go for? She knew more about Jozhir than Maestro- So he would be the obvious choice. But Maestro had trusted her with a secret. Maybe that could… wait. He’d said earlier that he was uncomfortable around her because of the whole “former guy” thing. So it was probably just a gesture of friendship, and possible a small apology. She shook her head. Now is not the time to worry about that. Trixie’ll try for both, and see what happens. She reached the hospital after some walking (albeit with a few small illusions to entertain a few passing children every so often, thus earning her a bit of money from appreciative parents), and stopped before the doors. Is Trixie ready for this? She wondered. Once she goes in, there’s no backing out. She steeled herself, and muttered to herself. “She’s ready.” She entered the hospital. She asked for the room at the counter, and found it easily. She braced herself, and went inside.

Author's Note

Chapter Eleven! Wow, the beginning's a tad dark, delving into Trixie's father's broken psyche. It picks up to be tad lighter later, but becomes serious again when the bomb is dropped. This chapter is not yet edited.

The Bittersweet Reunion

As soon as Trixie entered the room, she saw quite the sight. Jozhir was by his brother’s bed, and next to him was a man. He was in his forties, but he was already sporting a few gray hairs in his black hair. His blue eyes looked sunken and dull, as if a bit lost. His skin was quite pale, and his skin was somewhat flabby. His white dress shirt was wrinkled and had year and half old stains embedded into it. His slacks were so dull they were more gray than black, and his shoes were extremely worn. This was Mr. Rampart, the father of Jozhir and his two siblings. He looked like he’d been through a warzone, but Trixie knew better- the man had been through a divorce not long ago, and not long after one of his children had entered a coma. That does things to a person. Trixie seemed to tense up as Jozhir turned her way. She could almost imagine him judging her, willing her to wither away into nothing before him. Of course, she knew that this was all in her head; after all, Jozhir didn’t know who she once was. Yet. However, when he saw her, all he did was raise an eyebrow, and then addressed her. “Oh? You’re one of Jos- er, Maestro’s anthro friends, right? Trixie, was it?” He stood, and offered a handshake. “Let me say thanks for telling me about Clyde’s condition.” Trixie hesitated, however. Jozhir looked concerned. “Something wrong?”

Trixie knew it would probably be best to tell him now, and she was about to when Mari came into the room, and cut her off. “Any change?”

Jozhir shook his head. “Even with my gadgets, I don’t think it would help him recover much faster. He’s still the same as he was yesterday.” He then turned to Trixie. “Say, would you like to sit near him for a bit? It might help.”

Trixie shook her head, and stuttered a little. “O-oh, Trixie’s sure that’s not necessary- He probably doesn’t want me here anyway. I’ll just-”

Mari seemed confused. “Hey, are you okay? You’re shaking.”

Trixie tried to calm down. “Trixie’s fine, really. She’ll be okay.”

Jozhir seemed to ponder something. He then realized something. “You were there when whatever happened to make him like this happened, weren’t you? What happened?”

Trixie gulped. He’d brought it up. She had been prepared to tell him, but now with the whole family here and their father looking a bit less unresponsive, she wasn’t so certain she could do this. But, she had decided to tell him, and she would stick to it. She sighed. “This has to do with who Trixie was before anthrofying. She was a man named Darrell Evenlor.”

Jozhir interrupted. “Wait a minute. Darrell? As in that guy with the tough exterior that tried pushing everyone away? The guy that hid his pain by hurting others? You were that guy?”

Trixie nodded. “Yes. But that’s not what’s important here. If you’ll let Trixie continue?” The others nodded and let her continue. “Back then, I wasn’t the most approachable of people. I drove many away through my violence, wishing for nothing but solitude. The main reason behind it all was that, deep down, I was suffering. I wanted to hide my pain from the world- by giving pain in return. But, I never once laid a hand on your brother. I just didn’t want to hurt somebody near to you because… Well, I had my reasons. However, after you guys left, he attacked me, blaming me for your departure. He wanted somebody to blame, somebody to take the fall, and he chose me. And, well… I fought back. There was a crowd, and the part of me that cared too much for the reputation I’d garnered strong-armed the part of me that wanted to just let him win into submission. I hit a bit too hard while using a smokescreen to disorient him, and he wobbled out into traffic, and got hit by a truck. I’d always blamed myself for him ending up like this- And who knows how many sleepless nights I had where I snuck out at night and came here, apologizing. I never wanted him to end up like this. Fighting back that time is something that I regret deeply, and wish I could take back.” At this point, Trixie was crying. She knew that they’d hate her- She’d landed Clyde here, after all. It was her fault.

Jozhir looked contemplative, his father looked understanding, but Mari was furious. She exploded at Trixie. “You rotten no-good cretin! I’ll rip you apart!”

However, Jozhir held her back. He chided her. “Look Mari. Don’t you see that she regrets what she did? She’s blaming herself for a random truck that just so happened to be driving too fast to stop in time! I say she doesn’t need you to make her feel even worse!”

That last part was said sharply, causing Mari to flinch. She couldn’t understand why he was defending her. However, before she could voice her confusion, Mr. Rampart spoke up. “Mari my dear, you must understand. Trixie told us all of this herself, and is probably expecting us to hate her. But, we must be better than that. We must reach out, and try and comfort her. After all, it’s not like she planned for him to be hit by that truck- that was just bad luck.”

Then, a new voice surprised them all. “You do know that that luck stuff is hogwash, right? It’s got no basis in fact!” The small group turned in surprise at the voice to see who had spoken. It was Cyde Rampart, who had just now woken up. His green eyes glistened a little as he spoke with mirth. He smiled. “Happy to see me, are you?”

Jozhir was flabbergasted. “But how? Your vitals were basically dormant not that long ago! How is this possible?”

Clyde brushed aside some of his ginger hair with his tan hand. “I had this crazy dream where some sort of chimera told me to wake up. And with a snap of his talon, I woke up just in time to hear Darrell’s story.” he then looked to the anthro, and sighed. “Look, I’m real sorry that I blamed you for everything. I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you, considering how you seemed friendly enough with my brother before he left. I don’t blame you for what happened, really. I just got a bit too hotheaded is all. So really, stop blaming yourself. I certainly don’t. It’s my own fault that I ended up like this, not yours.”

Trixie’s tears stopped as she looked up. This was the man she’d landed in a coma for years, or at least that’s what her conscience had been telling her. But here he was, claiming it was his own fault, and apologizing to her. It baffled her mind. “You really forgive me? After the fight we had? You could have died!”

Clyde shook his head. “My family’s always been a bit sturdy. You can’t get rid of us easily.” He chuckled, causing the air to be filled with mirth. Trixie, for the first time in years, felt genuinely good about herself. It was a good day to be alive. She worked her illusions for the small audience she’d garnered, which warmed Mari up to her, if only a little bit. Trixie didn’t mind, though. She knew it might take some time, but she wouldn’t give up on being a new, friendlier person.

Author's Note

Chapter Twelve! in case you might be wondering how long this is going to be, I've got the numbers for you: 41 planned chapters (subject to change), 10 planned Side-Stories (subject to change), and a planned Epilogue/Alternate Ending Chapter! This chapter is currently unedited.

Side Story: Maestro's Nightmare

Maestro sighed. It… was certainly a lot to take in, even now, a few hours later. This form he had was a patchwork of enchantments, not even his true face. It wasn’t just him either- it was his entire family as well. They’d taken the revelation just about as well as he’d expected. And the magic bolstering it was indeed a shard from Nightmare Moon, albeit a somewhat small portion. Perhaps the size of it was why it had not taken hold of him as it had Rarity in the comics? He massaged his temples. This was giving him a headache. Perhaps a little bit of rest was in order, to help get his mind off things. And so, with a dose of some special-order headache medicine, He found himself drifting off to sleep…

It was this strange dream again. Where everything was somehow dark and light at the same time. Where Chaos and Order mixed together in perfect balance, a true harmony. In this dream was what he recognized as the Tree of Harmony from the show. However, it looked far more defined, looking almost like it had bark like a real tree. Off and to the right was an photograph- one that always appeared in his dreams- of his father in his prime with a woman he never knew, and yet instinctively knew was his mother. The scene was pristine, given how bizarre it was, and it provided a sense of calm to Maestro. However, this is when the dream changed to be unfamiliar. Instead of going down its usual path of guiding him through a crystalline labyrinth, off to the left was a scene that he’d never thought he’d see. The sky was dark and filled with black smoke. On a throne made of stardust was Starlight Glimmer, spreading her newly obtained wings in triumph. Over on her left was a set of six statues- the subject of whom he recognized as the Mane 6. On her right was Chessmaster, having shed his enchantments to embrace his hippogriff nature. However, he looked a tad different from what he was supposed to. He had a second set of wings aside from his griffin pair, and his beak-like muzzle was sharper as well. Then, from behind Starlight came a strange figure, that seemed to be as tall as Maestro was. He was forcibly drawn near the figure, and stopped when he was only a scarce few feet away. Now that he could properly take in the look of this figure, he didn’t like what he saw. It looked like he was looking into the darkest shadow possible- For what was before him was a silhouette that was as tall as himself. Every feature was black as pitch, unable to be truly comprehended. But what was most notable was that he didn’t hide the slits of his eyes or his fanged teeth. The shadow doppelgänger’s locket also bore a twisted etching of Maestro’s Cutie Mark. Instead of the sleek musical note, there was a jagged one that implied noise. And in place of the curved leftward arc of the seven lines was a swirling mass of lines beneath it all. Maestro shuddered involuntarily at what that mark would look like in color. The figure smirked at Maestro’s discomfort as the rest of the scene melted away. He then spoke in a heavier, more forceful version of Maestro’s own voice, which seemed to somehow ooze with the feeling of physical darkness. “So. We meet again.” His smirk slowly changed to an openly malicious grin, one bent on getting what it wanted. “I’m glad that I get to meet you again- you know, before you become me.” His grin only seemed to grow wider at that remark.

Maestro shook his head, realizing that the silhouette before him was not what this creature really looked like. “What are you talking about? You and me seem different enough. Even if you look so much like me.”

Not-Maestro rolled his eyes. “Oh, please! I am you! I’m what you’re meant to be; the harbinger of the Dark Future! You know in your heart that it’s true.”

Maestro shook his head. “The future isn’t set in stone; I am in control of my own destiny! And I say that I will never be the same as you.”

Not-Maestro scoffed. “Of course you’d be stubborn about it.” He sighed, twirling his locket. “No matter. You will see for yourself, soon enough. You will realize that you should’ve chosen me that day, and embrace my ideal of beauty- and we shall alter the world itself to our whim, just like we should have done four years ago.”

Maestro rolled his eyes. “As if, 色彩の不協和音. I’ve gotta jet.”

Not-Maestro grinned. “Did you just… name me?” His grin spread further, almost impossibly wide. “It may not be in English, but you know, that’s still a sign that at least a part of you accepts that what I say is true.”

Maestro shook his head. “Whatever. I’m out of here.” Then, with sheer force of will, he woke up.

Maestro was still reeling from his nightmare, and looked out at the noonday sun. He sighed. Fist finding out that I’m not exactly what I seem, and now this? A Nightmare apparition in my head? If I could talk to Luna, I could sort this out- But she’s not here at the moment. His horn glowed turquoise. Might as well try something to at least make sure I don’t start hearing his voice again. And so, he let the turquoise glow wash over his mind, as he worked out a mental seal spell to seal off that dark seed until it could be properly weeded out. He was surprisingly good at sealing magic- after all, it was scarcely different from enchantment magic. But he knew that it wouldn’t quite have the staying power his enchantments did, due to the subtle differences between the two. He then got up, and decided to get ready for the day. Perhaps if he was lucky, he could find somebody to help him weed out the darkness. He already trusted a few people with at least a portion of his secret, maybe one of them could help? He would have to find out.

Author's Note

Another Side Story! A dark shadow in his dream? What could this mean? That remains to be seen. This chapter is unedited.

The Re-Conection

It certainly was strange. After all, Trixie had expected Jozhir and his family to hate her, but they’d parted on good terms at the hospital. That brought a smile to her face. Maybe things are looking up! Perhaps Trixie can really change… She knew that she’d broken her third-person speech back there in the hospital, as well as that morning. It seemed to only happen with extreme emotion, and so far only sadness or regret. She decided to file that knowledge away for later. However, when Trixie turned the corner, she saw somebody she never expected to see again in her entire lifetime. Over at a bus stop was a woman who seemed to be in her late 30s. She was an imposing figure, with her blazing red hair with black highlights. Her eyes were hazel, and she was of a fair complexion. She wore a gray pantsuit, her favorite pair, if Trixie was recalling correctly. Her high heels were as red as her hair- and the only other true splash of color on her person. It was her mother, Beatrice Karleth. Trixie started to sweat. What is she doing here? Come to torture Dad some more? Trixie shook her head. No, Trixie. You should give her the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps she’s come to make amends? It’s best to think positively. She then decided to go up to her, knowing that she wouldn’t be recognized. She tried to hide a grin. I wonder what she’ll think when she finds out? She cleared her throat, and put on her most endearing smile. “Is there something that I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, can help you with, madam?”

Beatrice took a good look at Trixie. She didn’t look very enthused. In fact, she looked rather… annoyed. “Oh great. Another one of those obnoxious ‘Anthros’ I keep running across.” She huffed, crossing her arms. “No, I don’t need your help. I can find who I’m looking for on my own anyway.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Would that person happen to be Lyle Evenlor?”

Beatrice looked shocked. “How-!” she cleared her throat, and gathered herself. “So what if I’m looking for that insufferable fool? It’s none of your business.”

Trixie seemed annoyed. She gathered her magic around her horn. “Insufferable? Well, let see what you have to say after this!” Then, the area was coated in a smoky mist, too thick to see through. She could feel the magic of the Dynamo flow through her, bolstering the spell as it began to play out the intended scene in the illusion.

Beatrice didn’t understand until she saw for herself. The scene before her was so familiar. It had been the final straw, what had caused her to finally break it off with Lyle. She remembered, it was their anniversary. It might seem typical for a guy to forget the anniversary, but it was the final thing she would put up with. She remembered packing up that day, and getting on the plane, despite Lyle trying to get her attention. However, what happened in the illusion next startled her. The Lyle of the illusion pulled out a gift as the illusion Beatrice stepped onto the point of no return, and called out her name. She remembered him calling her name, but she hadn’t bothered looking back. Had that really happened? And, more importantly, how did this anthro know about this? She soon got her answer as a young man stepped through the mist. His green eyes leveled at her, a look of disgust on his face. He spoke. “You didn’t even give Dad one last chance. You left us, never once looking back. Do you have any idea how much you hurt me? I was devastated! Not to mention that Dad can not look at those old pictures with you without going back into his depression! You ruined my life, and all because you couldn’t forgive. One. Small. Mistake!” Tears fell down his face, the face of her son. She understood now. She’d messed up. How could she not have seen it before?

She teared up, and asked a question. “How can I make it up to you? Please, tell me!”

The illusion of her son grinned a smug grin, and faded slowly as he spoke, his voice shifting to be more feminine, the figure before her becoming the anthro that approached her earlier. “You could say just how sorry you are, mother. Tell me that you’ll give us, your family, one. Last. Chance.” Beatrice’s eyes widened as she realized who she’d been talking to the whole time. Trixie held out her hand. “So what do you say? Are you willing to give Dad, and by extension me, another chance? Because I’m willing to give you one.”

The mist cleared as Beatrice took her son’s- no. Her daughter’s- hand. She nodded. “I’m terribly sorry I left all those years ago. Had I just looked back, we wouldn’t be in this mess. I could’ve been there for you the day that you anthrofied. I’m sorry.”

Trixie pulled her mother into a hug. This is what she had missed all these years- the feeling of her mother’s embrace. “It’s okay, mom. I’m certain that if you can explain everything to Dad, it’ll work out.” They pulled apart, and Trixie smirked. “Who knows? Maybe you might actually get him to abandon his beer-binging. It’d certainly take a weight off my mind.”

Beatrice sighed. “So the separation hit him that hard, huh? Well, I’ll see what I can do to straighten him out. Let’s go home.”
The two walked together, an odd serene silence about them. They soon reached home, and Trixie smiled as she saw her father’s reaction to her mother’s return. He was so happy that he insisted that he wasn’t mad about her leaving. He was happy again, happier than he’d been in a very long time. The scene made Trixie smile. Maybe things can really get better after all. It was a nice thought, one that she let flow over her as she slept that night.

Author's Note

:trixieshiftright: Are you surprised I brought her into the story? I felt that I had to resolve Trixie's broken home. No, I won't be doing this for Jozhir's family. This chapter is unedited.

The Strange Alicorn And The Sunset

Trixie had had a strange past few days. Like adjusting to the fact that her meeting with her new friends had been interrupted by Mari coming in with her laptop, opening up her e-mail from Discord in front of Jozhir. Trixie had seen Mari and Jozhir anthrofy right there in the restaurant. It was a bit overwhelming, dealing with Jozhir’s sudden overdrive in his new form.

Luckily, Maestro had been there, and tranqed him.

When Trixie saw him next, he’d calmed considerably, and apologized. He was never the same after that day, but Trixie thought those changes suited him. Trixie sighed as she walked near to where Twilight and Ashley were. As she got closer, she overheard Ashley chuckling as Micaela took off towards the sky.

“Looks like Micaela’s gonna try to test out her new Pegasus abilities. Ah feel mighty strong mahself. Mus’ be the Earth Pony traits in me.” She flexed her arm to test out her strength.

Trixie huffed as she grew closer. Trixie thinks she could do better, if she had wings! How many anthros have those, anyway!? And why doesn’t Trixie have them!? Inwardly she knew that only happened in the mirrorverse of the comic, and was a possible future for the Lunaverse, but still!

Ashley looked over at Trixie, “Howdy, Trixie. Ah’m Ashley. What are ya so upset ‘bout?”

Trixie scowled. “Trixie already knows you, sort of. Remember when you and your friends dragged her to Twilight’s? Trixie still remembers the meal you gave her was overabundant in apple products, with not enough variety! And she’s upset because she knows that she doesn’t have wings! It would make her look so regal!”

Twilight sighed. “You never change, do you? Always had a bit of a jealous side to you even before you became Trixie.”

Ashley shook her head, “Sorry about the meal, Trixie. All the food and drinks we served came from mah farm’s apple orchards. If ya want variety, per’aps we can figure out what other foods ya like.”

Trixie grinned. “Do you have… pears?” If she knew anything from reading way too much fanfiction, it was that in any universe, Applejack seemed to have an aversion to pears.

Ashley’s face made a frown, “Sorry, no can do, sugarcube. Ah have three red apples as mah Cutie Mark, not pears. But, per’aps if we go t’ the local markets, there may be some. Then again... you like peanut butter an’ crackers, right?”

Trixie was appalled. “Only with the crunchiest of peanut butter! Never one of those disgusting ones they sell that only come with creamy!”

Ashley smiled at Trixie, “Ah’m glad yer feelin’ better, Trixie. How ya holdin’ up with bein’... well, you?”

Trixie shrugged. “Trixie doesn’t mind that she is her. Sure, the third-person speech took awhile to get used to, but she’s used to it now.”

Ashley looked over to AyumI and then to Twilight, “Well, we have a new student. Ayumi, this is Trixie. Trixie, this is Ayumi. She’ll be hangin’ out with us after school and learnin’ about our unique talents.”

Trixie looked at her, and raised an eyebrow. “Half-dragon, huh? Maestro said such things were possible, even going so far as to say that he’d seen one himself. But he never said one looked quite like… her. Oh well. Trixie’s just going to roll with it.” She then turned her thoughts to the other portion of Ayumi’s reason to being here: to study the talents of the anthros. Perhaps Trixie could dazzle her with her illusions? That would be wonderful!

Ashley thought about the current situation with Twilight and the others, So, this lil’ group’s starting to feel more like Equestria. We have Trixie, as well as the rest of the Mane 6. Ah wonder who else we’ll run into?

Ashley broke out of her thoughts, “So, Twilight, what did ya think of our deep-sea divin’ adventure? Ah knew Rarity didn’t want t’ get her mane all wet, so she stayed in the boat while we went in and found that artifact ya said we were supposed t’ find.”

Twilight sighed. “Honestly, it feels so far away, like it happened ages ago. I was a bit nervous at the time, but I’m glad we went. Even though I’ve honestly felt a little… strange ever since.”

Trixie usually didn’t show much concern for others, but she was curious. “Strange how?”

Twilight shook her head, flapping her wings absent-mindedly. “I can’t quite put it into words, honestly. I feel stronger, sure, but I also feel… How do I put it, exactly? More… alive, I suppose.”

Ashley nods, “Ah hear ya, Twilight. Ah feel the same way. It was if we were meant t’ be… us. Ah mean, yer the ‘Princess of Friendship’, Trixie's a great illusionist, and Ah’m just a simple apple farmer. Micaela's a great flyer and loyal friend, Flora enjoys her time at the local animal shelter, Rarity's designed most of our outfits f’r school and casual wear, and Pinkie’s into bakin’ and throwin’ parties.”

Trixie blinked. Had she felt like that ever since she’d found the dynamo? In fact, she did. She just hadn’t noticed it up until that point. “Weird. You would think that Trixie would have noticed sooner…”

Ashley looked over at Twilight, “What d’ ya think, Twi? ‘Bout the Elements and these artifacts we’ve found so far?” Ashley was indeed wearing the Element of Honesty around her neck. The orange gem representing an apple reflected the sunlight that gleamed off it.

Twilight hummed in thought. “I don’t know. I mean, we’ve already dealt with somebody being forcibly anthrofied into Nightmare Moon. Perhaps the reason we have them is just in case we have to deal with a situation like that? Though, I wonder sometimes if there’s more to it…”

Ashley looks over at Trixie, “What d’ you think, Trixie?”

To say the least, Trixie was surprised. They wanted her input? She seemed to think on it for awhile. She finally decided that she would voice what she thought. “Trixie may not have been there when you found the artifacts, but for some reason she feels almost… necessary to this whole ordeal. Don’t ask her why though, because she has no clue.”

Ashley chuckled and extended her hand to Trixie in friendship, “Ah know we didn’t see eye-to-eye when ya first challenged Twilight, but ya weren’t yerself then; no offense. But, you’ve changed, Trixie, f’r the better, Ah think. And if ya ever need us t’ help ya out, we’ll be there f’r ya. Right, Twilight?”

Twilight nodded. “Of course. That’s what friends are for!”

Trixie seemed a bit hesitant, however. She was still new to friendship. Sure, she had said it was okay earlier, but... friends? For life? Was that the best way to approach this? She then remembered a bit of advice Maestro gave her:

‘If you distance yourself from others and don’t accept friendship, you’ll only end up cold, sad, and alone. True, people may use you sometimes- but not everyone’s like that. If you make friends, look for those that already seem to be good friends with others. They’re the most trustworthy.’

Trixie then shook Ashley’s hand. “Thank you.” Her smug grin then returned. “But don’t expect Trixie to say that often, mon ami.”

Ashley accepted Trixie’s handshake, “Well, Trixie, let me be the first t’ say, ‘Welcome aboard.’ Ah just hope the other gals will accept ya as easily as Twilight and Ah did.”

Trixie then seemed to recall something. “Oh yeah! Trixie looked at the registry for new students, and it seems there’s one more that’ll show up soon. The name they go by is ‘Sunset Shimmer’.”

Ashley looked over at Twilight, “Ya know anythin’ ‘bout this ‘Sunset Shimmer’ we need ta know, Twilight?”

Twilight recovered a little from the shock of it all. “Yes, actually. She’s from the Equestria Girls movies. You could go so far as to say that she’s the main character of them. But, seeing as it’s going to be an anthro version of her, expect to see her horn. After all, she’s a unicorn.”

Ashley nods, “So, we have Rarity, Trixie, and Sunset Shimmer as unicorns, me and Pinkie as Earth ponies, Rainbow and Fluttershy as Pegasi, an’ one Alicorn Princess of Friendship, as well as Ayumi, an alicorn/dragon hybrid, and whatever Maestro and his family are?”

Twilight seemed confused. “Why did you say ‘whatever they are?’ They’re just unicorns!” However, underneath, Twilight was sweating bullets. Had one of the others that knew told her? After all, she hadn’t said a word. She looked over to Trixie. “I doubt she’d tell anyone about it, knowing that it’d be a misuse of Maestro’s trust.”

Ashley looked over at Twilight, “You okay, Twi? Y’look as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full o’ rockin’ chairs.” She then sighed, “Take it easy, Twilight. O’ course that Maestro fella’s an unicorn, as are his half-sisters.” She nervously rubbed the back of her head with her hand.

Twilight cursed inwardly. Sometimes she hated the fact that she was so bad at disguising her emotions. She tried to calm down, but only worked to a certain degree. “I’m fine, really.” She then took a deep breath. “I was just a little jumpy about you accusing our mutual friend and his family. I know his half-brother’s against us, but that’s no reason to go and accuse them of lying without much proof!” She told herself to try and keep calm. She knew that AJ meant nothing by it, but her paranoia sometimes got the better of her. “I’m sorry for snapping at you. I just hope you can put a little faith in him. If he feels you are trustworthy enough, he might share a few secrets. That’s all that I’ll say on the matter.”

Ashley gave Twilight a side hug, “Feelin’ better? Good t’ hear. Ah didn’t mean to go accusin’ Maestro of wrong-doin’. He’s been mighty friendly since he showed up to save ya from that half-brother o’ his.. It’s just that… ah forget it. We got a new student arrivin’ soon!”

Then Ashley changed the subject concerning the new student, “Now, once Sunset Shimmer shows up at school, we shouldn’t overwhelm her too much. Judgin’ by what happened t’ us, she could be someone who got transformed by them Analysts.”

Twilight nodded. “I’ll inform everyone to treat her with the utmost respect.” After texting all of her friends that weren’t there at the moment, Twilight smiled “Thanks for understanding. Now, how about we go see if Sunset’s...” Twilight then shook her head. “No, she’s probably not here yet…”

“Any idea where she would be stayin’ at?” Ashley asked the group.

“Trixie saw a hotel listed, seeing as she’s probably a long way from home. Now, which one was it again…?” She put a finger on her chin, trying to recall where it was. She then noticed something. “Hey, is it just Trixie, or did Ayumi leave?”

Ashley nodded, “She said she was goin’ to find Pinkie Pie an’ ask if she could stay at her place. Shoot, if she needed a place t’stay fer the school year, she coulda asked Twilight or me.”

Trixie shook her head. “Trixie thinks Ayumi wanted to be around somebody a little more familiar, even if it is only through letters and e-mail that they know each other.” Trixie then tried to get her thoughts back on track. “Now, which hotel did it say Sunset was staying at again...?” Trixie muttered for awhile, but then snapped her fingers. “Trixie may not recall what its name was, but she can remember what it looked like! And there’s only one hotel that she can think of that looks quite like that.” She rustled her cape dramatically, and grinned. “Trixie’ll just find it, and come back here with Sunset! Piece of cake!” She then disappeared in a flash of pink light.

Trixie reappeared elsewhere, in front of a hotel. She staggered for a bit, and frowned. Doing that still took a lot out of her. After all, she was an illusionist, not a high-level spellcaster. She decided it might be best to hold back on teleporting for a while. She asked the person at the front desk if there was anyone under the name of Sunset or Jimmy Hook, as she’d heard that that was the human name of Sunset. The valet shook his head, but did tell her that there were a few other hotels of that chain in the area. Trixie thanked the man for his time, and left. Outside, she cursed. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy! She calmed herself, and decided to try another one.

Trixie’d tried many hotels at this point, and it’d all led her to standing out in front of room 209. This was it, she was finally here. She braced herself, and knocked on the door. She readied a smoke bomb spell to go off as soon as the door opened. The door opened, and Trixie could hear coughing. The smoke soon cleared, revealing another anthro unicorn female, this one wearing a light blue dress, a pair of blue jeans, and a black leather jacket. She had long hair down past her shoulders and it was red with yellow blonde highlights as was her tail. She had orange fur all over her body. Said anthro was slowly gathering her composure after the smoke bomb. Trixie had a smug grin on her face. “Trixie is triumphant! I finally found her! “

Trixie then spoke. “Finally found the right one! Trixie almost forgot that there were indeed multiples of this particular hotel brand in the area.” She then turned a bit more attention to Sunset. “Judging by your look, you only anthrofied recently. Odd, considering that you were already listed as Sunset on the registry of new students at the school… Could somebody have set that up beforehand, knowing about this?” Trixie shook her head. “No matter! What’s important is that you’re here! Trixie came here because Twilight wants to meet you, at your earliest convenience, of course.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Trixie on good terms with Twilight? Pardon me if that’s a tad surprising.”

Trixie scoffed. “Well, we are our own people, you know. Trixie always thought it was odd when in Season Six Trixie came back that she wasn’t on good terms with Twilight..”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “So you are a fan of the show too?”

Trixie nodded a little shyly. “Well, Trixie has always liked the show, even if she didn’t really apply the lessons it tried to get across. She’s trying to change that, though.”

Sunset nodded. “An admirable goal, really.” She then grabbed her bag. “So are you ready to go?”

Trixie grinned. “Of course! Let’s go.”

As they travelled together, a conversation rose between them. Sunset started it. “Say, what got you into watching the show, anyway?”

Trixie sighed reminiscently. “The first episode with my favorite character, Trixie in it, Boast Busters. Her enthusiasm for her magic shows really drew me in. Sure, she wasn’t a common character, only having seven episodes to her name, but she was the most enjoyable part of the show, in my opinion. She introduced me to the show, and the anticipation for her episodes made the rest of the show tolerable. I still half expected them to have one where the ones that interrupted her show back in Season One apologized, but I guess that thought never crossed the creator’s mind.” She then turned to Sunset. “How’d you get into watching the show?”

Sunset smiled. “Well, I was kinda pressured into watching this first Equestria Girls movie. Before that, I hadn’t really watched the show. But, Equestria Girls just… spoke to me, I guess. After that, I went into the show, but knew from discussion by the fans that Sunset was a movie-only character. I wanted a more firm grasp of the show it connected to nonetheless. I continued to enjoy the growth in Sunset’s character over the arc of the Equestria Girls movies; how it represented that anyone could change. I liked her connecting to the humans across the mirror, it made her endearing.” She turned to Trixie. “So, how are things with you? How have you adjusted?”

Trixie paused for a bit, but eventually decided to tell her. “Well, at first I wasn’t all that nice. I was a bully before I anthrofied into Trixie, so some of those inclinations carried over. However, after the incident with the Alicorn Amulet, I felt the first sparks of a desire to change, even though I didn’t want to admit it at the time. Though when I first met Maestro, things started to change.

His outlook on things really put things into perspective- he’d already grown accustomed to life as an anthro, long before any of us anthrofied. The more time I spent with him -and saw his want to find a peaceful reconciliation with his half-brother- the more I wanted to try to be somebody better then who I once was. I even felt a bit more at ease after I learned a few things about him that others outside his family did not.

However, his connections to people across town really struck the point home. And then, a while back, his old friend Jozhir dropped by from America. I’d known him from a long time ago, but wasn’t certain if it was him.
However, when I’d heard that he’d come to check on Clyde- that clinched it for me. The morning after, I learned a small secret from Maestro, a small piece of what he’d heard from his conversation with his Equestria-self.

After that, I went over to the hospital to see Jozhir in Clyde’s hospital room, along with their father. The air of the room felt oppressive, but I went through with what I came to do. Sure Mari had come into the room, but I felt I needed to tell them about what happened all those years ago.

I told them everything, resigning myself to their hatred. However, Jozhir and his father were willing to forgive me, and convince Mari to do the same. Clyde even woke up and told me to stop blaming myself. I even got to show off my magic a little. -and so that’s how the reunion with Jozhir went.”

Sunset smiled, noticing the other anthros. “We made it! Man, that was quite the story, though. Tell me more later?”

Trixie nodded, grinning. “Of course!”

Twilight seemed pleased. “So you’ve made a new friend already, Trixie? That’s good. It’s nice to see you reach out to others.”

Trixie laughed nervously. “Trixie tries, but it isn’t always easy.”

Ashley smiled, tipping her Stetson to Trixie and Sunset. “Howdy! You must be Sunset Shimmer. Ah’m Ashley, (or Applejack), but y’all c’n call me AJ. And this here,” she gestured to Twilight, “Is Twilight. The Princess o’ Friendship.”

Sunset went up to Twilight. She seemed to be a little bit in awe at her presence. “I can hardly believe I finally get to meet you! It’s almost like a dream!”

Twilight extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you too, Sunset. I hope we can become good friends.”

As they shook hands, a voice familiar to most of the group piped up. “Well! It’s nice to see everyone getting along so well.” They turned their heads to see Maestro leaning up against a nearby tree. He smiled. “So, how’s it going? It just got here from meeting one of your other new friends. Ayumi, she calls herself. Nice girl, but not my type. She shares a few things in common with Gearbox, such as an interest in science, but Gear seems to find her a tad insufferable, judging by the most recent text he sent me.” He shook his head, and sighed. “But that’s there and not here.” He stood, still slouching a tad.

He went over to Sunset, and introduced himself. “I’m called Maestro Spectrum Star. It’s good to meet you, Sunset.” He noticed that she’d offered to shake his hand. He accepted the handshake, but it soon ended as he clutched his head with a hand.

Sunset seemed concerned. “Are you okay?”

Maestro took a deep breath, and gathered himself. He no longer was in pain, at least as far as the others could tell. He sighed. “I’m fine. It’s just these darn visions I get sometimes. Never did like them, to be honest.”

“Visions?” Twilight seemed curious. “Like the future?”

Maestro shook his head. “Not always, no. Remember that headache I got after you guys beat Nightmare Moon? That was another vision- one of events that seemed to have already happened. I’ve always had to deal with them, even before anthrofication. But, they weren’t always so… clear and realistic. And they sure weren’t this often, either. I’d usually have about a month’s reprieve between them.”

Ashley raised an eyebrow. “What’d ya see?”

Maestro chuckled darkly. “Nothing good. Trust me, I think you’re all better off if you didn’t know.”

Sunset laid a hand on his shoulder. “Did it involve me?”

Maestro seemed to shudder slightly, unnoticeable for anyone that wasn’t paying attention. “Yes. It involved all of us, as well as Starlight and Chessmaster, along with a powerful darkness.”

Twilight needed to know what it was he saw. “What exactly did you see?”

Maestro sighed. “Believe me, it’s not pretty. Let’s just say, that it involves a being that can use Nightmare Magic, Chaos Magic, Dark Magic, and Drain Magic, and that it is literally the worst thing that one could face save the power of… well, I’d rather not think about that power.”

Trixie was curious, but knew that Maestro would probably not talk about it just yet. She decided to change the subject. “So, any closer to figuring out where Chessmaster moved to?”

Maestro shook his head. “No. The lead he gave us last time was a decoy. So we’re back to square one.” He sighed. “Honestly, it doesn’t surprise me. I’ll see what I can do to figure it out using the original encrypted signature.”

Twilight stopped Maestro as he was about to leave. “What have you figured out from it so far?”

Maestro shrugged. “Only that it’s an array of misleading locations, each of which will probably hold some kind of key to decrypting it. It’s just like a giant game.” He started to leave again. But before he left completely, he turned around. “Oh and one more thing-” His eyes pierced into them, a look of seriousness on his face. “If that vision does come true, you guys have to promise me something. Promise that you’ll find a way for you to win. Promise me that it won’t end the same way the vision did.”

Twilight gasped. “You saw us lose? But how?”

Maestro paused. He hesitated to say, but then decided that there was one thing he could say. “The darkness was far too powerful, even tempting the last hope you had to sway to the other side. It was then that your group was thrust fully into despair, with no hope of escape. It was then that the Dark Future was born.”

The others took a bit to digest this. What had he implied when he told them this? He was clearly the most hope-driven of the bunch, so did he mean that he was the “last hope” that was swayed by the powerful darkness? They dared not think about it. Twilight then spoke. “No matter what, if that future does occur, we will find a way to defeat that enemy.”

Maestro smiled. “Good. I’ve a feeling that that vision is the one that will most likely not even happen, for it requires a very specific thing to happen. Namely, something to do with timing. So don’t worry. I’m pretty certain that if you act quickly enough, the powerful darkness won’t even be present. See ya.” And with that, he left.

Ashley seemed confused. “What in tarnation was that about? He tells us about this ominous thing, then says not to worry? What’s up with that?”

Trixie cleared her throat, and answered. “If you didn’t notice, he was unsure of himself. He wants nothing more than to be wrong about this vision, so he tried to play it down. Trixie believes it’s somewhat of a coping mechanism for something that truly rattles him.”

Sunset seemed skeptical. “But what exactly did he see? And why’d he mention something as impossible as a being that wields all four of those types of magic? It doesn’t add up!”

Twilight pondered something. “Well, it could be feasible, if Tirek were to drain the magic of Nightmare Moon, Discord, and Sombra. However, we’ve already beaten Nightmare Moon, so I highly doubt they’ll use her again. This future he saw seems impossible, but could there be a way?”

Trixie shrugged. “Perhaps they could infuse all four of those into some new villain, but Trixie doesn’t think that’ll happen.”

Twilight sighed. “Let’s think of lighter things, shall we?” she turned to Sunset. “Come along, the others should meet you as well!”

Sunset nodded. “Right. I can hardly wait to meet them! Say, you coming, Trixie?”

Trixie was about to answer when her phone rang with a notification of a new text. She looked at it, and closed her phone. “Well, Trixie’ll be there, but she’s got to go get somebody. See you there!” she lit her horn, and set off a smoke bomb, covering her departure.

Trixie’s first stop was at the Science Labs, where she knew Gearbox was. She entered, and found him tinkering with some kind of headgear. She had no idea what purpose it had, but she was in awe at how his fingers just flew across the machine. She noticed something around his neck that hadn’t been there the last time she’d seen him. It was a pendant, and it was made of pure steel. It was the shape of a gear popping out of a box. Was this his way of showing off his Cutie Mark? She’d known that the Star family all had lockets that were engraved with theirs, and she herself accented her skirt with hers.

She got off that train of thought, and turned her attention back to Gearbox. His ensemble was not in the best condition, -a frayed lab coat, over a plain blue T-shirt and beige jeans with white sneakers- but at least it was clean. She cleared her throat and got his attention. He set down his tools, and looked her way. He smiled. “Trixie! Good to see you.” He went up to her, and paused. “Say, about what happened at the restaurant…”

Trixie sighed. “You already apologized, remember? Don’t beat yourself up about it.”

Gearbox hesitated. “Still, I really didn’t want you seeing me like that- I usually only get that crazy after a long creative block.”

Trixie thought of something, and grinned. “Well, if you still feel bad about it, you could treat me to a little something after Pinkie’s party.”

Gearbox’s eyes widened. “Like a date? But I- and you were-”

Trixie shushed him. “Tell me this. Do you really mind that we were once the same gender? Should that matter?”

Gearbox pondered this. Sure, Maestro seemed to vehemently think it did matter, and Gearbox had thought the same before anthrofication. And yet, it didn’t seem so odd when he thought about it now. Was this because his entire brain had been rewired? Not much existed on Gearbox’s character, though. So he had to presume quite a lot.

He shook his head as he reached his answer.

“No, I don’t mind much anymore. It seemed to be so important before I changed, but I think quite differently now.” He had a small manic look in his eyes, one that was far tamer than the first time she saw it. “So why not? It might prove interesting to see what happens.” He gathered a few things, and got up. “You coming?”

Trixie shook her head. “There’s one more stop I need to make. I’m certain that my new friends would like to meet Twilight and the others.”

Gearbox shrugged, and they exited the labs together. Then, they split ways, him going off to Pinkie’s and her going to meet her new friends outside the school. There they were. The five that had put some modicum of trust in her. Regina Falls, -who Trixie thought might become Raindrops- Tonira Elbach, -who strikingly resembled Ditzy Doo, the mailmare- Ginger Johnson, -who Trixie thought might become a certain carrot farming pony- Helen Lee, -who obviously would turn into Cheerilee-. And Tyler Heartfield -who would most likely become a fellow unicorn named Lyra Heartstrings-.

Tyler spoke first. “Hey there! So, we gonna rock that party or what?”

Helen sighed. “I can’t help but think it a tad inappropriate for me to be going to this event, seeing as there will be so many of my students there. I guess if I am only to chaperon, it might not be so bad…”

Regina rolled her eyes. “Ms. Lee, you gotta stop trying to distance yourself because you’re a teacher. You’re our friend, after all.”

Ginger pointed something out. “Then shouldn’t you just call her Helen?”

Regina was about to rebut, but stopped. She saw the logic, and sighed. Tonira then piped up. “Well, I just hope it doesn’t go too long- I have to look after a few things at home that I best take care of before too long.”

Trixie grinned. “Alright, let’s get going! You guys might be the only humans there, but I’m certain you’ll enjoy yourselves.” The group then went off to the party, chatting amicably all the way.

Meanwhile, at the party, Ashley was helping set up some refreshments. “Ah sure hope the guests will like this here sparklin’ fizzy apple-flavored cider. Non-alcoholic, o’ course. Made right on mah family’s farm.”

Maestro was busying himself with adjusting the banners with his magic. “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that. Might want a bit more variety, though.” He looked up at the banners again, deep in thought. “Let’s see… should I use the red one next, or perhaps the orange one? Maybe yellow…”

Gearbox was at the dessert table, with a checklist. He rolled his eyes, and spoke. “Why not green? That might fit.” He turned his attention back to Pinkie. “Alright. So let’s what we have here. Cupcakes?”

“Yep!”

“Muffins?”

“Mm-hm!”

“Ice cream?”

“Of course!”

Gearbox raised an eyebrow at the next item. “Cherry… Changa? What’s that?”

Maestro chuckled. “It’s something that Pinkie thought up in the show. I dunno what it is, but it’s probably good.” He focused again on the banners. “Perhaps blue? Or maybe indigo…”

Pinkie giggled. “Pink! Use pink!”

Maestro picked up the pink banner, and placed it in the spot he’d been eyeing. “Hmmm…” He then went to swapping the banners around rapidly, seeing which would fit best. He finally settled on one. “Violet! Of course!” He then wove the banner like a snake through the stairwell bars. He then tied it in bows on each end, and nodded. “That does look good.” He then picked up a few more banners. “I wonder if these’ll fit anywhere…”

Janice smiled. “It’s good to see him working his artistic talents like this. He’s been quite off his mojo ever since he found out about Chessmaster.”

Gearbox sighed. “Well, back to business.” He turned back to the dessert table. “Let’s see…. Cherry Changas?”

Pinkie nodded happily. “Yep!”

“Cake?”

“Several kinds!”

“And finally... Dipping Fountains?”

“Chocolate, Caramel, and Vanilla!”

Gearbox nodded. “That’s everything.” He looked over the table again, eyeing it. “I’m surprised you can fit that much on it. There’s enough there to feed a small army!”

Servo shook her head, sighing. “You shouldn’t be surprised. This is Pinkie we’re talking about.”

Maestro had just finished tying a few more banners around the large “party room.” He looked to see that he had a few left, none of which fit anywhere. He turned to Rarity. “Well, that’s all that’ll fit and not be an eyesore. Do you mind if I keep some of them? I want to do a few experiments with ‘fabric paintings,’ as some call them.”

Rarity shook her head. “Not at all darling! I’ll still need some of it myself, but I don’t mind you keeping some of it.”

As they discussed who would keep which of the banners, Ashley spoke to Flora. “Say, what do you think Maestro’s hidin’?”

Flora hesitated, but answered. “O-oh, I wouldn’t know. He’s got a right to have his secrets, you know. He’s told us before that he has a hard time trusting others. Still, if he does tell us, he’ll tell us when he’s ready.”

Maestro looked to them. He put away the banners he’d secured, and motioned them over. They seemed confused at first, but complied. Rarity was about to leave, but he stopped her. He then sighed. “I’m guessing you’re all wondering why I called you over.”

Ashley raised an eyebrow. “That’s puttin’ it mildly, sugarcube.”

Maestro seemed hesitant to continue at first, but gathered himself. He then spoke out. “You should know something - my family has always been a bunch of outcasts from society. As such, we find it hard to trust those outside the family. However, most everyone in this room save Cheese over there, along with Trixie's human friends, knows about what I’m about to show you. They all seemed okay with it, but I must have you promise me something- that no matter what, you will not panic. Alright?”

They gave their affirmations, and Maestro took a deep breath, closing his eyes as his horn lit up. His magic encased his eyes, and then they could hear the sound of a lock opening. The magic died down, and then he opened his eyes. What they saw shocked them. Instead of the pupils of a “normal” eye, his were slitted. He held his breath for a moment- anticipating what they would say.

Ashley was the first to shake off the shock. “So the other have seen this, and are okay with it?”

Maestro nodded. “They have, and they are.”

Ashley shook her head. “It might take gettin’ used ta, but Ah think that Ah can do that too.”

Flora gulped. “S-so why do you have them anyway? Is it because you’re a... Nightmare Entity?”

Maestro blinked. He then broke out in laughter. “Hah! A Nightmare Entity? Now that’s a new one!” He calmed down, and shook his head. “No. I’ve had these since anthrofication, though I didn’t know about them until recently.”

Flora seemed to calm down. “O-oh. S-sorry. I hope I didn’t offend you.”

Maestro smiled. “Nah, I don’t mind. It’s honestly refreshing. I've been called worse things.”

Rarity was the last to respond. “While they are a bit unsettling, they’re a part of who you are. I’ll do my best to get used to it.”

Maestro used his magic again, and it encompassed his eyes again. This time, they heard the sound of something being locked away. When they heard that sound, his pupils physically shifted to that of any “normal” anthro’s. He sighed. “It’s good that you accept them, but others might not think the same. I know most here know about them and are okay with them, but one can never be too careful about these kinds of things.”

Then, Pinkie bounded over. “The party’s almost ready!” She turned to Twilight. “Say, how’s the dinner food table looking?”

Twilight looked down the checklist again. “Well, the variety’s pretty good. I believe we have just about everything that anyone would want to eat. The supply is pretty strong, too.” She turned to Janice and Servo. “Thanks again for that. But may I ask something? Why the meat?”

Janice was about to answer when the doors opened, and Trixie came in, five humans behind her. Trixie spoke. “Trixie has arrived!” She then looked around. “Hm? It seems we’re a bit early.”

Everyone seemed to turn to the new arrivals. Most seemed stunned, but Maestro was unfazed. He smiled. “Ah! So you brought some more friends to the party! The more the merrier!”

Sarah shook her head, causing her paintbrush-style earrings (that had little clouds coming from the brush tips) to sway a little. “It seems I won’t be getting the meaty goodness to myself.”

Servo sighed. “You never were going to in the first place.”

Twilight seemed curious about the only humans at the party. She looked at them for a while, and realized that she recognized a few of them. She pointed to Tonira. “You’re the one that delivers the school newspaper! Tonira Elbach, right?”

Tonira smiled, glad that somebody recognized her. “Yes! I’ll happily introduce the others to you if you want!”

Ashley shook her head. “That won’t be necessary.” She then looked over to Ginger, but not harshly. “Ginger Johnson. Didn’t quite expect you to be here.”

Ginger sighed. “I know we’ve had our differences, but can we let that go? I just want us to get along again.”

Ashley smiled. “Sure, Ah think that’ll be possible.”

Micaela seemed uninterested until she found Regina. She regarded her with some interest. “Regina? What’re you doing here?”

Regina jerked her head towards Trixie. “We’re all here with her. We are trying let her put the past behind her, and befriend her new self. It’s working out well, I think.”

Pinkie smiled, bouncing over to Helen. “Hey Helen! How are you?”

Helen sighed. “As well as one can expect. Teaching is quite strenuous, especially when you teach more than one subject.”

Rarity took notice of Tyler, and walked over to him. “So, are you just as weirded out by being the only guy in your group as I was before I anthrofied?”

Tyler chuckled nervously. “It’s kinda awkward, but it’s not so bad. I’ve gotten used to it.”

Pinkie smiled, and got the attention of the crowd. “Alright, everyone! Everything’s ready! Are you guys ready to party?”

Everyone shouted loud and clear, together as one. “YEAH!”

Pinkie shouted excitedly. “Then leeeeet’s paaaar-tay!”

Ayumi had been cooking while the others prepared Pinkie’s home for the party, but after the buffet table was set up she headed into the dining room to wait for Pinkie. When Trixie showed up with some humans she decided to talk with her about teaching Sunset and her canon counterpart some of the combat spells her mother and other self had gifted her. Plus, she still needed to tell them about her mother and her unique magic, and how it could lead to her becoming a Nightmare Entity on their side, along with Maestro, from what the Weave had shown her.

Maestro noticed something odd. Ayumi was looking at him strangely again. He turned to Servo. “Say, can you use your power to read what she’s thinking?”

Servo rolled her eyes. “You know I don’t like doing that. I consider it an invasion of privacy. You could always ask her yourself, you know.”

Maestro turned to Janice. “So, should I do that, or is there something else I should do?”

Janice shook her head. “No, asking her what’s up is the most logical thing to do.”

Maestro shrugged, and went up to the group. “So what’s going on here?”

Trixie seemed excited. “AyumI said her future sight stuff showed you as a Nightmare entity on our side! Cool, Huh?”

Maestro let his eyes go to their slitted normalcy, and glared at Ayumi. “Oh? And when did you see that?”

“After meeting Gearbox.” Ayumi said as she let her own eye glamour drop, showing her own dragon slits and yellowish whites. “I sensed some of my mothers essence on your scent. My only guess is that Chessmaster had pulled on her magic to transform the Vice Principal, and you absorbed it after you Shifted Rarity. This may or may not enhance your Umbral magic. Sorry.”

Maestro took in what Ayumi had said. He then shook his head. “I’m not an Umbrum like Sombra. Otherwise I’d be able to shift into shadow wouldn’t I? That would be cool, but I can’t do that. The Nightmare magic has bolstered my enchantments, yes. But it has not affected much else. Theoretically, I could tap into it to perform Nightmare spells, but I’d rather not.”

“You have some Umbral magic due to your family’s bloodline, that’s all i’m saying. It is what allows you all to tap into the weave and it’s one of the new forms of magic humans have access to. it manifests as our visions and natural magic knowledge. Umbra are not just shades. They are part alicorn. Sombra was just the most in tune with the darker aspects of the magic’s nature. Hell even I have Umbral magic it allows all four of the night alicorns to mist shift.” Ayumi says as she lets her arm turn to mist.

Maestro huffed. “You know nothing of my family’s lineage. Not one of them has shown any sign of this... ‘Umbral magic’. We are not like that. We are special, yes- even before we anthrofied. But we had not a drop of magic beforehand. We cannot tap into the weave. That would mean we could shut out out abilities if we so chose. We cannot. We may be able to have some modicum of control, but we cannot shut it out forever. My ‘visions’, Janice’s foresight, Servo’s mind reading, even Chessmaster’s superior strategy- We can go without using it, but if we go too long without tapping into our ‘powers’ we get headaches, or other problems. And, in those moments, our powers forcibly activate. We have to use them occasionally to avoid such pains. There is a reason that society at large has considered us both blessed and cursed for generations. So much so that we have striven to push away the stigma. Only recently have we managed to have somewhat normal lives. So do not pretend that you understand the plight of the Star Clan. Because you do not!” He then sighed. “After anthrofication, things changed. We became more able to control it. But we cannot go forever without using our powers. You may think that the anthro forms might have Umbral magic, but they do not. They just have an absurd amount of regular magic. While your point about alicorns is interesting, the family that our anthro forms emulate do not descend from any alicorn, as far as we know. I just hope you understand that it’s hard dealing with misconceptions. Maybe your vision in the weave meant something else.”

“Sorry. I’m synced with Tempest on Equis already, so her memories may be coloring my own thoughts. Remember she comes from a different timeline with slight variances from canon.” Ayumi said as she re-solidified her arm.

Maestro chuckled. “That’s understandable. I’m still coming to grips with the fact that the Maestro from the Equestria that we’re connected to has honed his visions to a fine point so that he a can connect to many different Maestros across the Multiverse, including a few he claims are ‘Not quite Maestro in name, but still Maestro in spirit’, whatever that means.”

Trixie seemed confused. “‘Not quite Maestro in name, but still Maestro in spirit?’ What does that even mean?”

“Probably a rule 63 Mastro.” Ayumi said.

Twilight nodded. “That would make sense. After all, there is a whole 63 universe that has been built in quite a few fanfics.”

Maestro seemed bemused. “Ah, that reminds me somewhat of the unique properties of my anthrofication. I still got the e-mail, but with it came a choice: to go for what I am now, or go for near endless other possibilities, even changing gender. But, I chose Maestro because it seemed right. Sometimes I still wonder what would have happened had I chosen something else…”

“Hay, little sis? You talk to Flutters about Dissy yet?” Ayumi asked.

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, thanks to Maestro telling me where Discord is, I managed to get him to talk with Flora. He wouldn’t show up to the party, though. It’s too bad - I think he would’ve enjoyed being here.”

A flash of light went off, and a familiar jovial voice spoke up. “Oh, I never said I wouldn’t come! I said I’d think about it.” Discord grinned, looking around the party. “I must say, I do approve of this. Quite chaotic.” He looked to Maestro. “So, you’ve been wondering what it’d be like if you’d chosen something else all those years ago?” He readied to snap his talons. “I can show you, if you’d like.”

Maestro seemed to think about it, but then shook his head. “No, I don’t think it’d live up to my speculations. I’d rather not have my speculations be watered down by the ‘reality.’”

Discord shrugged. “Suit yourself. I’m going to liven up the party.” He then went off to talk to Pinkie, presumably to convince her to allow him to do what he wanted to do.

“Dad, wait!” Ayumi said. “Please let me help. I still need a bit of chaos training.”

Maestro blinked. Ayumi is Discord’s daughter? Must be the alternate reality thing. Most of the time he only has one kid - Screwball. He shook his head, and placed his hand on Ayumi’s shoulder, stopping her. “You do know he’s not technically your father, right? Sure, he’s Discord and probably has multiversal knowledge, but is that really the same?”

“I know but he still knows me through my mother Nightmare Moon.” Ayumi said. “She is on earth and has met him already. He knows that I’m his daughter along with the Pinkie of my timeline and Screwball.”

Maestro sighed deeply. ‘How does the Maestro of Equestria keep all this straight in his head? And did she say that Pinkie is technically her sister? I’ve heard of Pinkie being a daughter of Discord before, but this is kinda crazy.’ He then let go. “I guess it makes sense. I mean, if I had a chance to talk to Dad again, I’d take it. I’m certain all four of us would. Go spend time with him.”

Trixie held her thoughts. She knew that Maestro, whenever he brought up his father, spoke only in the past tense - a sense of respect. I wonder if anyone else has noticed. It must still weigh on him, no matter how long it’s been.

“Thanks,” Ayumi said. “After my human dad died I started writing more I hoped Discord could talk to me about if I could get some closure with him.”

Maestro seemed a bit lost for words for some time. Then, he smiled sadly. “You know, you’re lucky. The four of us didn’t have a father figure after Dad died. All we had was each other. You’re one of the lucky ones. Never forget that. Treasure what you have, and never let it slip away without a fight. Now go. He’s waiting.”

“Alright. Dad wait! Can we talk?” Ayumi asked as she walked over to Discord

After Ayumi went over to Discord, Maestro went over to where the food was. Sarah was there, enjoying a chicken sandwich profusely. Trixie noticed that Maestro had quite a lot on his plate as he sat down with Sarah - including some bacon. Trixie was a bit curious as to why nobody else -aside from the humans, as well as Ayumi, Janice, and Servo- were touching the stuff. So, she decide to pick a few things, and sat down near Gearbox. He raised an eyebrow, but didn’t otherwise react to what she was doing. She then took a bite of her hamburger. Her face lit up. It’d been awhile since she’d eaten meat. After all, she’d presumed that she was no longer able to consume it after becoming an anthro. But after seeing Maestro down the stuff twice with no problems, she just had to try it again. And boy, was she glad that she did. Gearbox snapped her out of her starry-eyed state by snapping his fingers in front of her face. “Hey, you okay? You zoned out for a bit.”

Trixie sighed contentedly. “Oh. Trixie is more than okay! Trixie is just glad she no longer has to suffer through digesting those icky meat-substitute products anymore. Everything is right with the world again!”

Gearbox rolled his eyes. “Well what did you expect? You still have a semi-human digestion system, so of course you can still handle meat! Well, aside from chevaline and venison, but the consumption of those is outlawed in many parts of the world, so you won’t have to worry about that.” Trixie was about to ask what that was, but Gearbox leered at her. “Trust me. You don’t want to know. It’ll make you sick just thinking about the people that purposely put them in horse feed so that they can construe that they can’t consume meat, when it’s only those two.”

Trixie decided to change the subject. “So, how are your machines coming along?”

Gearbox paused as he drank some limeade he’d smuggled into the party. He put the drink down after a while, and answered. “Well, I’m still working out some undesirable bugs in the system. True, the Dark magic crystal residue rubbing off on them is a happy accident, but I still don’t believe they’re quite ready just yet.”

“Told ya!” Ayumi called out.

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “So, do you think we’ll be in need of your gizmos anytime soon?”

Gearbox shook his head. “I don’t believe so. And a good thing that is, too. I still need to run a few tests to make sure I get the right results. Maybe change the design on a few of them, too.”

Trixie turned to see Maestro enjoying a conversation with Sarah. It still irked her sometimes, but she knew that Maestro still had trouble with being around the former guys of the anthros. To see him that comfortable with talking to somebody outside of his family seemed right, but she couldn’t help but be a tad jealous. She noticed Gearbox was back to drinking his limeade, and decided to ask him something. “Say, what would you think if Maestro and your sister became an item?”

Gearbox put down the drink, and swallowed. He looked over to the aforementioned duo, and shrugged. “Wouldn’t surprise me, honestly. I mean, Sarah’s always pretty excited when she gets to talk to him. I wouldn’t be surprised if she actually likes him like that- even if she doesn’t realize it yet. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Maestro knows, but lets her tell him on her own time. Judging by the e-mails we exchanged over the years, he’s bound to do something like that.”

Trixie sighed, and decided to go back to her meal. It was pretty good, but she couldn’t really enjoy it too much, for something was bothering her. She could tell that Gearbox could see it, as he silently asked her to tell him with the way he looked at her. She gave in, and spoke. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m kidding myself. Getting my hopes up for something that might never happen. Do you think something like that could happen for me?”

Gearbox knew instantly what she was talking about. He sighed. “Look. Don’t sell yourself short- You’ll find somebody. And hey, I did promise you a date later. Maybe that’ll lead to something. You just gotta give these things a chance.”
Trixie smiled, a silent thank-you in her eyes.

Maestro smiled at the scene, and turned back to Sarah. “So tell me, what’s it like spreading your art across the sky?”

Sarah had an ecstatic look in her eyes. “Oh, it’s so much more enjoyable as a Thestral than it ever was back when I used that clunky plane! All those maneuvers I can pull off that I could never dream of doing beforehand make it like a dream come true! If given the choice to go back to human, I’d refuse in a heartbeat! I could never give up this feeling of freedom!”

Maestro chuckled. “I know what you mean. I wouldn’t dream of going back to being an ordinary human. There are just too many perks to being an anthro!”

Sarah seemed concerned. “You’ve shown most everyone your eyes, but does anyone -besides me and your family- know why you have them? That you’re a…?”

Maestro shook his head. “Nope. None of them have figured it out just yet. You’re still the only one outside the family that knows.”

Sarah sighed in relief. “Say, why did you show me that anyway?”

Maestro pondered this for a while, and then seemed to find a good reason. “There’s something about you. I feel I can trust you a little more than I do others. Not sure why at this point, though.”

To Sarah, everything seemed to halt. ‘An inexplicable feeling of trust towards me that he doesn’t have toward anyone else? What could that mean? Does he… No, that’s probably not it. Though that would be nice. We would make such a good couple, and-’ Her eyes widened in realization. ‘Wait. Did I really just think that? Did I really just see us as… more than friends?’

She wanted to deny it, but the thought would not leave, now that she’d stumbled upon it. It was a stubborn thing, that refused to be ignored. She then reflected on how much she enjoyed his company, and in a way that felt different from when she spent time with friends. She sighed, giving in to the realization. ‘I really seem to like him, huh?’ She looked up to see Maestro regarding her with concern. ‘Best play it down for now. I wouldn’t want to ruin our friendship.’ She tried her best to push aside her thoughts, and this time met with a modicum of success. As she talked with Maestro, she tried to keep her thoughts away from that stray fact. She tried to ensure nothing would ruin this friendship she had with him.

Maestro, however, was no fool. He had a hunch as to what she’d realized, but decided to not bring it up. If she wouldn’t, that was fine with him. He was fine with how things were between them. If at some point she told him, he knew what to say... Unless he figured out how exactly he felt about her before then. Then, he would change it accordingly, and tell her first. He decided to leave that for another time, however. He smiled. “Say, how about we collaborate on a piece together? It’ll be interesting to work with you, that’s for certain.”

Sarah felt like she was on top of the world. Sure, she knew it was a friendly gesture, but she couldn’t help but see other things happening. She pushed those thoughts away, and nodded. “Sure! It would be fun! But…” She pointed to his back. “How are you going to get up in the sky with me? You don’t exactly have wings.”

Maestro grinned. “Oh, I’ll think of something. Trust me when I say I wouldn’t miss this for the world!”

The plans were set, and their chatter went onto other things. Twilight was talking with some of the other girls. “It’s somewhat strange how things have worked out so far. But I wouldn’t trade this for anything.”

Ashley nods. “Ah hear ya, Twilight. All’a us are together; me, you, Micaela, Flora, Rarity, an’ Pinkie. Not ta’ mention Sunset, Miss Excalibur, Trixie, Cheese Sandwich, Maestro, Sarah, Ayumi, Janice, and Servo, as well as these here human friends.” She then sipped some of the cider she brought.

Micaela nodded in agreement. “I know what you mean. It’s nice getting to be together like this, don’t you think?”

Ashley went over to get some food from the buffet table they set up. “Yeah. Jus’ a group of best friends hangin’ out an’ meetin’ some new friends. Pinkie and Cheese Sandwich really went all-out on this shindig!”

Pinkie giggled. “Aww, thanks! But it’s almost time for a portion that AyumI requested- a small talent show! She talked to me about it being convenient to do it now instead of later!” She then went up to the stage and proceeded to get everyone’s attention and talk about the talent show. She then clapped her hands together. “So! Who’d like to go first?”

Ashley looked over at Twilight and Micaela. “What about Trixie and her magic act?”

Trixie overheard that, and grinned as she got up from the table. “Alright. Trixie will! Just a moment.” She wanted to make a grand entrance. For the flair of the show, of course. She then thought of something. In a shimmer of pink magic, she entirely vanished from sight. This caused some confusion, and murmuring. Pinkie left the stage, making way for Trixie’s entrance. Then, the attention of the crowd was drawn to the stage as magical spotlights shone from above, circling from the stage. Trixie’s voice then projected from the stage. “Ladies and Gentlemen! Prepare yourselves to be astounded by the illusionary masterpiece you are about to witness! Behold the magical glamour of The GREAT and POWERFUL TRRRRRRIIIIIIIIXIE!” A volley of illusionary fireworks went off as she exited from the curtains, her arms spread wide as her replica of Trixie’s cape billowed slightly. The crowd applauded, and Trixie smiled. It felt good to be in front of a crowd like this. But, she would not let it go to her head. After all, she was here to entertain. Her hat was covering her horn, so as to add to the mystique as she pulled off her illusions. Some classics -which she had added a magical twist to- as well as some illusion mist that she used on a willing volunteer, -namely Tonira- among other tricks (except for that Ursa thing from the show, which she refused to even think about). The crowd was enjoying it, that was certain. But she decided to up the ante just a little. She grinned as she thought about her next feat. “For my next and final trick, I will need a volunteer from the audience. Any takers?” She scanned the audience, which was full of those that were eager to be apart of the show, as well as those that were content to just watch. She pondered for a bit. Now, who should I bring onstage this time?

Ashley looked over at Sunset Shimmer, Rarity, and Twilight. “Trixie’s magic show is starting off to a great start, Twilight. Who else wants to perform in this here talent show Pinkie set up f’r us?”

Maestro was standing near the group, his conversation with Sarah long over at this point. “Well, I think we should at least wait until after the finale of her show is over to announce the next act. Common courtesy, you know?” He looked over to Servo and Janice. “Do one of you want to go up there next?”

Servo shook her head. “I’m not one for crowds, you know that. Besides, I’m a computer programmer. Not all that interesting, really.”

Janice seemed hesitant. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll go up a little later? Just not as the second act. Maybe I should've invited my friends... I'll make it up to the five of them later.” She turned back to Maestro. “What about you? Will you be going up?”

Maestro chuckled. “Not just yet. It’s wise to save the best for last, so that’s what I’m going to do- be the closing act.”

Gearbox was also there, enjoying the show. “Don’t even ask. I’m a machinations guy, not some actor or whatever.” He smiled at the show, however. “I’m just content to watch.”

Sunset debated with herself if she should go up next or not- she wanted to be in the show, but maybe as the mid-way act? Besides, her talent display would come off better if not directly after something flashy. “Do we have a plan for how many acts to have?”

That silenced the group, and they turned their attention back to the show, where Trixie had finally settled on somebody, pointing them out. “You! Would you be so kind as to come onstage?” the anthro walked onstage, with a slight skip in his step. Trixie smirked, and continued. “Would you introduce yourself to the crowd?”

He grinned goofily, and took the mic for a moment. “Cheese Sandwich!”

Trixie took the mic back, and continued. “So for this trick, I will ask you to close your eyes. You will open them only when I ask you to, alright? And no peeking!” Cheese obliged, and Trixie wove another illusion, one she’d been working on for a while: A body double glamour.

Suddenly, in a flash of Pink, there were four Trixies on the stage that the audience could see. They shuffled around a little, and then stopped, all standing in a line. Then, one of the Trixies spoke. “Alright, you can open them.” The look on his face was priceless- and each Trixie gained a smug grin. They spoke alternatively, trying to confuse him as to which was the real Trixie. “So,” “Tell us.” “Which one” “of us” “do you” “believe to” “be the” and then, they spoke the last part in unison “Real Trixie?”

Whispers went through the crowd, as there was not a soul that didn’t have a guess as to which one it was. She saw in the corner of her vision that Maestro had a knowing smile on his face, signaling that he’d figured out her little trick, but wasn’t going to spoil the fun.

Then, all attention turned to Cheese, as he thought of his answer.

Ashley whispered to Twilight, “Can ya figure out which one’s the real Trixie before Cheese Sandwich does?”

Twilight shook her head, whispering back. “No, but Maestro seems to know. But that look on his face says he won’t be giving out any answers.”

Then, Cheese seemed to take a wild guess, pointing at the one on the far right. “That one’s the real Trixie!”

The crowd murmured as the grin on said Trixie grew extremely wide, and it spoke one word. “Wrong.” the Trixie then disappeared into a puff of smoke, leaving the crowd flabbergasted. The remaining three chuckled, and once again spoke alternatingly. “Too bad.” “A Wrong choice” “Has been made.” “Would you like” “to try once more?” “Or, should we” “Give the audience” “A chance to try?”

Cheese pondered for a second, and grinned. “Let’s let somebody from the audience try next!” He pointed to Tyler. “Which one is your guess?”

There were three Trixies left on the stage. Each one looked identical to each other, down to the smallest detail. How was he supposed to figure it out? Was it the one on the left? The one on the right? Or the one in the middle? He decided to wing it, and pointed to the one in the middle. “That’s the real Trixie!”

The Trixie he’d pointed at held up a almost entirely closed fist, wagging her index finger in a “no” motion, tsking as it faded into smoke. Now, there were two left, both which were grinning smugly, as if sharing a private joke. They once again took to speaking alternatingly. “Once again you have failed!” “Once again you did miss!” They then both threw their arms wide, their capes billowing slightly. “Can no one here guess it right?” “Can no one here solve this?” Both pointed to Twilight, a smug air about them. “Tell us, which one is false?” “Tell us, which one is true?” “Can you find the Real Trixie this time?” “Or will my trick stump even you?”

All attention was on Twilight now, as she considered the problem. Both times that Somebody had chosen a duplicate, they had chosen wrong. So, a lot of pressure was on her to get it right. She then thought to herself. ‘There are two options here. Right or Left. But which is it? If I could tell the difference between them, I could easily find the real one.’ Her eyes widened as she thought of it. ‘A sensory spell! That could help me find her! The fake will have a slightly weaker signature than the real one!’

She then lit her horn slightly, surprised that Trixie didn’t stop her from using magic. She then probed the two Trixies, but what she found surprised her. Both of them had weaker signatures than what Trixie had displayed. ‘But that means…!’ She then smiled, and made her findings known. “Neither of you are the real Trixie!”

The crowd gasped, and Maestro nodded slightly. The two Trixies onstage both bowed, disappearing into smoke, as the air behind them shimmered and popped, causing the real Trixie to be revealed. She got out of her bow, and spoke. “It has been wonderful performing for you all! Without further ado, I bid you a good night!” In a puff of blue smoke, she was gone, and back at her seat in the audience.

Ashley clapped for Trixie, “Wow, Trixie, that was some magic act! What did ya think of Trixie’s performance, everyone? Or should we say ‘everypony’?’”

Maestro chuckled. “No, I don’t think ponyisms are really necessary. Besides, it’s not only anthros in here, anyway.” He was still smiling. “The show was great, just as expected.The twist at the end was enjoyable too.”

The others shared similar sentiments, and as the clapping died down, Pinkie went onstage to announce the next act. “Next up, we have Micaela Dashel performing ‘Awesome As I Wanna Be!’”

Pinkie left the stage, making room for Micaela as she got onstage. She had a guitar like the one from the movies, and started to play as the background music kicked in. After a while, she started to sing.

“Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Awesome as I Wanna Be!

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Awesome As I Wanna Be!

First you see me riding on a sonic boom

Got my guitar shreddin’ up my legs too!

There is nothin’ you can do ta beat me!

I’m so good that you can’t defeat me!

Yeah, I’m Awesome!

Take caution!

Watch out for me -

I’m Awesome As I Wanna Be!

I’m Awesome!

Take caution!

Watch out for me -

I’m Awesome As I Wanna Be!

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

*pauses for guitar solo*

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

*pauses again for guitar solo*

Step aside now- you’re just gettin’ in my way!

I’ve got sick chops you could never hope to play!

When it comes to making music I’m the ruler!

You wish you were 20% cooler!

Yeah, I’m Awesome!

Take caution!

Watch out for me -

I’m Awesome As I Wanna Be!

Yeah!

I’m Awesome!

Take caution!

Watch out for me -

I’m Awesome As I Wanna Be!”

The crowd was cheering loudly after the display of a rainbow ring pulsing from the final jump. Rainbow bowed, and got off stage.

Pinkie then announced Cheese’s act, in which he played a bit of polka on his accordion. After that somewhat short act, Pinkie went onstage once more. “Now for our next act! Please, welcome to the stage: Janice! Dazzle! Star!”

After Pinkie left the stage, a giant yellow five-pointed star with a light lime green stream behind it came in from the left of the stage. In its stream could be seen many gems of all kinds. In fact, it looked like a colorized version of the picture etched into Janice’s locket. The star crashed onstage, and Janice stepped out of the yellow light as the apparition faded. The crowd erupted into applause, but was quickly quieted as Janice held up a hand. She then spoke to the crowd. “Hello all! I hope you enjoy what I have in store for you- So let’s begin!” She lit her horn with azure magic, And proceeded to summon a large amount of metal and a variety of gems from thin air. However, she wasn’t done just yet. She then encompassed her head in magic as she pulled off something amazing. She breathed fire upon the metal, super-heating it with her blue fire. As the crowd was enamored, she noticed that Maestro was worried. She decided to shrug that off, however. The crowd was eating this up!

The next step was taking the super-heated metal, and proceeding to shape it with her magic, while also conjuring dragon claws on her hands to effectively carve each gem. The crowd was amazed by the “illusion,” not bothering to consider that it might be something else.

She then placed each carved gem into different metal moldings, shaping earrings, necklaces, rings, bangles, etc. After the display, she encased her head in magic once more, this time breathing out enchanted wind, which cooled down the metals quickly, -and safely- so as to not make them brittle.

After that, she summoned a small knapsack, which she then filed the jewelry into. She then bowed, drinking in the applause. She was about to leave the stage, but the crowd demanded that she show them something else.
She glanced at Maestro, who was shaking his head, pleading with his eyes, trying to sway her away from what she was thinking of doing. She then made the mistake of looking at the crowd. She sighed. ‘I was never good at resisting a crowd’s demands… Maybe I’ll try and pass it off as “just a polymorph.”’

She cleared her throat, and spoke. “Very well! One last spell! For your entertainment, I will polymorph into a Dragon!”
The crowd erupted into cheers of excitement as she charged her magic. Her thoughts tuned everything else out as she focused on her spell. She started to glow all over her body, focusing the effect of her magic onto her very DNA. She isolated the dragon DNA, and started amplifying it, so that it would “drown out” the pony DNA.

To the eyes of the crowd, her form seemed to shift, convulsing unnaturally. Her fur started to be replaced by scales, her eyes became draconic and fierce, her tail became scaly blue with pale pink spines, her hands became claws, Her hooves morphed into clawed feet, large dragon wings sprouted from her back, her hair collapsed, and changed into spines, and her muzzle shifted to become a snout full of fangs. She grew to be larger than she once was, almost hitting the ceiling. She then roared, causing a jet of blue fire to spew out. She was careful to not hit anything flammable, of course. She then looked at the crowd, expectantly.

However, something odd had happened to the crowd. Her expectation of cheers were instead met with cries of “Freak!” along with “Kirin scum!” among other things. Janice didn’t understand why. She was so surprised that her transformation undid itself in a snap. She backed away, afraid of the crowd. Why were they doing this? They’d enjoyed her show just moments before! What was wrong?

But then, Maestro jumped onstage, landing in front of Janice. A black shadow could be seen forming around his right hand. He was tapping into Nightmare Magic. After all, if he was correct, this would be the most effective way to get the entire room back to normal. His fur darkened a shade, and his hair and tail did the same. His eyes had become slightly darker as well, and his slitted pupils were on display for all to see. He was skimming the surface of his Nightmare form- after all, going too deep would make him lose control.

He then spoke. “You are not yourselves! Now, WAKE UP!” At those last two words, he swung his right arm in an arc, causing the Nightmare Magic to pulse outwards. It hit the entire crowd, and caused small portions of dark blue smoke to shed off of them. The Nightmare Magic stopped at the wall, and then retracted, pulling all the smoke balls back towards Maestro, who absorbed them all. He then stopped channeling the Nightmare Magic, and his colors went back to normal. A powerful surge of Magic crawled over his enchantments, making them stronger than before. After all, Nightmare Puffs were still magic.

He took Janice’s hand, and led her offstage. The crowd had gotten back to normal, and were apologizing to Janice, who forgave them.

Ayumi decided to jump in then. Telling Janice she was sorry and that she thought that if she showed herself as she was they would have gotten used to hybrid forms. “My mother's magic shouldn't have the effect it just did, so that shit must’ve come from somepony different.” She said.

Janice shook her head, smiling somewhat sadly. “It’s okay. They weren’t themselves. I don’t hold it against them, honestly. But I do wonder how all that Nightmare Magic got in their systems…”

Maestro pulled Janice away from Ayumi. “I appreciate your concern, but it’s already been taken care of. As for the Nightmare Magic, I think somebody was hiding in the audience, underneath a perception filter and an invisibility spell, along with a magic masker spell. They’ve long since left, however.” He shook his head. “Let’s not worry about that right now. Let’s try to enjoy the rest of the show.”

Pinkie went onstage after the crowd calmed down, and announced the next act. “Well, that was a bit unexpected, but the show will go on! Please welcome to the stage, Sunset Shimmer!”

‘You know if I'm going to go up there I'll need a sparring partner.’ “Hay, Dash! Want to spar with me when I go up there?” Ayumi asked.

Micaela seemed to think on it. “I dunno. I already went on up there. Maybe you should ask somebody else?”

Maestro agreed. “Rai has a point. I don’t think it’s a good idea to go onstage for an act more than once.” He then focused on the act that was about to start.

Sunset came onstage, without any flashy entrance. The crowd was curious as to what her act was going to be. Some music began to play, and after a while, she begun to sing.

“Power…

Was all I desired. (echo effect)

But all that grew inside me

Was a darkness I acquired

When I began to fall

And I lost the path ahead

That’s when your friendship found me

And it lifted me instead!

Like a phoenix burning bright in the sky

I’ll show there’s another side to me you can’t deny

I may not know what the future holds,

But hear me when I say-

That my past does not define me!

Because my past is not today!

Ambition...

Is what I believed

Would be the only way to set me free

But when it disappeared and I found myself alone

That’s when you came and got me

And it felt like I was home!

Like a phoenix burning bright in the sky

I’ll show there’s another side to me you can’t deny

I may not know what the future holds

But hear me when I say-

That my past does not define me!

Because my past is not today!”

After the song, the crowd cheered, and Sunset left the stage. Pinkie went up once more to announce the next act, which was Rarity’s fashion show, which Ashley, Pinkie, and Flora (reluctantly, on the part of the latter) participated in. After that, Pinkie announced the next act. “Now, put your hands together for our next act! Please welcome, Twilight Raderson!”

After Pinkie left the stage,Twilight went onstage, a tad nervous. She was going to use a few spells, but nothing too fancy. One of the spells she eventually used conjured up a magical serpentine dragon that flew about the area then returned to her. The serpent then posed in the shape of an S behind her.

Then, after Twilight was done with her spell show, Pinkie announced Ayumi’s sparring act, which Sarah volunteered to participate in. Sarah was more adept at combat than one might think she would be, seeing as she was an artist, but her forté was agility, not power.

Once onstage together, the pair shook hands before the match. Sarah spoke congenially. “Don’t hold back too much on my account, alright? I won’t be treated like I’m some special snowflake that can’t take a hit.”

“Alright, then I guess we should take to the air. Hope you have some combat experience while flying. Dad? if you could, please?”

The two combatants separated, and Discord caused the roof to open up for the sky duel. Sarah flicked her tail, activating the mutation that caused it to change color. It was now red. Ayumi was not certain what this had to do with anything, but she was soon to find out.

With a burst of speed, Sarah soared upward as she clicked her hooves together. The clouds that were streaming behind her melded with her red streak, coloring them. She stopped climbing after a short while, and grabbed the clouds. She brought them up as she molded them with her hands.

She noticed that Ayumi had also climbed into the air, but that was to be expected. When she was done molding the clouds, they looked like a short-sword. Sarah held the cloud-weapon in her left hand, ready to strike. She smirked when she saw how surprised Ayumi looked.

Sarah went in close for the attack, but Ayumi was quick enough to dodge. Sarah didn’t slow down, though. She had to swerve occasionally when Ayumi would capitalize on an opening by swiping with her claws, but Sarah wasn’t too concerned. Sure, she knew she wouldn’t win, but she wouldn’t go half-way just because of that. After all, If she lost without trying, that’d be no fun.

She finally managed a hit on Ayumi, but she’d been grazed by the claws at the same time. Sarah was surprised, but shook it off quickly. She jumped back, flicking her tail, causing it to become orange. Her cloud-sword had broken down into cloud-matter after the clean hit (which did hurt, if only because of the speed of the strike), so she was going to make something else now.

As she rose into the sky again, she clicked her hooves together, leaving clouds behind her that were colored by her orange streak. She stopped again, this time after a slightly longer period of time. She grabbed the clouds again, but she noticed that Ayumi was on the attack. She dogged as she molded the clouds, not wanting to lose focus by being hit. Soon she was done molding them, and this time she had a lance. She was not about to let herself get her new weapon destroyed this early, so she ducked the next strike, and rolled behind Ayumi. She then started attacking with her lance, forcing Ayumi to dodge.

The advantage with the lance was that Ayumi couldn’t quite get close-up. What she didn’t expect was for Ayumi to breathe her fire. It broke down the cloud-lance without much trouble, and reached far enough as to slightly singe Sarah’s hands. Sarah bit back the pain, and flicked her tail again, making it yellow. Sarah glared at Ayumi. She had made a mistake.
Sarah climbed into the sky again, clicking her hooves. She stopped a little afterward, only leaving behind a few small yellow clouds. It wasn’t enough to make what her next planned weapon, but it was enough to do what she needed. She kicked one of the clouds, and it reshaped into a lightning bolt, which shot at Ayumi.

She didn’t wait to see if it hit, instead choosing to repeat the lightning blast a few times for good measure. After she’d run out of clouds, she looked to see that at least one of the bolts had landed a hit, causing Ayumi’s hair to stand on end slightly. She held back a snicker at the girl’s expense.

She looked up, and saw that there was a rather large cloud above. She smiled as she flicked her tail, changing it to green. She went up to the cloud, noticing that Ayumi had as well. Sarah wasn’t about to let Ayumi take her weapon before she had even made it! She focused -so she didn’t activate the mutation again- as she flung her tail at the cloud at a high enough speed to shoot off a arcing streak that hit the cloud, starting to color it green.

Ayumi ripped off part of the cloud, making the green halt at an odd place. Sarah shrugged, then grabbed the cloud with her hands, which were not hurting as much now. She hefted the large, green cloud above her head, and started to spin it above her at high speeds.

She noticed that Ayumi had done something to the cloud matter she’d pilfered, but she couldn’t quite make out what through the tornado she’d managed to conjure. Sure it wasn’t quite a standard tornado, seeing as it was quite slow for one, but that wasn’t what mattered.

Her green cloud had colored the winds, and she kept herself inside them as they drew close to Ayumi. But, her tornado broke down when it hit a white shield of clouds. Sarah backed off as she saw her mini tornado break. It may have taken the shield with it, but it still was one of her better techniques, even if she couldn’t get it to the speeds she wanted. She would’ve needed the entire cloud for that.

However, just because one of her best skills had been stopped short didn’t mean that she was going to give in! Far from it. She flicked her tail again, turning it blue. Instead of going higher, she shot downward in an arc, once again coloring her cloud stream that was produced by her hooves. After a while, she started to pull up, still maintaining her speed. Ayumi was uncertain as to what Sarah was trying. However, she wasn’t going to use the weave -she considered that a cheap move in a fair fight- though against an real enemy she kept it on as to always be one step ahead.

She instead tried to break Sarah’s focus. However, Sarah noticed Ayumi coming in, and poured on the speed. A cone started to form around her. Sarah tried not to panic. She’d never gone this fast! The cone was the freaking sound barrier!
But, in order to pull what she was trying off, she would need to keep ahead of Ayumi’s attacks. So, as she connected the clouds into a circle and turned 90 degrees on a dime, she arced around, keeping up her speed. Ayumi was holding back, and Sarah knew that. But despite this, Ayumi tried keeping up. Did she want to see Sarah push herself beyond what she conceived were her limits?

Sarah could still see the cone in front of her as she intersected again with the first circle. She had to keep ahead of Ayumi! So, in spite of her better judgement, she tried to pour on more speed. What happened next was unexpected, to say the least.

There was a loud boom, and a blue ring of light exploded outwards. Sarah felt the sound of the cheering crowd fall behind her as she continued her plan. She’d just broken the sound barrier!

She never thought that she could do such a thing, but she’d managed to pull it off! She intersected with her first circle again, and turned again. She sped in a new circle as her speed climbed. She saw Ayumi in her peripheral vision, but she was unconcerned.

Each time she completed a circle around Ayumi, she turned to start a new one. Soon, after four circles were formed and Sarah had started her fifth, Ayumi realized what Sarah was trying to accomplish. She was trying to trap Ayumi in a sphere of clouds.

Ayumi had to admit that it was quite clever, but she would stop Sarah before she finished. Ayumi poured on the speed, easily catching up to Sarah. Ayumi readied her claws, but when she reached closer to Sarah, she saw that she was slowing down slightly, and breathing hard. She was pushing herself too hard. Her wings seemed sore, but she continued pushing. The fifth circle finished and Sarah turned again, her tail involuntarily twitched and turned indigo.

The cloud rings shuddered, and changed color. However, the color change caused the clouds to lose stability, and they started to break down. As Sarah reached the first intersection, she tried for a sixth circle. The clouds in front of her broke down, and blasted out cloud-matter at high speeds. Sarah was surprised, and tried to get out of the way. However, due to her fatigue stacked with the surprise, when she tried to turn, her wings froze up from the strain.

As she started to fall, her cloud structure broke down completely. However, Ayumi managed to catch Sarah and get her down safely. The cloud break down was quite beautiful, however as it rapidly flashed colors. After the entire structure fell apart, the roof was closed. The crowd cheered, and Ayumi bowed. Sarah, on the other hand, had to be helped offstage. She was exhausted, but she’d enjoyed herself. Ayumi then left the stage as well.

After the act by Ayumi was over, Pinkie went onstage one last time. “Now for the moment that you’ve all been waiting for! The final act! Here to deliver, is the Maestro of Music, the Living Spectrum, the Apex of Art himself, Maestro Spectrum Star!”

Pinkie left the stage, and the crowd waited anxiously. All of a sudden, a red line shot onstage, followed by one of orange, one of yellow, one of green, one of blue, one of indigo, and one of violet. The lines met at a singular point, and spread out into leftward curved arcs.

A paintbrush at an upward left angle was producing the colors from the brush portion at the bottom right. Then, a turquoise musical note flew in from the right side of the stage, and superimposed itself in front of the paintbrush.
The symbol hung there for a short moment, letting the crowd drink in the colorized form of what was etched into Maestro’s locket. Then, the man of the hour himself stepped out from behind the display, and the crowd was cheering the loudest that they had all night. He lit his horn, summoning an indigo synthesizer that was fused with an electric guitar. The display of his Cutie Mark that had been his entrance segway shrunk somewhat, and imposed itself on the wall behind him. He had a headset on, and spoke to the crowd. “Hello, everyone! Are you ready for a feat of music and magic that you have hitherto not seen?”

The cheers of the crowd made him smile. This is what it meant to be on top of the world. “Great! Now, without further ado, let’s begin!” For a short moment his horn glowed, and the rest of him was encased in white light.

In a flash of turquoise, there were six Maestrogängers behind him, each with a different instrument. One had a red Saxophone, another had an orange keytar, one of them had a yellow trombone, yet another had a green acoustic guitar, one had a blue bass, and the last one had a violet tambourine. After the white light died down, they started to play.
The syntheletar was the backbone, providing a steady beat. The Maestrogängers each provided a different portion of either the inherent chaotic chords (the acoustic guitar and the bass) , the organized melody (the Sax and the trombone), or even the balanced harmony (the tambourine and the keytar). After a while, Maestro began to sing, his voice an astonishing bass.

“You call me Maestro-

The Notemaster that surpasses others!

You call me Spectrum-

The Endless Fountain of the Colors!

C’mon! C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!

Few know my full name,

That’s part of the mystery!

I’m here to jumpstart my fame,

I’ll get to the top, you’ll see!

C’mon! C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!

As sure as a Sapphire is blue,

I’ll keep myself true,

Like the red of a Ruby,

None can match me!

C’mon! C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!

*Instrumental break for 2 solid minutes*

I’m the best there is-

You know that’s no lie!

I’ve got no rival-

For none could even try!

C’mon! C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!

Name an artform, and I can do it!

Paintings, Statues, and Pottery!

Challenge me, and I can prove it!

Playscripts, Movies, so much to see!

C’mon! C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!

Like an Emerald’s pure green,

My full valor will be seen,

Three gems of power,

My veracity’s hour!

C’mon! C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!

*Instrumental break for 2 solid minutes*

You may think I’m boasting,

But with me none can compare,

In my wake they’re left roasting,

Because of my Artistic Flair!

C’mon! C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!

I’ve an ideal of beauty,

That none could hope to see!

For you know I’m the Apex, the ultimate master!

I’m the singular best- others reach only disaster!

C’mon! C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!

My Emporium’s open to all- as long as they can pay me

I’ve seen past the lies of the world, and seen reality!

I won’t let its cold heart drag me down

But no matter what, I won’t see you frown!

C’mon! C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!

*Instrumental break for 2 solid minutes*

I’m full with a burning drive,

See how my charisma dominates.

My talent will forever thrive,

Everyone else is less than second rate!

C’mon! C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!

My ideals are shown by my art,

From the core of my heart,

Let it last eternally!

And now you shall see!

C’mon! C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!

Your skepticism I’ll abate.

My power you won’t debate.

As I show you beauty,

You’ll witness my guarantee!”

He then summoned his art pieces one by one during the instrumental, to drive home his new point. As he started up the next portion, he acted out what they could withstand using his magic.

“Sturdy enough to withstand burning fire!

Even When White Hot!

Resolved enough to withstand cold’s ire!

Heat within stands taut!

C’mon! C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!

Stands through the harshest of winds!

A Hurricane can’t take a crown!

Crushing Gravity’s bending ne’er begins!

Jupiter can’t break them down!

C’mon! C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!

The cruelest natural conditions it will beat!

You think of it, it will withstand!

Even the hands of time it will defeat!

And permeate across the land!”

The crowd was cheering, surprised that he actually performed all those destructive spells. Even those with unicorn magic were impressed that it wasn’t just illusions. After an instrumental section that lasted 14 minutes (in which each instrument got at least one solo), the singing picked up again.

“My Devotion will soar into the sky,

Loyal as I can be!

An’ you know that my Honor’s no lie,

Truth sets me free!

C’mon! C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!

My Compassion knows no bounds,

Kind to all I see!

A flaw in my Charity can’t be found,

Generous, truly!

C’mon! C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!

Let my Humor brighten your day,

Laugh wit’ me!

And my Empowerment will come your way,

Let Hope set you free!

C’mon! C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!

As for my Magic, it can’t be beat,

Friendly as can be!

With my Connections, it’ll be an easy feat!

It’s true, you see!

C’mon! C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!

*Instrumental break for 2 solid minutes*

So now you know,

That wherever I go,

I smudge out disharmony,

With my harmonic symphony!

And soon my banner will be unfurled,

Everywhere across the world!

C’mon! C’mon! C’mon! C’mon!

And with a last chord,

Let me give you this guarantee,

I’ll be the balance lord,

So that utopia is what you’ll see!”

*Instrumental finish, 4 solid minutes*

As the music died down, the seven Maestros bowed, and the crowd cheered. The Maestrogängers disappeared into light, converging back into Maestro. He got out of his bow, and spoke to the crowd. “Thank you for your attention tonight! I hope you all enjoyed yourselves! Now, the festivities are over, so I hope you get home safely! See ya!”

With a wave and a charge of his horn, he became seven bands of light, one of each color of the rainbow, and teleported away. The party cooled down, and people started cleaning up. Trixie took Gearbox by the arm, and led him out. The last hours of the night was to be about the two of them. Trixie couldn’t help grinning to herself. She just knew that things were going to be good tonight.

Author's Note

15,000+ words! This is by far and away the longest chapter I've been involved in. There's a lot of changes of perspective, but that can be fixed if necessary. Thanks to all the team of the Anthros of Harmony for helping getting it this large.

Side Story: When Maestro Meets Tempest

Maestro hummed to himself. Things had been hectic, considering. He pulled out the crystalline object he’d pried from Chessmaster that day. He knew this object. The Maestro from Equestria’s memories that had “synced” with him, giving him knowledge of many things- including the history of the family that his family had anthrofied into. This object was special to them, an heirloom of sorts. But how had it gotten to Earth? Why had Chessmaster possessed it? These questions and more clouded his mind. So much so, that he didn’t notice when he bumped into another anthro. He looked up. “Oh sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.” He raised an eyebrow, noticing the draconic features of the alicorn. She was a hybrid!

She chuckled. “That’s fine. I’m Tempest Flare, but you can call me Ayumi.”

Maestro sighed in relief, putting away the crystal. “Thank goodness.” He out stretched his right hand. “They call me Maestro Spectrum. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Ayumi shook his hand, and seemed to be in thought. “Maestro Spectrum, huh? Can’t say I’ve heard of you.”

Maestro shrugged as the handshake released. “Most people wouldn’t, seeing as the stories he appears in aren’t very well exposed.”

Ayumi seemed to notice the way Maestro was looking at her. “Say, why are you looking at me like that? Am I that attractive?”

Maestro chuckled. “While you are quite appealing, there's a thestral anthro that I find intriguing.” He relaxed himself. “No, I just find it a tad odd to see a hybrid anthro walking around in broad daylight without some kind of cover for their hybrid features. Then again, you’re an alicorn, so people probably give you a bit of leeway.”

Ayumi tilted her head. “Other hybrids? Do you know if I could meet them? I’d like to get on friendly terms with them.”

Maestro shook his head. “The hybrids I know about have issues with trusting others, even if they so happen to be another hybrid. So I highly doubt you’ll see them in their ‘true state’ so to speak. If you do meet them, you’ll won’t find out about it until they trust you enough. Think of it as a trial of fire.”

Ayumi sighed. “I see… So how do I earn their trust?”

Maestro chuckled. “Oh it’s simple, really. Just get to know them. Spend time with them. You know, be a friend towards them. It may take awhile, but it’ll be worth it in the end, don’t you think?

Ayumi nodded, but then decided there was one thing more that she had to know about them. “How many hybrids, aside from myself, do you know about?”

Maestro straightened out his royal blue vest. “Four. One of each of the ‘big four’ hybrids, as some call them. One Kirin, like yourself. One Batblood, one Taurian, and one Hippogriff.”

For a split second, Ayumi could almost swear that she saw his pupils change into slits. Was that a trick of the light? She smiled. “Thanks for the help. I hope we meet again.”

As Ayumi started walking away she turned around. “Oh by the way I'm not a Kirin: I'm a Dragonoid! We may look the same on the outside, but I learned that Kirin can't shift their forms and unicorn Kirin are weaker in most normal pony magics than their full blood unicorn brethren. Also keep your eyes hidden the weave shows all.”

Maestro seemed surprised. “My eyes? You think you saw something, did you?” He crossed his arms. “Tell me, what did you see with this ‘weave’ of yours, ‘Dragonoid.’ After all, it’s a known fact that pony + dragon = Kirin 50% of the time, not this ‘Dragonoid’ you speak of.” His eyes were set with a doubting look, judging her. If one peered into his thoughts, (not that they could) they would notice that he was certain that he’d kept all his enchantments that altered what he looked like active the whole time he was speaking with her.

Ayumi seemed a bit on edge. Maestro could see it in her eyes. “Well, dragonoids are quite rare, coming in about a 12.5% chance when from a union of pony and dragon. Dragonoids are pony dragon hybrids born with the power level of a Drago Invictus. As for the weave, it’s an ability that sometimes that kicks in for dragonoids, showing the a ‘slice of truth’ as it’s sometimes called though mine is more powerful and lets me see the most likely immediate futures due to my Alicorn DNA.”

Maestro seemed doubtful, but he saw truthfulness in her eyes. He sighed. “You know, you’re wrong about unicorns having weaker magic when they’re a kirin. That study was debunked awhile back.” He shook his head. “So tell me, did this ‘slice of truth’ really show you my eyes?”

Ayumi nodded. “I saw the slits. You’re not quite what you seem, are you?”

Maestro sighed. “I see. So, was that all you saw, or was there more? I’m debating on if I can let you leave without erasing your memory. If you saw too much, I’ll wipe it cleaner that a newly purchased glass pitcher.”

Ayumi shook her head. “No, the slits were all I saw.”

Maestro smirked. “So you didn’t see anything else, huh? That’s good. That means that you still don’t know the truth. After all, slitted pupils can mean many things.” He relaxed. “I’m okay with you knowing about them; most of the others know about them at this point anyway. The only ones that don’t are Rarity, Ashley, and Flora. Though, I plan on showing them soon.”

Ayumi raised an eyebrow. “So what are you, anyway?”

Maestro laughed. “I don’t trust you enough to let you know that just yet.” He looked bemused. “But hey, if you’re lucky, you might learn more soon enough.”

Ayumi was a bit curious about something. “Say, does anyone know about more than just the pupils?”

Maestro nodded. “You know that thestral I spoke about? Well, she and I hit it off pretty well- it’s pretty crazy that I feel that I can trust her with as much as I have. Maybe it’s because she’s the sister of a long-time friend?” He shook his head. “Well whatever it is, I just hope I don’t regret it later.” He then thought of something. “So, immediate futures, eh? Can you do that at will, or does it happen randomly?”

Ayumi was a bit wary, but responded. “Why do you ask?”

Maestro sighed. “I’m just wondering about my half brother, Chessmaster. I really want to get through to him, to show him that Starlight is only looking out for number one.”

Ayumi raised an eyebrow. “Starlight? Is she the one we’re dealing with here?”

Maestro nodded. “She’s the one that makes the most sense, even though it means that the Equestria we’re connected to isn’t in sync with the show.”

Ayumi sighed. “I can only see so far into the future- and even then, I have to concentrate pretty hard to see it.”

Maestro shrugged. “Was worth a shot. Oh well, I never did put much stock into fortune telling anyway, unless it came from my half-sister, Janice.”

Ayumi seemed intrigued. “She’s a fortune teller?”

Maestro chuckled. “It’s sort of a side thing. She’s mainly a jeweler.”

“Does she cut her own gems or does she just insert them in her pieces?” Ayumi asked as she takes a subtle sniff to build up a small amount of flame and bring in this guy’s scent knowing what she did & found his smoky and raw steel like scent intriguing. ‘Huh he smells like either nightmare or a changeling would’

Maestro raised an eyebrow, noting the strange look he was getting. Do I smell strange to her? I took a bath this morning. Maybe she doesn’t like the smell of saffron cologne? “She cuts her own gems- we all do. I use the gems for other things though, such as grinding them up into fine powder and mixing them with paint for ‘special effects.’”

Ayumi seemed intrigued. “Where do you get the gems?”

Maestro sighed. “Dad owned a gem mine over in Africa. It was left to us in his will. We go there about once a year to stock up.” Maestro looked off into the distance. “It certainly won’t be the same without all four of us there together- what with Chessmaster being on the enemy’s side. He never did say what he used the gems for, though.”

Ayumi no longer seemed to be looking at him strangely, which was a good thing. She shook her head. “Perhaps special chess pieces? I wouldn’t know.”

Maestro checked his watch. “Oh snap! I’ve got to go meet somebody down at the Sci Labs. He’ll strangle me for sure if I’m not there!” He looked to Ayumi. “Sorry to cut this short, but priorities. Maybe some other time we could talk again.” He straightened his vest, and smiled. “I’ll be off then!” He then walked into the distance.

Ayumi called out to Maestro, causing him to stop. “Wait! I'll come with you! I've got some chem work set up in the lab anyway so I better check on it.”

Maestro drew himself to his full height of 6’0 in surprise. After all, he was usually slouched just a tad so he could be on eye level with the others. “You want to come along? To be honest, I wouldn’t be going myself if he wasn’t an old friend. I guess it couldn’t hurt for you to meet him, but just be warned: even since he anthrofied about three days ago, he’s been, well… how do I put this? More… eccentric than usual. I guess it’s because he’s always been a bit of a mad scientist, so when he anthrofied, it cranked that aspect of him up to eleven. I’m still unsure as to why. Even the anthros that were once the opposite gender didn’t go through such a change. Not even Flash Sentry! My friend’s adjusted somewhat, so it’s not so bad now, but you should’ve seen him when it first happened. He was trying to cybernetisize me, I’m sure!”

“Cool another scientist for me to talk to. You think your friends mad trust me I'm a mad scientist as well. I spent over a million dollars upgrading the school's lab equipment anyways so he'll probably appreciate me showing up. Oh I guess I forgot to tell you I'm kind of ultra loaded.”

Maestro only raised an eyebrow in response. “A fellow rich kid, huh? Although my fortune’s mostly in CDs gathering interest these days. I don’t like relying on my dad’s money too much, so I tend to just let it gather dust mostly.” He then started to walk to the lab. “Alright then. Let’s get going. It’s not too far from here.”

Ayumi posed a question as they walked. “So this friend of yours, what did he anthrofy into?”

Maestro chuckled. “You would think thestral, since that’s what his sister turned into, but he’s an anthro of an OC that’s usually unrelated to anyone. So, he became an Earth Pony. You might think that odd, seeing as he’s a scientist, but he makes up for his drawbacks with his machines- he’s always been a gearhead, so I was pretty confident as to who he’d become.”

Ayumi raised an eyebrow. “So you knew who he’d become beforehand? How?”

Maestro sighed “I paid quite a bit of attention to the OC circuit after I’d anthrofied. I gave me some idea as to who certain people might become.” They were outside the lab at this point. “So, here we are. Let’s see what he wants from me, shall we?” He opened the door, and allowed Ayumi through first.

“Still kinda surprised that nopony has mentioned my similar looks to Twilight.” Or how I'm already synced with Tempest Flare of Equestria.

Maestro was about to comment on that when a blur of slate gray filled their vision. “Maestro, old buddy! You didn’t tell me that you’d bring company!” The antho’s dark purple eyes glistened, and his chartreuse hair bobbed slightly, matching the movements of his off-white orange tail. He clapped his hands together. “Goody! I can’t wait to test my newest gizmos on her!” His frayed labcoat almost seemed to billow in an unseen wind.

Maestro grabbed his shoulder. “Gearbox, what have I told you about using people as guinea pigs?”

Gearbox rolled his eyes. “Psh! I wasn’t gonna hurt the Twiliclone, honest! Just… Tinker a little.”

Maestro sighed, and rubbed his temples. “It’s somewhat hard to deal with you even since you anthrofied.”

Gearbox crossed his arms. “Well, it’s not exactly my fault, is it? Mari- er, Sarah, as she goes by now- opened her email when I stepped near the computer! Some of that magic seeped out and hit me too! Though, I’m not exactly upset. I’m rather glad, actually.” He then sported a somewhat manic grin. “After all, now I understand Anthro DNA!”

‘Finally’ Ayumi thought to herself. She then spoke aloud. “Hey Gearbox? Do you like the new equipment? I bought it so I could understand alicorn DNA myself, and so that me Twilight and Trixie could practice some of the spells my pony mother sent me.”

Gearbox raised an eyebrow. “So you’re the Miss Dno’oove that sent this new equipment? I really appreciate that. It’s helped me adapt my gadgets to properly work with Anthros. It’s been quite the boon.”

Ayumi smiled. “It’s the least I could do.”

Gearbox grinned. “Anyway, the reason I called Maestro over is because I want him to see my newest gadgets. If you like, you can see them too! I’m quite eager to show them off!”

Ayumi seemed curious. “Well, I guess it couldn’t hurt to take a look.”

Gearbox beckoned, and led them to the depths of the lab. Now on the wall before them was an array of miscellaneous gadgets in a chaotically ordered system. Gearbox grinned. “Behold! My masterpieces!”

Ayumi took a closer look and felt her pendent reacting and her magic started to scan each item independently from her control, “You used some of my blood in these didn’t you?” she asked, her hands alight with black flames “Along with dark magic.”

Gearbox scoffed, pointing to his forehead. “I can’t use dark magic! I’m an Earth Pony!” He then picked one of the machines up, cradling it gently. “And, I can’t have used your blood- there weren’t any samples in the lab. I checked.” He had a smug look on his face. “Are you surprised?”

“Then why is my pendant reacting, and why are the blood samples I placed in the centerfuse and hour ago missing? Black flames on my hands mean only one thing: dark, but non-malevolent magic has been used recently. And before you say you’re an earth pony again, the crystals in the safe box hold all five types of natural magic, including dark magic. Part of my tests was to find a way for anypony to use magic if it can be stored.”

Maestro crossed his arms, giving Gearbox a withering look. “What’d you do this time? Your curiosity has gotten us into another mess, hasn’t it?”

Gearbox scratched the back of his head nervously. “Well, I might have touched the crystals, and I did move the blood to a testing chamber- for scientific purposes, of course! I just didn’t think I’d have any ‘residue’ on my hands when working on the gadgets for final touches!” he sighed. “Guess I should’ve thought things through a little better- my curiosity is quite a distraction for progress on my work.”

Maestro shook his head. “I swear Gearbox, one of these days I might have to save you from your curiosity. It might just get you hurt, or worse- killed.”

“You could’ve asked, dummy. I left my cell number on the side of everything for that reason. Just be glad you used the stable crystals or we would be talking with the principal about how my lab got blown up because somepony got graby.”

Gearbox chuckled mirthlessly. “Heh, I haven’t used my phone much since anthrofying- I just haven’t had the time. I’m sorry about the crystals- I made sure not to drop them, but had something startled me… Well, best not to think about it.” He gathered himself, and went back to cradling one of his machines. “Now, how am I going to get that dark magic residue out of there without taking it apart? Hmm…”

“Don’t I said. “Dark magic can make machines more effective and much more powerful. And my blood works the same as a polyadaptive fluid. Part of being an alicorn and dragonoid.”

Gearbox seemed to contemplate that for a moment. He then turned to Maestro. “Say, do you think your-”

Maestro shook his head. “My blood doesn’t work like that. I may not be a ‘normal’ unicorn, but that doesn’t mean my blood has special properties like that.”

“Well then guess I’ll check on my samples.” i said as i walked away both my flames and magic extinguishing after a certain distance turning my head i activate an ability i called Presence “Gearbox don’t piss either twilight off if you know what’s good for your health”

Gearbox blinked. A voice in his head? He wasn’t a stranger to that. But what was odd was that it was Ayumi’s voice. Okay, is this what telepathy feels like? Because to be honest, it feels… odd. And thanks for the advice, I’ll take it to heart.

“Good I’ll let up on the pressure you can move now” i sent as i let off on my god tier magic pressure and entered the Biospectrum room.

Gearbox took a look at Maestro, who was raising an eyebrow. Maestro spoke. “You okay? You froze for a second there.”

Gearbox looked back to Ayumi, and then back to Maestro. Gearbox nodded. “I’m fine. Just a bit of an odd experience with telepathy, is all.”

Maestro sighed. “Of course it was. It was nice seeing your work. I best be going.”

Gearbox smiled knowingly. “Tell Sarah I said hello.”

Maestro chuckled. “You never seem to leave the lab, so I’ll tell her. Would be nice of you to do it in person every once and awhile.” And with that, Maestro left Gearbox fuming, knowing that it would cause Gearbox to shove his ideas about improving his machines back into the corner of his mind.

Author's Note

Just in case you wondered how the meeting went. Unedited.

The Power of Chaos

Last night had been great. The date with Gearbox had gone well. They had dinner, and did a bit of karaoke. She even got to sing Tricks Up My Sleeve! Albeit, a slightly extended version with an extra verse, but still! It had gone well enough that he’d agreed to another one later.

Trixie felt like she was on top of the world. However, when she opened the door, Maestro was there. He then dragged her along, explaining that he’d seen a glow of red magic. Trixie gulped. There were others following them -namely Janice, Servo, Gearbox, and Sarah- to the place where he’d seen said flash. They soon reached the scene, and saw that Chessmaster had once again forced somebody to anthrofy. The magic was rolling like a cloud, and it looked almost like… cotton candy? Chessmaster chuckled. “As much as I’d like to stick around, I’ve got to get back to Lady Starlight. See ya!” And in a flash of red, he was gone.

The group turned their attention to the dissipating cloud. Maestro lit his horn. “Alright guys. We’ve got to hold off this anthro Discord until the Mane 6 can get here. We can do this.”

A familiar jovial voice spoke up as the cloud finally parted. “Are you certain about that, Maestro?” The anthro Discord had a cheshire grin. “After all, Chaos is quite unpredictable.” The Anthrocord summoned blue cotton candy clouds, which were rather more volatile than their pink cousins. The “rain” was a different kind of delicious. Instead of chocolate milk, it was strawberry milk. But, they let off random bursts of lightning!

Sarah took to the air, flicking her tail, turning it violet. She sped up high after clicking her hooves together. She started leaving behind a stream of violet clouds, but the Anthrocord was having none of that. He grabbed the clouds and suddenly they changed into a giant flying serpent, which chased Sarah across the sky, keeping her rather occupied.

Trixie lit her horn, and called upon her multiplication illusion. She summoned her duplicates, intent on siccing them on the Anthrocord. However, he yawned, waving his lion’s paw in front of his mouth. With a flick of his tail, the Trixie clones became darker in color, turning on their creator. Trixie was well and truly occupied now.

Gearbox pulled out a strange metallic hat with a horn-like structure on it. He strapped it to his head, and focused. The metal horn lit up in orange light, as if charging a spell. The Anthrocord simply touched the “hat” with his paw, and it suddenly became made of gummy worms. To add insult to injury, he also took a bite out of it. Before Gearbox could try and use his makeshift wings he’d also pulled out, the Anthrocord snapped his talon, causing the “wings” to contract around Gearbox, and interlock, neutralizing him.

Janice morphed to become more dragon-like, as was her true state as a kirin, and charged in, claws blazing. The Anthrocord, on the other hand, disappeared as he was about to be hit, and appeared behind her, then hit her with his tail, causing her to be encased in a block of ice.

Servo saw Janice’s frozen state, and lost it. Tufts of white smoke came out of her nostrils as she lit her horn. She summoned a barrage of 1s and 0s made of indigo light, and launched them at the Anthrocord. However, the Anthrocord sent in a wave of strange, bubbly brown liquid towards her barrage.

Oddly enough, it actually fizzled the 1s and 0s out, as if they were shorted out. Servo barely managed to get out of the way as the Anthrocord was surfing on a palm tree on the wave of what she now identified as root beer. Servo covered her form in indigo magic, and let it soak in. She then stomped on the ground causing it to shake rather violently. If that didn’t get the Main 6 here sooner, she didn’t know what would.

However, the Anthrocord simply snapped his lion’s paw, and Servo was encased almost to her head in bubblegum. There was only one opponent left: Maestro.

When the Anthrocord turned, he was caught off guard by a red beam of light hitting him square in the face. He stumbled, but could hardly recover as an orange beam of light caught him from behind, followed by a yellow one from above and to his left. But, before he could be hit by another, he grabbed Maestro from the air, and snarled. “I’ve had just about enough of you. Let’s see what you’re like Discorded!”

Maestro, on the other hand, was having none of that. He summoned a blast of green light that blasted him out of the Anthrocord’s grip. Maestro waggled a finger at the Anthrocord. “Ah-ah-ah! I don’t think that’s very sporting of you! Let’s have a bit more fun!” He summoned a beam of blue light and attacked the Anthrocord who had snuck behind him, sending him sprawling back.

However, as the Anthrocord was flung away, he spoke. “Fine! Let’s see how you react when one of your friends is Discorded!” As he made a move to go to Sarah, Maestro used a spell to sprout ethereal bat wings. As the Anthrocord was about to touch Sarah with his chaos magic, Maestro pushed her out of the way, taking the hit instead. Maestro screamed out as he fought the fading of his colors.

Just at that moment, the Mane 6 arrived on the scene, and gasped. Sarah was being chased by a giant violet flying serpent, Trixie was busy fighting off darker colored clones of herself, Gearbox was struggling to get out of a iron-grip wing hug, Janice was in her kirin state (her eyes were draconic, she was covered half in scales and half in fur, hands were claws, and she had a snout full of fangs, as well as a scaly tail with spines, but the rest of her was still pony-like) and frozen in a block of ice, Servo was covered in bubblegum, and- they gasped harder when Maestro hit the ground. The wings on his back dissipated into magic æther, and they panicked. He was gray, an extremely dark grayscale version of himself. He lifted his head, and leveled his gaze at them. Twilight spoke, stuttering. “M-maestro… wh-what happened to you?”

He huffed bitterly at them. “Do you pay attention to literally nothing? I’m freakin’ gray for pete’s sake! Bah, whatever. Go screw yourselves for all I care. You can’t win this. Not that I care what happens to this hellhole of a world. Let it burn. It deserves to wallow in despair.”

Rainbow flapped her wings impatiently. “Where is your loyalty to this world? Where has it gone?”

Maestro rolled his eyes, crossing his arms in the process. “What should I care for loyalty in a world where it doesn’t exist? For fostering nothing but betrayal, this world must suffer.”

Ashley raised an eyebrow. “Surely ya can’t mean that! Ya hafta be lyin’!”

Maestro scoffed indignantly. “What use is truth in a world that doesn’t care for it? For creating the illusion of truth, this world deserves to die, a fitting punishment for the ultimate lie.”

Flora shuddered. “What about your kind heart? Surely you care for something in this world!”

Maestro shook his head, chuckling darkly. “You don’t get it, do you? Kindness is an illusion. In a world like this, there is no room for anything but cruelty in its cold heart.”

Rarity cleared her throat. “What about generosity? Surely you can still give selflessly?”

Maestro barked a harsh laugh. “Ha! As if that even exists! In this cold world, there is only greed.”

Pinkie was frowning. “What about a good laugh? Surely you can still laugh with others?”

Maestro shook a finger in her direction. “No. Nobody really ’laughs with you’- their hearts are too full of spite for that!”

Excalibur came in at that moment, and tried to talk sense into him. “What of your big schtick, hope? Have you tossed that aside as well?”

Maestro nodded, smiling cruelly. “Of course. Why hope for a better future when despair will only shatter it with reality? It is better to accept despair than to fool yourself with false hope.”

Twilight tried to reason with him. “What about connections, friendship? Does that matter to you?”

Maestro grabbed her in his magic, and hefted her into the air. “Do you really want to know my thoughts on that virus? It can go and die for all I care! It’s a poison to this world- it is a false happiness that is bound to be shattered eventually. It always dies in the end, leaving you alone and bitter. Do yourself a favor, and toss your friends aside like the garbage they are. They’ll only drag you down.”

As he set her down, the Anthrocord spoke. “Oh, goody! You’re finally here! Do you like what I’ve done?” He motioned to Maestro with his lion’s paw. “I’m especially proud of my work on this guy- he became a full opposite of everything he cherishes! Isn’t Discordification fun?”

Twilight looked to the others. “Girls, let’s take care of this!” Their Elements started to glow, and they lifted into the air slightly.

Maestro then spoke venomously. “Oh I don’t think so!” He then pulled out a strange crystalline object made of paragon diamonds. It looked somewhat like a pickaxe, and was about the size of his arm. He also summoned an alicorn amulet, and strapped it to his neck. Then, the magic of the Paragon Pickaxe was made known, as Maestro’s form became like that of hard diamond. He then channeled his magic into the pickaxe, and swung with all his might. A mighty wall of crystal was raised from the ground, an impenetrable wall. If one was to look closely at Maestro just before that moment one would see small cracks starting to form on his body.

The rainbow light from the Elements hit the Crystal wall, and was held at bay. Each force was equal, but Maestro was a single anthro wielding two artifacts, which wasn’t exactly healthy. The cracks on his “mask” were starting to get out of control.

He wasn’t ready for them to find out the full truth just yet.

He turned to the Anthrocord, and spoke with malice. “You’re on your own now, bub.” He then let go of the magic of the Alicorn Amulet, and sent it back to where he’d torn it from, while stopping the focus of magic through his Paragon Pickaxe as he put it away.

The rainbow light encompassed the area, removing the chaos magic influence, and turning the Anthrocord back to his human self. After the light died down, they saw the others elated, and Maestro smiling, the cracks having vanished. “Thanks for what you did. Sorry if I gave you trouble there. You stared down a twisted version of myself with valor. For that, I thank you. It’s good to be back to myself.” They were surprised however, when they saw him lift his right hand. They saw an electric blue spark run up and down it.

He chuckled. “It seems a portion of the Chaos Magic refused to let go. Oh, well. As long as it doesn’t mess with me, it should be fine. After all, all it’s doing is bolstering enchantments.”

Twilight seemed concerned. “But now you have both Nightmare Magic and Chaos magic running around in your system. Shouldn’t you be worried?”

Maestro seemed to ponder this for a good while, but then shrugged. “I’ll look into seeing it removed if it starts to cause me trouble. Until then, I’ll let it stick around, for now.” Without another word, he teleported away in the fancy way he did at the end of the talent show.

The others that Maestro dragged there also left, until Trixie was one of the last ones still there. She turned to Twilight, grinning. “Well, I might not have been too useful, but at least I can say I held my own against one of Discord’s spells.” Then, Trixie walked off, trying to clear her head of the day’s excitement.

Ashley looked over at the other girls, “So, we fought the anthro version o’ Nightmare Moon an’ Discord. Didn’t Maestro mention his brother wanted th’ dark powers or somethin’?”

Sensing her father's magic, Ayumi teleported to Twilight.

“Will somepony tell me why I sensed Dad's magic and that it wasn't coming from him? ‘Cause I was just with him and he wasn't using his duplicates to mess around. I’d have known he was teaching me that spell just now.” she asked the girls.

Ashley shrugged, “Ah dunno, sugarcube. Another human was transformed into an anthro version of Discord when we arrived. Twilight’s the magic expert here.” She truthfully told Ayumi.

Twilight seemed deep in thought for a while, but then realized something. “Well, you did tell us earlier that there was another Nightmare Moon around that wasn’t a villain after we defeated the other one. Perhaps the forced anthrofication spell just ignores the fact that an anthro of the target anthro already exists. Then again, the Discord we know isn’t exactly an anthro either.”

Servo was helping Janice dry off from all the ice that had melted, and overheard the conversation. She decided to voice her concerns. “If that’s true, then what’s stopping them from anthrofying multiple people into the same anthro?”

Twilight rolled her eyes, sighing. “There’s probably a limitation on the spell itself that only allows it to anthrofy one person into each forced anthro. It’s probably woven so deep into the spell itself that removing it would be near impossible. We won’t have to worry about them doing that.”

Servo nodded, and turned to Janice. “Let’s get you home and warm you up.” She then carefully guided Janice back home.

Later, at Star Mansion...

Servo came through the door with Janice to hear Maestro muttering something. She set Janice down with a warm blanket, and drew close enough to hear Maestro speak. “Two down; Nightmare Magic and Chaos Magic. If things go the way I saw... But, I mustn’t panic. My unique enchantment matrix that siphons off magic was a design flaw that only the enchantments that seal my extra magic possess. The girls were in no danger of accidentally siphoning off magic any time soon. However, should all four great powers be gathered into my being… Then, it is time to worry. For if time runs out... *sigh* I just hope that we get this over with before it’s too late.”

Servo was uncertain what to think of that, so she decided to go upstairs. Maybe mess with a bit of coding. That always calmed her down.

Elsewhere, with Trixie...

Trixie had found herself with her little circle of friends again. They had finally all accepted her (Regina was the most stubborn, of course) and were having a little down time at the mall. They were adjusting to the fact that Tyler had now anthrofied, now calling herself Tyra Hearfield. They were chatting together when they bumped into somebody. He snapped at them. “Watch where you’re goin’! Freak!”

The man before them was an extremely pale fellow, and he stood at 5’11’’. His anger-filled eyes were blue, and his hair was platinum blonde. He wore a gray t-shirt and sweatpants, as well as some white sneakers. Trixie was livid at being called a freak, but tried to calm herself before speaking to the fellow. “I’m sorry I wasn’t looking where I was going. I was distracted. I’m Trixie. What’s your name?” She extended a hand out to the strange man.

However, he slapped it away in agitation. “Keep your ‘friendship’ to yourself! I don’t need that nonsense! As for my name, you don’t need to know it. It’s not like we’ll ever meet again. And on the off chance that we do meet again… I expect you and your little friends to stay out of my way!”

As the stranger walked off, Trixie wondered what his problem was, and wondered if she could fix it.

The stranger looked to see if anyone had followed him. Nobody had. Good. He took out a strange object covered in periwinkle crystal that was somewhat shaped like a gravestone. He had no clue what it was, but he’d found it years ago when he was on the run after… the incident. The strange object had called to him, and often seemed to “speak” to him. He wasn’t sure why. It wanted him to put it near his heart- but he never did. After all, why should he trust a strange whispering object? And yet… he couldn’t bear to get rid of it. He sighed as he put it away again. Bah. I thought I’d actually manage to man up and toss the thing at this point, but no dice. Oh well. It’s not like it’s actually hurting anything. He straightened his red blazer and walked off once again.

However, had he been looking up before taking it out, he would have seen a crystal unicorn anthro of brilliant white in almost all aspects, save for his crystalline blue eyes. He looked at the running man, and pondered aloud. “So one of my artifacts I brought here was found… Interesting. I wonder what he’ll use it for? After all, it has morphed to be in the shape of something dealing with his anthro self, so I wonder if he’ll use it soon…? Then again, perhaps not. He might just continue to ignore it…” The crystal unicorn anthro adjusted his royal blue robe, which was embroidered with three clear gems under the neck area. “I’ll continue to watch him later.” He then turned his attention to the people that had first attempted to reach out to the boy. “Hmm… those six… I wonder…” A smile appeared on his face. “Let’s have a little experiment with them and the Mane 6 anthros, shall we?” He then pulled out a laptop, to write a few special e-mails...

Author's Note

Two villains down! Who is the rude stranger? Who is the strange crystal unicorn? These questions will be answered soon. This chapter is unedited.

Xavier, Maestro's Estranged Pal

After the run in with the rude stranger, Trixie and her friends wound up running across the Mane 6, as well as Sarah. They were chatting about something. Sarah spoke next, chuckling a little. “Seriously, you guys are too much. That’s a pretty funny story.” She then turned to Trixie, and raised an eyebrow. “Trixie? What’cha up to?”

Trixie smiled slightly as she sat down with the others. “Not much, really. My friends and I just came across the rudest guy. I was just trying to be friendly, but he goes and snaps at me like I’m attacking him or something. It was pretty odd, really.”

Just then, Maestro walked over. He noticed that they’d been talking, and he was a bit curious as to what it was about. So, he nonchalantly sat down at the table, just in-between Sarah and Regina. He spoke up, guessing at what they were talking about. “So what’s up over here? You talking about rude people, eh? What did he look like?” He then decided to take a long sip from his purple water bottle he’d brought along.

Trixie then described the guy in detail. “Well, he was a little shorter than Maestro, and he had platinum blonde hair. He was extremely pale, and he had blue eyes.”

The group heard something shatter, and they looked over to Maestro. What they saw surprised them. His water bottle was shattered like cheap glass into millions of pieces, even though it seemed to be made of plastic. His hand, for whatever reason, seemed no worse for wear. His favorite vest had gotten soaked, but not much else had. He didn’t seem to be paying attention to that fact if the look on his face was anything to go by. He had a haunted look on his face. He spoke in a slow, haunting tone. “T e l l m e … D i d h e a v e …” He paused as he brought to bear his left wrist- showing off a turquoise wristband that they hadn’t noticed before. It’d seen better days, but they could make out two names on it: “Josephus” and “Xavier.” He then spoke up again “... H i s w o u l d ‘ v e b e e n r e d. D i d y o u s e e h i s?”

Trixie tried to put aside the major creepy vibe she’d gotten when he’d spoken like that, and collected her thoughts, thinking back to the encounter. Her eyes lit up. “Yeah, I did! It was hanging on a string around his neck. Why?”

Maestro lit his horn, and dried off his vest. He sighed. “So it is him. Xavier…” He looked downcast, but continued. “After all my efforts to try and contact him over the years, he just appears out of the blue now? And to think that he’s changed so much… he used to be much kinder…” He shook his head. “To think that misunderstanding between us hit him that hard…”

Twilight seemed intrigued, and decided to press a little. “Just who is this Xavier, exactly?”

Maestro turned to Trixie. “Say, you remember when I told you about that friend I had that I said I’d tell you more about?” She nodded, and Maestro sighed. “Well, today’s your lucky day. All of you get to hear how it all went down. How Xavier and I became friends… and how a misunderstanding made it all go to waste.
It was a little after I’d lost track of Jozhir. I believe that I was in 4th or 5th grade at this point, and I was the one that bullies tended to pick on the most. But, at the start of the year… they got some fresh meat in the form of Xavier. He was teased because he had no last name- he had never known his parents. Needless to say, I stood up for him. After all, I’d never known my mother, so we had something in common. We became fast friends. We stuck together like glue. You’d hardly ever see us apart! We felt that if we stuck together, there was nothing that this world could throw at us that we couldn’t take! And so, one day, we got matching wristbands… And it was then that the rumors started.
I first heard about the rumor a few days after it had started spreading. It was pretty bad. Children can be such conniving monsters. Needless to say, I did what I could to kill the rumor- but I was foolish. Once something like that takes hold, it’s hard to get rid of it. So I did the one thing I could think of. The action that, to this day, I will forever regret. I actively pushed Xavier away. I stopped being around him altogether. I thought it would fix the problem, but rumors spread about there being ‘trouble in paradise.’ It made me sick.
It seemed that nothing I did could kill that stupid rumor. To make matters worse… Xavier confronted me about this in front of everyone at recess. Then I… exploded. Like I never had before or since, I got angry. And it cost me his friendship. I never saw him after that day. I had hoped to contact him, and explain myself, but I could never get a hold of him. Maybe now that he’s here… I can fix the broken bridge of our friendship.”

It brought tears to all that heard it… until a slow clap could be heard from the east. They turned to see the very person being talked about, a smug sneer on his face. He stopped clapping, and spoke with heavy sarcasm in his voice. “Oh how touching! Of course I’ll drop all my anger and forgive you!” He then dropped the sarcasm and scowled. “Did you really think that it’d be that easy? That I’d drop all of my pain and come crawling back into your ‘friendship’ just because of your ‘explanation?’” He gagged at the thought. “The world just doesn’t work like that, Josephus. People change. And sometimes, once they do, you can’t get them to change ever again. So stuff your friendship nonsense. I don’t need that ilk.”

Maestro seemed hurt, and spoke in a hushed tone. “Xav… You really have changed. You used to be the kindest guy I knew, and now look at you…”

Xavier had a harsh look on his face, and sneered. “Don’t call me that. You lost that privilege ages ago. I am Xavier, and you shall call me as such. If you don’t... “ He pulled out the wristband that was attached to the string around his neck. “...I’ll destroy this little memento from better times. And then, the last reminder of your old friend will be gone. So respect that I don’t want to be called that, or the wristband gets it.”

Maestro seemed on the verge of tears, but pushed it down. He sighed, and spoke slowly. “If that’s what it takes to get you to keep it... “ He then stood up, and walked over to Xavier. “At least let us try to help you put the past behind you, Xavier. It isn’t healthy to dwell like this. Give all of us a chance to get through to you. If we don’t manage it within thirty days, we’ll leave well enough alone.” He extended out his right hand. “Deal?”

Xavier stared at the hand in front of him. The last time he’d shaken anyone’s hand seemed like an eternity ago. Was doing this such a good idea? It seemed that there was no catch, but there could be one he wasn’t seeing. Then he felt one of the pockets of his blazer vibrate. It was the artifact. It wanted him to accept the deal. It also seemed to know exactly what to call Josephus now that he was an anthro. Xavier shrugged, and grasped the hand before him. “I’ve got nothing to lose, and eternal solitude to gain! You’re on, Maestro.” For the first time in years, a genuine, if sinister, smile worked its way onto Xavier’s face. This was going to be too easy. And so, the game had begun.

Author's Note

Do you think they'll need all 30 days to get through to him? Or will they do it faster? Place your bets below! This chapter is unedited.

Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 1: Loyalty

The plan had been structured. Each day had been planned out, in a cycle of seven lessons. The first day was Loyalty, the second was Honesty, the third was Kindness, the fourth was Generosity, the fifth was Laughter, the sixth was Hope, and the seventh was connections (but to keep with the theme was dubbed Magic). They would cycle like this until they broke through to Xavier. Maestro had voiced his doubts, but the plan was approved by all that had assembled. And so, the first day of lessons began… In quite the unexpected way. Trixie had woken up that morning to somebody pounding on her door. Out of consideration for her parents which had been up all night, she answered the door. The sight outside the door surprised her so much that if she had been drinking something at that point, she’d probably have spat it out comically. Five anthros were at the door. Very familiar anthros, at that. After all, Tyra was there, along with the other four anthros that made up the “Luna 6” of the Lunaverse. She spoke hesitantly. “Guys… is that you? You’ve all…”

Tyra spoke first, a big grin on her face. “I know! It’s pretty cool, right? They all got e-mails last night! Now we’re all anthros together!!”

The Raindrops anthro huffed as she rolled her eyes. “She’s just overexcited. Just call me Rae Falls.”

The Ditzy anthro chuckled at Rae’s antics, then spoke. “Diana Elbatch is what I’ll go by now.”

Then, the Carrot Top anthro fussed with her long hair as she spoke. “I’ll be going by
Carmen Johnson now.”

Finally, the Cheerilee anthro spoke. “Just call me Cheryl Lee from now on.”

Trixie sighed, and brought her friends into a hug. “Somehow, I just had a feeling that we’d all be together like this…”

The girls then discussed a few things as they travelled to the agreed upon place. Xavier was already in the park, looking indifferent to the new anthros. Twilight was there with her friends as well (along with Sarah), and turned to the new arrivals. She smiled as she saw them getting along well. She then spoke. “I take it that those four new anthros were the other humans that you brought to the party?”

Trixie grinned. “Yes! Now not only do we have the Mane 6, but the Luna 6 as well! They all anthrofied last night!” she then turned to Rae. “Say, who did you say the letter was from again?”

Rae pulled out a piece of paper. “Let me read mine to you:

‘Dear Regina Falls,

I have a vested interest in a little experiment with you and your friends. I will anthrofy the four of you tonight, giving you inate knowledge on your new forms. All you need do is meet me at the time I request on Day 10 of your little Project with Xavier. Bring Trixie as well. The other anthros may watch, and the Mane 6 anthros are required for my little experiment as well. I will allow you to retain your anthro status only if you attend. I will be looking forward to your visit at 4 PM sharp in the Outback.

Best of luck,

The Crystalline Eye’”

The group was silent for a while, until Maestro came onto the scene he looked at everyone. “Something up?”

Trixie turned to Maestro. “Does the phrase ‘The Crystalline Eye’ mean anything to you?”

Maestro raised an incredulous eyebrow. “The Crystalline Eye? The Maestro over in Equestria told me about him- He was the first Analyst, the one who found this world. Afterword, he founded a family of crystal unicorns, much like himself. He’s also supposed to be long dead. It’s probably just some fool using it as a moniker.”

Xavier huffed in irritation. “Does any of this matter right now? Wasn’t there something you came here to do?”

The group looked to Xavier and chuckled in embarrassment. Excalibur spoke up first. “So, how are we breaking this down?”

Twilight seemed to think about it for a while, and then had an idea. “We’ll have the representatives for each element teach their respective lesson!”

Trixie smirked. “So Miceala and Tyra for Loyalty, Ashley and Rae for Honesty, Flora and Diana for Kindness, Rarity and Carmen for Generosity, Pinkie and Cheryl for Laughter, Maestro for Hope, and Twilight and I for ‘Magic!’” Her expression then soured. “Wow, Maestro’s gonna do his alone. That’s kinda harsh.”

Maestro shrugged nonchalantly. “Eh, don’t worry about it. I’ve talked Discord into finding me some help.” He then turned to the sound of footsteps. “Hm? Who’s there?”

Janice came out of the shadows guiltily, a group of human girls around her age following her. “Sorry. I just wanted to see what’s going on…”

Maestro raised an eyebrow. “And you dragged your friends into this too? I’m surprised you didn’t invite them to the party a while back.”

Janice rubbed her head with her clawed hand. “Ehe. This was sort of my apology to them…”

Maestro sighed. “I see you’ve abandoned the polymorph entirely. Why?”

Janice shifted uncomfortably. “I was just tired of hiding my kirin nature all the time. Servo spoke of thinking of doing something similar, revealing the truth to her friends, so it inspired me to do the same…”

Maestro glared at the group of friends. “I see. And you guys are comfortable with her like this?”

The tan girl with brown hair spoke first. “Of course! As her most devoted friend, I can’t turn my back on her!” Her dark blue eyes betrayed no treachery.

The african girl with black hair spoke next. “I will not have my promise to her be fomor! I have too much honor!” Her light blue eyes brokered no deception.

A caucasian girl with blonde hair then spoke out. “I am too compassionate to even consider turning against her!” Her hazel eyes could not ever hold cruelty.

A pale skinned girl with ginger hair piped up next. “I am not the thorn of a rose, but its charity!” Her green eyes held no room for greed.

A light brown skinned girl with purple-dyed hair concluded. “And I have the right kind of humor to always lift the mood!” Her hazel eyes spoke of no spite.

Maestro smiled. “Well spoken.” he then turned to Janice. “I’m proud that you have such good friends. I’m only trying to empower you to choose the right path. You know that, right?”

Janice nodded. “Thanks, bro. I know you mean well.”

Xavier made a gagging sound. “Eugh! Can we just get on with this already!?”

Tyra and Miceala stepped forward, and Maestro dragged the tan girl -who he introduced as Bethany Gale- over to them. When asked why by Twilight, he just said: “Hey, maybe three points might work better than two. Besides, Devotion and Loyalty are of the same spirit.” Twilight conceded that he did have a point, and decided to allow it. She even went so far as to ask Janice’s friends if they would like to help out with the other lessons, to which they all agreed.

Miceala started up first with the basics of loyalty. “Bein’ loyal means never lettin’ your friends hangin’. Even if it means giving up what you personally want.”

Xavier raised an eyebrow, and shrugged. “What point is that even? Why should I go back to loyalty anyway? It didn’t do me any good last time.” He shook his head. “Whatever. I’ll humor you. What is so good about loyalty?”

Tyra took up the reigns of the lesson next with trying to explain the feeling that true loyalty could give somebody. “Standing with your friends at every possible moment gives a swelling feeling in your heart, and you know that you have done the right thing. But you have to know when to step in, and guide friends away from a bad decision.”

Xavier placed a hand to his face, and sighed. “Really now? You expect me to buy something as weak as that? Ha!” He then turned to Bethany. “You. You’re the devoted one, right?” at her nod, he smiled snidely. “Well then. Think you can get through to me? If so, enlighten me.”

Bethany then continued from where Tyra left off, trying her best to convey the reason to devote oneself to others. “You wonder why anyone would be so selfless as to put others before themselves. You wonder why loyalty and devotion to somebody else is so important. The answer, I will admit, is… complicated. To devote yourself to others, you have to consider which is more important, your own interests, or the people around you. If your interests harm others, is it really worth the pain you cause them? If your interests influence others to act badly, should you still pursue it? Is it worth the guilt of knowing that you possibly changed them for the worse? Or is it better to devote yourself to standing at their side as their friend?” Bethany shook her head. “Ultimately, everyone has the choice for themselves. To devote yourself to others takes quite a lot of energy, but it is worth it in the end.”

However, Xavier started… laughing? “This was entirely pointless!” He laughed harder, and all three of them stepped back. “Did you really think it’d be easy to convince me? Please! This isn’t a world where everything just works out that quickly.” He huffed in indignation. “Whatever. I’m done here.” he walked off, and called back. “See ya tomorrow!”

Micaela threw up her hands as Xavier blew off the Loyalty lessons, “Gee, that went well.” She said sarcastically. She then turned towards her new friends, “I sure hope Ashley, Flora, Rarity, Pinkie, and Twilight have better luck gettin’ through to him than we did.”

Ashley took her group, including Rae Falls, the Raindrops anthro, over to talk about honesty. “Now, what do y’all know ‘bout Honesty? I’m Ashley Smith. Just call me AJ if ya want. Got an apple farm outside o’ town, just like the farm in the show. Ah even have been referrin’ to it as “Sweet Apple Acres.”

Rae huffed in agitation. “Well, I know that I’m kind of blunt with what I think, never been much for toning things back. I tried once, and it only worried my friends.” She then looked to Janice’s African friend. “So. I’ve seen you around the school, but can’t quite remember your name. Could you introduce yourself?”

She nodded, and spoke. “Please forgive me for not doing so before. I will correct this, for the sake of my honor. My name is Kimara Jalim, but please call me Kim.”

Ashley nodded, “Howdy Kim! Y’all can call me AJ. As f’r our lesson on Honesty, it’s like bein’ truthful. Not sayin’ you always have t’ tell the truth all the time, but as they say, “Honesty is the best policy.” She sighed, “Well, Ah do have a little sister who looks up t’ me, so Ah gotta do mah best to help her learn through example.”

Rae nodded sagely. “I’ve got a younger brother myself, and he sometimes is a bit careless with his bug collection, but I do my best to let him know as gently as possible that I want him to try harder to keep them out of my room. Not that it works, though…”

Kim sighed slightly. “Would that I knew how that felt, so I could better understand you. But alas, we should focus on figuring out Xavier’s breakthrough. Already one lesson he has ignored, t’would do us good to figure out how to make him floored.”

Ashley turned to Rae to address her concerns with her younger brother. “When dealin’ with younger siblings, ya gotta show them their boundaries and stick to it.. LIke mah Granny Smith says, “Ya gotta give respect t’ get respect.” Ya understand that, sugarcube?”

While Ashley was talking with Kim and Rae, Micalea flapped her wings and went over to Twilight and the others, “So, Xavier just blew off the entire lesson on Loyalty like it was nothing! How are the rest of the girls going to get through to him if he totally ignores even one lesson?”
She hoped Twilight had some advice.

Twilight thought hard about this for some time. How would they get through to him on the other subjects? He’d already brushed the first lesson aside, so how were they going to work this out? She sighed, and shook her head. “I don’t know, honestly. We’ve just got to work harder. It’s the best we can do. Besides- we do have 30 days. We can try this lesson again when the time comes. Until then, the best we can do is try and power through a bit harder, and have a bit of hope that it works out.”

Rae nodded at that sentiment, and turned her attention to Ashley. “I suppose you’re right, so I’ll try that. But onto other matters- let’s run over what we teach beforehand- make sure it’s more structured and solid. We’ve got to impact him good. So- Which aspect of Honesty should each of us take? I’m thinking that ...”

As the three discussed things, Trixie saw Maestro move aside, and answer his phone. She had to strain to hear it because of his whispering, but she made out a few things. “Bridget … accept ... through? … No, even ... change yourself ... what ... it won’t ... I feel. … Look, I won’t … ever again, alright? Just stop calling me. Goodbye.” After he closed his phone, he slid a hand through his hair and sighed. “So pushy… one of the many reasons I dumped her.” His phone rang again, and he looked at for a second before smiling. “Ah! Somebody that I can actually stand.” He opened the phone, put it up to his ear, and started walking away. Trixie could only catch the start of the conversation. “Hey cuz! How’ve you been?” After that, he vanished in a flash of light. Trixie decided that she should be going too, seeing as many had already left. She left Ashley, Rae and Kim to their discussion, and went home.

Ashley saw Trixie leave the area and sighed, “Well, bein’ honest means ya are always dependable. Others count on ya for advice on different things. Just try not t’ get too much inta yer work t’ the point where ya get so exhausted. Take time t’ hang out with yer friends. Perhaps Twilight can help ya with some aspects of friendship. Maybe we can get a journal set up for all of us to give a copy to Xavier?”

Rae and Kim pondered the idea, and both nodded. Rae spoke up first. “It just might work. I’ll write a few notes, and see what I come up with. I’ll be going. See you tomorrow!”

Kim pulled out a slip of paper, and handed it to Ashley. “If I’m not here beforehand, you can reach me at that number. I’ll think over what to put down before I slumber. Now, I had best get home- wouldn’t want to get lost and roam.”

After the three split up and went home, seemingly nobody was around. But a shimmer of a fading invisibility spell revealed Chessmaster leaning up against a tree. He chuckled softly. “This is getting interesting… I wonder… That Xavier fellow… Will he cave to them? Or will he not? I’m a patient man, so I’ll wait and see.” He shook his head. “I best hightail it outta here. Lady Starlight doesn’t like it when I’m late.” He then teleported away in a flash of red light.

Author's Note

Alright! For all those that bet that he'd be broken through on the first day, you lose! No hard feelings, right? I didn't want to make it like the show where somehow the antagonist has an instantaneous change of heart just because of one lesson. I know Trixie changed pretty quickly near the beginning, but that was because she felt used and betrayed by Chessmaster. Xavier promises to be a harder nut to crack- so don't expect him to change his tune by the end of the seventh day. As for why Chessmaster was watching... I promise it'll lead somewhere, even if you don't think so. Anyway, as usual, comment if you liked/disliked/faved, and I'll see you in the next chapter.

Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 2: Honesty

The next day, Trixie and her friends, along with Sarah, found Maestro sitting at a table alone at a nondescript restaurant. He was having a meal, seeming to wait for somebody. The group of eight sat down near him, and he noticed them. “Ah. What brings you here? A friendly visit?” He noticed that Sarah had tagged along with the friends, but said nothing about her.

Trixie recalled what she overheard when she last saw Maestro, and posed a question. “Say Maestro, yesterday, I overheard you answering a phone call to somebody you referred to as ‘cuz.’ Who was that? Does it mean you have more family that you haven’t spoken about?”

As Trixie’s friends murmured about this, Maestro held up a hand as he sipped his drink. Once he was done, he addressed people that seemed to not be there. “I know you’re eavesdropping. There’s no need for that, you know. Why not join us?” Twilight and her friends came out of the shadows, each a little a embarrassed. They gathered around the food table, and were attentive. Maestro cleared his throat. “To answer your query, yes, I do have other family that I’ve never had the opportunity to tell you guys about. First, there’s the person I was talking to- Natalie Lumis, a cousin of ours that lives in China. There are others too- Charles Umbris, who lives in Brazil, and the twins Mark and Mary Voie, who live in Spain. Also I have a full-blood brother and sister, Eric and Erin, who are twins. They’re currently in Russia.” He then turned to Ayumi, who had just recently shown up. “In fact, you might have seen them and not known it.”

Ayumi raised an eyebrow. “Depends. What do they look like?”

Maestro smiled a bit. “Well, they both are a bit on the tan side, and their eyes are both hazel. Erin’s hair is a dirty blonde, and Eric’s is almost black.” Maestro seemed to hesitate for a bit, and shook his head. “There is one difference between them of note, though. Erin has a bit of trouble with her balance at times, and Eric… he’s blind.”

Ayumi shook her head. “No, I’ve never met them. I might’ve liked to, though.”

After the conversation, they went to meet with Xavier, who had once again arrived at the appointed place ahead of time. He looked immensely miffed. “I thought you guys wanted to break through to me or something! The least you could do is try and not make me wait forever for you to get here so we can get this nonsense over with!”

The group nodded, sending forward Ashley and Rae, as well as Kimara. Ashley started her section first. “Honesty is more than just telling th’ truth all o’ the tahm. It entails knowing when it’s okay to tone things down, so it’s not so blunt.”

At this, Xavier blinked. He half expected something else, but he wasn’t about to give them an inch. “So what? You craft a ‘softer truth’ for them to swallow? Is that really the best course of action?”

Noticing Xavier’s attack on Ashley’s argument, Rae decided to interject. “Not always- Honesty is sometimes better received when it’s a bit more blunt, but gauging when to use bluntness is key. If you’re blunt too often, you come off as hostile or abrasive. If you’re sugar-coating too often, you come off as eager to please, or dumbing things down. A balance is important.”

Xavier grinned smugly. They thought that they were so smart, didn’t they? Well, he’d show them. “Really now?” He said with faux interest, “Then tell me- what is more important: honoring your word, or being careful with what you say?”

Kimara knew that things were in a tough spot, but she wasn’t about to give in. It was now that she decided to strike. “I believe that it’s both. It’s not impossible to judge how to say an oath. With friends, you know which need more care. With friends, you know with which the full truth you can bare. Though, I must admit it get harder with those you don’t know. My best advice is to let the honor of your heart show.”

But Xavier wasn’t impressed. This was the best they could do? He refused to show that anything had resonated- not that anything had. “Ha! Do you really think it’s worth it to put in such effort?” He grinned, and shook his head. “I won’t lie to you- I certainly don’t think so. It’s far simpler to just lie to everyone.” He then walked off a little ways, then called back. “You guys gotta try harder. If this is the best you have, then you’ll never get through to me. Later!” He then went on his way.

After Xavier left, Flora and Diana got together, concerned. Diana voiced her concerns first. “Okay, so how are we going to fare better? I’m not too sure…”

Flora was terrified of the aspect of trying to speak to him but steeled her nerves to try and answer. “W-well, he used to be kinder, so we try and appeal to that.”

“Maybe.” The two turned to see Janice’s Caucasian friend. Neither of them had noticed her arrival. “However, that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy- he’s quite set in his ways.”

Diana approached her first, seeing as Flora was too timid to do so. “Well that’s nice, er… what’s your name?”

She extended a hand. “Valerie Richards.” Diana shook it first, then Flora. Valerie looked to the two of them. “If we’re going to work together, we need a strategy. Why don’t we go to my place to discuss things? It’s not far from here.”

Flora seemed concerned about something. “Wh-what about your parents? Won’t they be concerned if strangers come over?”

Valerie shook her head. “Nah, I’ll say that we’re working on a project together, and they’ll leave us to our own devices pretty much.” She raised an eyebrow at the looks she was getting. “What? It’s not like I’m lying to them. Plus, I’m pretty sure they’ll take a real shine to the both of you.” That left no room for argument, and the three went off together.

Trixie was a little down that they hadn’t gotten through to Xavier yet. What was his deal, anyway? All this stubbornness over a singular event? Or was there more to it? During her musing, she didn’t notice that everyone had left, and that Gearbox had come onto the scene. He went over to Trixie, and she played it cool. “Hey Gearbox. What’s up?”

Gearbox smiled, and sighed. “Clyde. He’s getting out of the hospital soon. It’s good to see he’s recovered enough for that.” He then turned to Trixie. “Hey, I was wondering… Are you free this Saturday? I’d like to have that second date.”

Trixie’s eyes widened. “R-really? Of course Trixie is free this Saturday! Where do you have in mind?”

Gearbox chuckled a little at Trixie’s blush due to her lapse into third-person, but smiled. “Oh, someplace fancy. Bring your best dress. It’ll be fun- Dinner, Dancing, then Desert. Maybe if this works out, we’ll make this a regular thing.”

Trixie smiled widely. “Certainly! I won’t disappoint!” She and Gearbox then went their separate ways, at least for now.

Author's Note

And yet another day bites the dust! And before you ask, yes I will attempt to write their second date. Not gonna promise it ending up in a chapter, though. I decided to end this chapter this way to ease off on the the heavy stuff for now. But keep an eye out for the next Side-Story. You're not gonna want to miss it.

Side Story: Maestro's Visions

Maestro had found a secluded area after the second lesson with Xavier went awry. Nobody else was around. He paused to think. What am I going to do? How am I supposed to get through to him? If only I knew… He sat down on the ground, taking in the scenery- It was a small glen, probably a mile or so out of town. He often came here to think. He remember coming here after his vision of the future involving the great darkness, and frowned. I certainly won’t forget that anytime soon… After all, the villain born from it… well, I don’t want to think on it too much. He could recall all the details. He’d spoken of it briefly the day he received it, but he didn’t go into much detail. He knew what their presumptions about it were, but he knew better.

He sighed. He should try and focus on something else. Like how to get through to Xavier. He thought about tapping into his visions, but was hesitant. I’ve never tapped into them with something specific in mind. Whenever I have tapped into them, it’s because I don’t want them flaring up out of nowhere… He paused a moment, then mused a bit. Then again, the next “flare-up” is due soon, so… He nodded. He’d wilt two weeds this way, so he decided to tap into his powers, focusing his thoughts to Xavier. I want to help him. Show me what I must do. For a while, there was nothing, as he toned out all the sounds around him. He closed his eyes, and filtered out all the aromas as well. If he was going to pull this off, he would need complete concentration. As he tuned everything out, with a single focus in his mind, he started to feel a familiar pull. He let it pull him, in hopes that it would show him what he needed. Suddenly, it came to him.

Day Three, the lessons of Kindness fail. An unexpected raising of the stakes must occur. Must show no hesitation, but counter with a raising of the stakes for if you win as well. Day Four, the lessons of Generosity fail. Keep them calm. Assure them that all is going well, that you know it’s going to take a while. Show no concern of failure, only assurance of victory. Day Five, the lessons of Laughter fail. Empower everyone that’s failed to revise everything for their second pass later. Show no weakness. Give them hope. Day Six, the lessons of Hope fail. Show no defeat, only resolve to do better next time. Call Natalie, get her to arrive on the tenth day. She is key. Day Seven, the lessons of ‘Magic’ fail. Tell them that there’s a plan, but nothing else. Assure them that it will all work out. Show no doubts. Day Eight. Xavier takes a deal that he normally wouldn’t. Chessmaster is there. Chessmaster gets attacked. A chink in the armor. Xavier is full of regret. The real breakthrough begins. Day Nine, teach about forgiveness, to some success. It’s not over yet, so assure them that this was part of the plan. Day Ten, start involving Natalie when she arrives. Push Xavier to be her friend. From there, hope for the best. The breakthrough will finalize when the time is right.

Maestro sighed after the vision ended. At least he had a plan now. True, he didn’t like the ambiguity after a certain point, but it was the best shot he had. After all, his visions had a tendency to be right. He stood, and looked to the twilight sky. He knew what he had to do now, and that was a bit of comfort. He smiled. Plus, it opens up a way to get Chess to come over to our side. It’s a pretty good plan. However, his smile started to fade. But does it change things in the long run? He was uncertain. He could gaze into the future again, but the consequences from doing two visions in a row was pretty steep. He certainly didn’t want to deal with the migraine that came with it, but… He wanted to know. Did this option change the future he’d seen when he first met Sunset? He sighed, knowing he was going to regret doing this, but… he had to know. Once again, he focused, casting off everything as he put his thought to the future again, accounting for Xavier’s breakthrough, and possible reconciliation with Chessmaster. Then, he felt the pull again, and found his mind open to the vision again. And he got his answer.

Starlight Glimmer stands over you, gloating about how you had no chance. She thanks you for gathering the four magics- Nightmare, Chaos, Dark, and Drain. You tell her that the others will be here soon, and her petty vengeance will be over. She laughs, and says that it won’t be soon enough. She says that it’s a pity that Chess had to abandon the cause, but that her plans were adjustable anyway. You gulp audibly. You know what comes next. Your Hope breaks. A split. One path, the others come just then, and Starlight ends up defeated. The other, they are too late, and Starlight attempts to gain control of the four powers. Then, the Great Dark comes, and the place is destroyed. The others fail, the last hope gets swallowed and corrupted, and everything ends.

Maestro paled as his head flared with pain. That was the first time two outcomes had been exactly equal. This didn’t bode well. He knew that if they were too late, then… He shook his head. He’d have to make sure they weren’t. It was the only way to ensure that they would win. He had to believe that since there was a chance, that he could force it. He wouldn’t let this faze him. He walked out of the glen with purpose, only slightly inconvenienced. He had something to do. He took out of his pocket the encrypted spell he’d gotten off Chessmaster’s teleportation. He had cracked about half of it, and he had another “lead”. He would piece together this puzzle, no matter what. If he could do it fast enough, he might pull it off before an anthro Tirek was dropped on them. He decided to get to work.

Author's Note

And now you know how Maestro forces a vision.

Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 3: Kindness

Trixie was anxious. It was Tuesday, and she was already in a bit of a panic. Gearbox had asked her out. Now, she’d gone out with him before, but this time was different. After all, She had been warned in advance that they’d be going someplace fancy this Saturday- one of those place that really expected you to dress nice. After school, she went over to Rarity’s shop, hoping that she might be able to help her. She found the boutique easily enough, after all, it was quite the standout location compared to the surrounding area. She opened the door and came in a huff. “Oh, this is no good! Trixie has nothing good enough to wear!!” She then storms over to Rarity, and grabs her by the shoulders. “You’ve gotta help Trixie! She’s going somewhere real fancy this Saturday, and she can’t disappoint!”

Ashley looked over at Rarity, then to Trixie, “If she can make Alex look good, Ah reckon she can help ya out, Trixie.”

Trixie looked over to Ashley in confusion. As she was about to ask who “Alex” was, she noticed a mouse on the dresser. She stared for a bit, and realized that it was an anthro. Trixie raised an eyebrow. “A mouse? Well that’s a new one.” She then saw the dress it- she, Trixie mentally corrected- was wearing. It was a miniaturized alteration of a dress Trixie had seen elsewhere in the shop. She looked back to Rarity. “Trixie knew you were good, but didn’t realize how good.” She then rummaged through her pockets, and managed to pull out a piece of paper. “That’s got a few suggestions for the dress, along with my measurements. I’ve gotta go- I’ll be back to check on it on Friday.” She then handed the paper over to Rarity, and was about to leave, but turned to the mouse anthro, whom she surmised must be Alex. “Listen, Trixie wishes she could stay a little longer, but she needs to go. Maybe we’ll see each other later, though.” She then exited the building.

She was so consumed in her thoughts that she couldn’t make out if anyone had said good-bye as she left. Not that it mattered. Today she was on the edge, just wondering what could come next. She heard that there’d be a party for that mouse-girl, but she wasn’t in the mood at the moment. She met up with her friends, and chatted about how things were going for them. Later, they saw Flora come out of the party. They talked with her about the project with Xavier until Maestro came out of the party, muttering something, dragging a hand through the reddish-brown portion of his hair, just missing the turquoise streak in the center. “Xavier, how much longer until you’re back to your old self?” The door closed behind him, just missing his seven-colored rainbow tail. He then took a look at those that awaited him, and smiled. “So, shall we?”

Xavier had beaten them to the place once again, but only by a small margin. Flora, Diana, and Valerie were psyching up for what might be the hardest lesson yet- getting him to remember his former kindness. Flora was a tad nervous, so Diana decided to start her section first. ”Kindness is showing empathy to others, especially to those who need a friend to talk to or vent. There are times when being too kind may make you look like a pushover...no offense, Flora.”

It was clear to Xavier that they were trying a bit harder this time around. He even noticed that Flora took no offence from that final statement. But Xavier was not about to cave in this early. He was going to win this bet, so he had to up his game. “So what? Is that really worth it? To just be nice to everyone, no matter what?”

Composing herself, Flora decided to try and answer Xavier’s questions. “You might not think so, especially with people that are constantly rude or abrasive. But, being the better person, and showing kindness to all you meet is its own reward, especially when you see it spread to others, affecting people that you thought unlikely.”

This caught Xavier off-guard. Wasn’t she the shy one? One look in her direction that was pointed enough though, and she was reduced to an anxious mess. Still, he was genuinely impressed that she powered through like that. However, he was certain that with this next blow, he’d stump them for sure. “Really now? Compassion ripples? What nonsense! How could it, in a world like ours, where darkness is rewarded, and light is shunned? Do you have anything to say to that?”

Shaking her head, Valerie sighed. “We may not have the words to tell you, but we have something of an example.” She smirked, confident he’d accept the challenge. “If you would follow us to the hospital, we can begin.”

Now Xavier was intrigued. An example in the real world? Now this could be interesting. He was confident that it would blow up in their faces, so he grinned. “I guess it couldn’t hurt to see where this goes. Lead on.”

The group was eager to see this, and followed to the hospital. They went to one of the rooms, and entered with permission. Inside was Clyde, sitting up on the bed. Nobody else was in the room, save for Gearbox. Clyde looked to the group of anthros, and smiled. “Well, what do we have here? Lovely ladies here to visit me? How courteous.” He winked, and a few of the girls visibly blushed. Not Trixie, though. Clyde turned to Xavier, and raised an eyebrow. “Who’s this guy? He looks pretty intimidating.”

Adjusting his labcoat a smidge, Gearbox spoke. “That’s an old friend of Maestro’s, as I understand it. The girls are here for a little demonstration I cleared with the hospital. Take it away, Valerie.”

Valerie then looked to Xavier, and spoke. “You see, Xavier, compassion can be expressed through many veins. Allow me to demonstrate.” She then turned to face Clyde. She struck up a conversation. “So, Clyde. How are you feeling this day?”

He sighed, and shrugged. “Better, I suppose. Still not quite 100%, but I’m getting there.” Thanks for asking.”

At Clyde’s smile, Xavier noticed something unprecedented. As the conversation continued, Clyde and the others seemed to have this positive energy spread across the room. But why? It was only words. Why did there seem to be this power about them? Xavier had missed most of the words spoken because of his shock, but he did notice when Valerie turned to him again.

“Do you see now, Xavier? The power Compassion has?” At Valerie’s words, Xavier stepped back. He’d never seen something quite like this, but… He refused to accept what he was seeing. He would not let them see that he’d been shaken.

At the surprise of the group, he shook his head, and scoffed. “So what? That’s all? A scripted act to try and sway me?” As Valerie was about to respond, he cut her off. “Ha! As if I’d fall for that!” He then turned to Maestro, and smirked. “Well now that I know that you’re willing to stoop to this level, how about a little higher stakes, eh?”

As the rest started to panic, Maestro raised a hand to hush them. “Oh? And what do you suggest, Xavier?”

Xavier’s grin grew wide. “Well, let’s see… If I win this little wager, I want you to admit that I’m right- and cut off all ties to your friends.”

The whispers from the others grew heated, but Maestro showed no hesitation. “Very well. But, if I win this wager, I want you to accept my apology, and make a new friend.”

Once again, Maestro had outstretched his hand. But this time, Xavier shook it immediately. “You’ve got yourself a deal.” After the deal was sealed, Xavier still seemed smug. “Well. I hope you’re ready to uphold your end of the bargain when the time comes, Maestro. See ya!” He then walked away, confidently.

After he left, Rarity came in. “Did I miss something?”

Carmen went over to her, sighing. “Only Xavier once again shrugging the lesson off. Even a demonstration wasn’t enough…”

It was then that another came into view. It was Janice’s pale friend. She spoke up. “I don’t think so. I could tell that he was more shaken by it than he let on.” Before the other two asked, she introduced herself. “I don’t believe we’ve had the opportunity to meet. I am Patricia Aromis.”

The other two looked at each other for a moment, then to Patricia. Rarity spoke first. “So, Patricia, what do you think we should do? Go a similar route? Or try something different?”

She thought on this a while, and nodded. “A little of both. Let us meet later to talk specifics- Your place, Carmen?”

“Mm-hm! I’ll set it all up! See ya later, then!” With that, Carmen went off.

The others soon left, even Gearbox. This left Clyde alone to think. “That Xavier guy… He’s more troubled than he appears.” He went silent for a bit, and swung his legs to be over the floor. “But… my question is… What else is there? Sure, he had a falling out with an old friend, but… That doesn’t seem like enough.” He then looked out the window. “I’m sure that it will come to light soon…”

Author's Note

So there goes day three! A bit more successful, but the stakes have been raised! I promise Clyde's musings have importance, too. Thoughts? Please leave them down below- I want to know what you think of this chapter.

Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 4: Generosity

Trixie woke up the next morning, going over the possible places Gearbox could be taking her on Saturday. It definitely wasn’t someplace cheap- seeing as all of those accepted more “casual” wear. Plus, it probably had a dancing hall, or was near one. That eliminated all of the more low-end fancy places, as well as most of the middling ones. Her musing continued during school hours, causing a little bit of an attention lapse, but not too much trouble. By the time the end of the school day came, she still hadn’t figured it out. As she was pondering this, she bumped into somebody. “Ow! Watch where you’re going!” As Trixie looked to see who it was, She stepped back. It was like looking into a mirror, except different. It was another Trixie- albeit slightly different. Was part of the azure chitin instead of fur? The other Trixie seemed just as baffled, but recovered quicker. “Oh, great. First I get plopped into Tirek-knows-where by non-changeling green magic, then I find I’m structured bipedally instead of what I’m used to, and now I run into a cheap knock-off version of me? How rotten is my luck right now!?”

Trixie One seethed at that . “Knock-off?!? I’m the Great and Powerful Trixie! I don’t know where you came from, or how you got here, but I know that my magic is probably better than yours!”

Just at that moment, Starlight Glimmer, formerly known as Sarah Gaines, Rarity, and Alex came onto the scene, and all three blinked. Trixie Two raised an eyebrow. “Who’re these people?”

Trixie One turned to see the two others, and blinked. “Well. The mouse is Alex, the white unicorn is Rarity, and the pinkish unicorn... “ Her eyes narrowed. “Starlight Glimmer. What’re you doing here?”

Before things could get out of hand, Rarity stepped in. “Trixie, this is Star Gaines, the Starlight on our side.” she raised an eyebrow. “Surely Maestro mentioned that?”

Trixie One balked. Maestro hadn’t talked about that- it probably just slipped his mind with all that was going on. She just shook her head. She then pointed a thumb to her semi-dopplegänger. “So, any idea how Trixie Two ended up here?”

Trixie Two snapped at that. “Hey! Why am I Trixie Two?!?”

Trixie One smirked smugly. “I was in this world first.” At Two’s galre, One held up her hands placatingly. “Okay, I get it! How about we call you… Trisha.”

Trisha sighed reluctantly. “I suppose that is a little better…”

Clapping her hands together, Rarity spoke. “So, to answer your earlier question, I believe Alex’s magic surge could have dragged Trisha here.”

Trixie blinked. “Does that mean she’s stuck here? What about the important things she has going on in her world?”

Alex shook her head. “Not necessarily. Discord could easily send her home. If she wants to, that is.”

Trisha thought for a moment, but shook her head. “Not just yet. I think I want to stick around for a little while. After all, I’m certain that Lightning Dust, Octavia, Moondancer, and Flutterbat can handle things without me for a little while. It’ll give me a much needed break before continuing the search for the other one.”

Trixie seemed intrigued. “So, since you’re planning on staying, how do you plan on differentiating yourself from me so people don’t mix us up from a distance?”

Lighting her crooked horn in green light, Trisha smiled. “Watch.” She was engulfed in green fire, and suddenly her coloration changed. Her fur was now a dark blue as the chitin disappeared, and her mane and tail had become indigo. Her eyes had changed to green, and her horn had disappeared. At Trixie’s shock, Trisha looked bemused. “What? Did you think the chitin was just for show? That’s not how it is with us shift-bloods.”

Rarity shook herself, and spoke. “You’re part changeling? That’s quite something…”

Sighing, Trixie looked downtrodden. “So you can do something I can’t…” But, it didn’t last long, as she got back her usual smugness. “No matter! I can imitate it if I work hard enough!”

Trisha had to admit she was impressed with Trixie. She smiled. So that’s how I would’ve turned out in a different world, huh? Not so bad, I guess.

Then, they went to find the others that were needed for their little project with Xavier, Trisha going off to look around.

Xavier was waiting for them, as had become expected at this point. However, Maestro was not present, and neither was Sarah. Aside from that, things seemed normal enough. Rarity, Carmen, and Patricia stepped up to the plate this time. Carmen felt confident, so she decided to start her section first. “Generosity is giving something from the heart, despite the cost to you.”

Shaking his head, Xavier scoffed. “You don’t just do it to rack up favors from others? That’s what it seems like to me.”

Rarity stepped up next. “It may seem that way, but that is not the intention. Generosity is giving something, expecting nothing in return.”

This seemed to give Xavier pause for a bit, but not for long. “That sounds an awful lot like Charity. Why go so far as do that? Is there anything you get out of it at all?”

Patricia then took it from there. “The only thing that someone gets out of being generous to others is seeing the recipient happy about receiving the gift. Whether it be a physical gift, or something more intangible.”

Sighing and shaking his head, Xavier rebutted. “Seeing others happy… Please, as if such nonsense could really make anyone happy.” He scoffed derisively. “If there’s nothing else, then…” He made a move to leave.

Confident that it would have a similar effect to last time, Patricia spoke out. “Actually, we would like to show you an example. If you’d allow it, that is.”

Xavier stopped, still facing away from them. He was certain it was some kind of scripted thing, like he’d accused the previous ‘real-world example’ of being, but he supposed humoring them couldn’t hurt. After all, what did he have to lose? He turned to face them. “Alright then. Where to?”

Leading the way was Patricia, the others following behind. “You’ll see.”

A little ways on, they hadn’t quite reached where they had intended. The group came across Maestro and Sarah near the school. What astonished them was that Maestro was standing on a cloud. How he got up there wasn’t a question- after all, the guy could conjure wings. How he was standing on the clouds, however… Trixie just presumed he’d enchanted his shoes with cloudwalking. He then looked to them, and called down. “Hey guys!” He gestured to the collab piece he’d worked on with Sarah. “What d’ya think? It’s just too bad I can’t pocket it…”

The piece was astounding. It was a castle made of clouds- far more ornate looking than Canterlot Castle was ever depicted in the show. Somehow they’d gotten the clouds to look like they were glistening… How did they manage that? Trixie whistled in appreciation. “That is one amazing piece of work.”

Shaking her head, Patricia tried to get the group back on track. “Yes, it’s nice and all, but we have somewhere to be-”

Channeling his magic, Maestro sprouted ethereal thestral wings and jumped off the cloud, using the wings to slow his fall. Once he touched down, He dispelled the wings. “Oh? Taking Xavier to another practical lesson?” As he said this, Sarah touched down as well. “Why not mix things up? After all, I think there is somebody that could use a little generosity over…” He looked around a bit, and then noticed somebody, and pointed towards them. “There!” The figure froze. “Oh, don’t worry, we just want to help you with something. No trouble. Just come on out, all right?”

The figure came into the foreground, it was revealed to be Trisha in her disguise. She looked at the group, and smiled. “Hey. Nice to meet you. I’m Trisha.” She then looked to Patricia specifically, and raised an eyebrow at her. “What’s eating you? You seem upset.”

Catching herself, Patricia tried to calm down. “S-sorry… It’s just… This isn’t how it was supposed to go…”

Astonishment crossed Xavier’s features for a split second. So this was off script now? That made things interesting… He cleared his throat. “So what? Just adapt. You wanted to show me a practical example, right? Now, it’ll have to be a little more genuine, that’s all.”

She flinched at the implied accusation, but Patricia steeled herself. She’d just have to think on the fly now, that’s all. “So, Trisha… I haven’t seen you around before. And yet, you’re an anthro… Can you tell us a little about yourself, and what you think of your experience here?” Hopefully, with this, she could figure out what exactly would be the most helpful- after all, a shot in the dark did nobody any good.

Twirling her mane in her fingers a little, Trisha answered a little. “I’m not exactly supposed to be an ‘anthro’ as you call it. I come from a faraway reality of dark oppression. This world of yours is far brighter than mine… it makes me a little jealous, honestly. Your people… so full of Devotion, Honor, Compassion, Charity, Humor, Empowerment, and connections… it makes me wonder if this is what my world was like so very long ago…”

Everyone stepped back a little in surprise. This… was unprecedented. Even Trixie, who was among those that knew who this really was, had her face colored by surprise. This was not only a non-anthro pony in another reality, but one from such a dark reality as that? The group was all silent, until Rarity spoke. “That’s a dreary image indeed. I can’t hope to understand where you’re coming from, but I hope that you’ll accept this.” Rarity handed a photo to Trisha, who accepted. “Think of it as a reminder of what your world could have been- and still could be.”

Trisha smiled softly. “Thanks. That means a lot.”

Xavier was still processing things as Trisha disappeared in a flash of green magic. A photo. A photo, of all things, helped Trisha out? It made no sense. How could something so meaningless have such an effect? He was still in a stupor as Star went over to him. “Hey. I heard that you had a falling out with a friend a while back.”

He scoffed derisively. “So? You gonna try and use some worthless sympathy? Don’t bother. You couldn’t possibly understand.”

Shaking her head, Star chided him. “That’s where you’re wrong. I know what it’s like, Xavier. To have a falling out with a friend that important to you. It’s like a hole ripped into your very being. Like nothing could ever fill that void. I understand, Xavier. I-”

Xavier turned to face her, and glared into her eyes. “Don’t give me that garbage! You can’t understand! You lost one friend, but that’s as far as you empathy can reach! Do you think that’s all there is to me? No! I’ve lost far more than just one insignificant friend. This world is a bitter, cold place. And how do I know? Because I’ve seen it. I tried moving on before, you know. Tried to reach out, only to be smacked down again and again! After a while, I just got tired of pretending that the world had no problems! That the world was full of ‘good people’! So don’t you think you can understand, latch-key kid. Because you can’t.” After his rant, he stormed off in anger.

The group started to panic. This had gone so well until Star tried to appeal to him. It wasn’t her fault, though- nobody expected him to get so angry about it. However, Maestro cleared his throat, garnering their attention. “Listen up. We must remain calm if we are to make this work. I assure you, this may seem like a setback, but it’s all going well. I know it’s going to take a while, but it’s going to be worth it in the end. We will break through to him.”

With We will break through to him.”

With those words, the panic died down. Elsewhere, Cheryl and Pinkie had met up, at Pinkie’s request. Cheryl spoke up. “So, why’d you call me to your place?”

Pinkie shushed her. “The other person isn’t here yet! We can’t discuss this properly without her!”

There came a knock at the door, which was answered by Pinkie’s mother. She called back. “Pinkie? There’s an Amanda Glyse here… She says you invited her?”

Clapping her hands happily, she called back. “Send her on up!”

Janice’s light brown friend stepped into the room, and smiled. “I’m sure this has to do with the text I got from Patricia about how the lesson with Xavier went today. From her words, it went sour near the end, as usual.”

Pinkie nodded vigorously. “Yeppers, Amy! So! Let’s put our heads together! How can we get that grump to spread laughter?”

Cheryl thought for a bit, then spoke up. “So far, words don’t cut it, and the real-world examples haven’t cut as deep as we wanted them to… Is there something else we could try…?”

Amanda tapped her finger to her chin for a bit, then pointed it to sky. “I think I’ve got an idea…” The three discussed the new tactic for the rest of the night.

Author's Note

So now day four has come to a close... And yes, the other Trixie is a reference to one of my other stories... One that I plan to update once I can figure out how to write the rest of the second chapter. And look at that! A little more of a backstory for Xavier. It's not a one-and-done event that changed his worldview, rather a repeated event. That's different than the more recent villains of the show, at least. Also, if you want to guess on the "new tactic" Amanda thought up, you're welcome to list your thoughts in the comments below.

Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 5: Laughter

Trixie’s anxiety over her ever-looming second date with Gearbox was somehow just enough in control to not affect her schoolwork too much. Sure, she had kinda figured out the venue at this point through some research (hey, nobody said she couldn’t have a bookish side), but the idea of going to one of the fanciest places in the city was pretty nerve-wracking in and of itself. But, she knew that worrying about it needlessly would do her no good. So, she kept it out of mind for the rest of the school day. Just as things were wrapping up, however, she thought she saw an anthro go behind the school. She followed, just to be certain, and hid herself. What she saw was unexpected, to say the least. Maestro was facing away from a female pegasus anthro Trixie had never seen before. Her fur was a burgundy yellow, and her hair and tail were sunset orange. Trixie couldn’t make out her eyes for her venue, but when she spoke up, Trixie could tell her eyes were probably as pleading as her voice. “But Josephus~! I’m an anthro now, like you! Why can’t we get back together?”

Trixie saw that Maestro was rather mad when he spoke up, judging by how his fur was darkening. “For the last time, Bridget!” When Maestro wheeled around to face “Bridget”, his eyes had taken on a darker hue than normal, and had separate colors; the left now dark green, the right now dark blue. His pupils were slitted again, and his angry glare spoke volumes. “It won’t work out between us! I don't like you anymore! Not after I found out how you were using me! Now unless you want to unleash a cacophony of pain upon yourself, I suggest you drop it! Permanently.” He then clutched his head as his colors went back to normal, and managed an angry look at the frightened anthro. “Leave.” The girl complied, running off with her purple eyes full of tears. Maestro was breathing heavily, and leaned his back against the wall. “Fibbersnitz. I was hoping she wouldn’t show up…” He trailed a hand through his hair, and whispered to himself. “So anger is the trigger, huh? Just gotta keep that in check, then.”

Trixie wasn’t exactly certain of what to make of what had just happened, so she decided to leave the area, and maybe talk it over with Maestro later.

Xavier was waiting, once again. Pinkie, Cheryl, and Amanda had stepped up to the plate this time. Amanda decided to start things off her way. “Humor is a good way for people to relax and open up to each other, but only when the time is right.”

Irritated a little, Xavier huffed. “And how does one know the right time, huh? Or do you just guess?”

Pinkie then continued from there. “No, silly! You gotta pay attention to the mood. Laughter is only as effective as the serious moment it disrupts. It’s just nice to have a little breather!”

Rolling his eyes, Xavier sounded frustrated. “So it’s not effective at any other time? Then what’s the point? Why bother?”

Cheryl then added her opinion. “Because the moments that you laugh alongside your friends will be moments that you cherish, no matter how much time has passed. All of us have a moment that we wish to share with you.” Cheryl decided to go first, motioning to herself. “A particular moment I cherish is back when I first met Regina and the others, before we included Trixie in our group.” She smiled. “We were out camping, and telling funny stories about ourselves. A moment that I will always hold close to my heart.”

Pinkie giggled, and shared a little story as well. “My fondest memory with the girls is back before any of us anthrofied, we tried baking together! Needless to say, Kurt and Matt butted heads, and the ensuing competition got batter everywhere! We all had a good laugh about that, even Harry.”

Noticing her cue, Amanda shared a story of her own. “I remember back when I first met Reina. She was a bit awkward around me, as well as the others. That was until I sung a cheery song for her. It got her giggling, and seeing her open up was truly a wonderful sight.” She then looked towards Xavier, and pressed the advantage. “Have you and Maestro ever had a time where you enjoyed a joke or a moment where you did something or said something that made you laugh?”

For a long moment, Xavier paused. It had been unexpected for them to give examples from their pasts, and now they wanted him to do the same? He knew what their goal in doing this was, and yet… He couldn’t stop himself. He smiled in reminiscence. “Heh. Oh, it was one of our pranks on those that had picked on me in the past. Nothing too groundbreaking, just some simple prank you’d see kids pull on each other. Completely harmless. But the looks on those brats’ faces… priceless.” He shook his head, and frowned. “But, that was the past. I know what you’re trying to do here, but it’s not going to work.” He looked to Maestro. “I still won’t forgive you. We had something great- and you tossed it away. Because you were afraid. And I don’t associate with cowards.” He then turned, and left.

Everyone was devastated. Thus far, nothing had worked! Tyra, Micaela, Bethany, Rae, Ashley, Kim, Diana, Flora, Valerie, Carmen, Rarity, Patricia, Cheryl, Pinkie, and Amanda were concerned- They’d failed, and there wasn’t much they could do about it. But, their attention was drawn to Maestro as he stood to his full height. “Listen up. This isn’t over just yet. You may have fallen short the first time around, but you must pull yourselves together for next time. As for me, I must get ready.” Pulling out his phone, he called a number. “Yeah, D? I’ve got a favor to ask…” He then walked off on his own.

Xavier didn't get too far before a green flash of light and a fist belonging to a human sized anthro mouse slammed into his face. He fell on his backside from the blow. She reached down and hauled him to his feet and said in American English, “YOU ARE A BLASTED HYPOCRITE!!!!! YOU SAID YOU DON’T ABIDE COWARDS, THEN STAY AWAY FROM MIRRORS BECAUSE I’M LOOKING AT ONE!

“YOU CLAIM TO HAVE YOUR HAND SLAPPED AWAY WHEN YOU WERE LOOKING FOR FRIENDS AND YOU GAVE UP ON FRIENDSHIPS. WELL I GOT NEWS FOR YOU UNTIL I CAME HERE I WAS IN A SIMILAR SITUATION. I MAKE FRIENDS, THEN EITHER I HAD A MAGIC SURGE OR SOMEONE I HAD TICKED OFF WOULD TRY TO USE THEM AGAINST ME AND AFTER IT WAS OVER, THEY WOULD ABANDON ME.

“WHEN I CAME TO PERTH I HAD THREE SURGES. ONE TELEPORTED ME, TWO CHANGED THE SIBLINGS OF TWO OF MY NEW FRIENDS AND BROUGHT SOMEMOUSE FROM ANOTHER WORLD HERE. IF IT WASN’T FOR RARITY AND HER FRIENDS I WOULD’VE PROBABLY FOUND TO GET MYSELF KILLED.” The mouse took a deep breath calmed herself down a bit and added, “the world is currently a dark place but that makes friendship even more a treasure.” then she was gone in another flash of green light.

Xavier growled, and punched a nearby tree with his fist. What did that mouse know? He had more going on than that back then. It wasn’t just the rotten people he’d found himself surrounded by as he reached out, nor was it just out of spite for Josephus. He may never have had friends used against him, but he knew what darkness lay in the hearts of others. He always had been ostracized, not only because of his lack of a last name. Once the friends he did have back in the day found out what he’d hidden, well… things went sour from there. Some part of him was glad that Josephus never found out, that their friendship ended the way it had.

He pulled out the crystal gravestone again. It emminated energy, similar to the energies he’d felt when he was young. The whispers called him, as they had during those times back when he was still reaching out. He clenched his fist around the crystal. It would be easy to just break it now, to just let it end. Maybe, the whispers would finally leave. But, as usual, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. This object… No matter how angry he got, he could never get rid of it. It felt like the only thing in the world he could trust. He pocketed it, and took a look at the tree he’d punched. He grimaced at the decay that spread from the impact. He thought he’d reigned that in by now, but it seemed that he couldn’t be trusted to touch something while angry. It used to be much worse, a reason he’d always worn gloves as a child. But, he supposed that, like the whispers, this was a part of him that he’d never truly escape. He shook his head. It was time to go.

Ashley blinked at the sight of the human-sized mouse who was Alex chewing out Xavier. “We need to keep our distance from him, but keep an eye out for anyone, or anypony who may try to lead him down the wrong path. It’s gonna be up ta him whether or not he accepts these lessons. As mah Granny Smith says, “Ya can lead a pony to the cider through, but ya cannot force him or her t’ drink from it.”

Shaking her head, Trixie voiced her disagreement. “Distancing ourselves from him may be part of the reason why this hasn’t worked so far. Has any of us tried to reach out to him outside the lessons, aside from Maestro?” As she looked at the others, she noticed the guilt in their faces. “I thought as much. I may be guilty of the same, but next time I see him, I’m going to try to reach out, and I urge you guys to do the same. It may take a while to see the effects, but I believe that it might just save us a lot of hassle in the long run.” She then took a look at a watch she was wearing. Surprised at the time, she excused herself, and went home.

Ashley sighed, “Ah reckon we need t’ talk with Alex about what she did. There’s better ways to solve conflicts other than just up and decking someone or somepony.”

While the rest of them did agree, most of them had dinner waiting at home to get to, so they decided to leave that conversation for another day, and went their separate ways, for now.

Author's Note

The fifth day has closed! So, any bets on who Maestro will ask Discord to bring him? Will it be:

A) 63verse Maestro B) Somebody from Sunsetverse
C) A human D) Somebody from Fall Of Dark Tyrant Eclipse
E) Somebody from Cadenceverse F) Somebody from Lunaverse
G) Somebody else (Insert Guess)

Pick Two. Also, more Xavier backstory!

Side Story: Briget's Breakdown

Bridget, or Brianna, as she referred to herself now, was still shaken up over what had happened earlier. She’d thought it would all go smoothly. She thought that she’d get her happy ending. She thought, that since she was an anthro now, that she could rebuild her relationship with Josephus- or, as he called himself now, Maestro. But when she recalled the look on his face, the venom in his voice, and the hate in his eyes, she couldn’t help but cry. He had said that he no longer liked her, because she’d used him. It wasn’t her fault, not exactly. She’d planned on explaining herself, but before she could, he’d abruptly cut things off without an explanation. And now that she knew the whole reason why… She couldn’t help but thinking back to those days. To what they had. True, she had used him, but she’d been going through a rough patch in her life at that point. She was desperate for stability, and hadn’t fully thought through the consequences.

She cried softly alone, in a place where none could hear her. Her wings wrapped around her in a protective shield, as if to protect her from the outside world. The more she thought about back then, the more she regretted what she felt she had to do. Was there another way? If there had been, she certainly hadn’t seen it. That time in her life, Josephus was the only thing that kept her going back then. She had felt back then that any means to keep him coming back to her would be justified. But looking back on it with what she knew now, she knew that she had been wrong. But in that situation, what was she to do? She certainly couldn’t change what had happened. The reasons she clung to him as she had, they were long gone now. But she just couldn’t let go of what she felt towards him.

She looked around, and saw nobody. Though, she could’ve sworn she’d heard a sound? Thinking not much of it, she pulled out her diary that she kept with her. She opened to a page, of roughly five years ago. It read:

August 17th, 2012

Dear Diary,

Today, Josephus and I had a wonderful date at the amusement park! He’s so wonderful and charming. *sigh* But… A weight is on my heart. I started out only using him for comfort, but now… I’ve grown quite fond of him. What should I do? Should I talk to him? Explain why I kept him around? Will he hate me for doing that? Will he hate me if I don’t tell him? What am I to do?

… I’ve thought about it a while, and I think I know what I should do, Diary. I’ll tell him the truth. It doesn’t matter if he leaves me after this. He deserves to know. If he hates me for this… then so be it. I just can’t keep doing this to him. I care about him too much. He must know. … Even if he leaves me because of it.

Fresh tears fell onto the old page. That had been the day before he’d dumped her. The day before he left town. She tried calling him, desperate to bring him back, to tell him what she wanted to tell him. But after all this time, she finally knew why he left. It was because he’d known. He’d probably had found out from somebody else. Somebody that didn’t know the why, only the fact that it was what she had been doing. Until, that is, she realized how she felt about him. That was when she stopped, but by then, it was too late. But with how angry Maestro was at her, how could she ever explain and have a hope that he’d at least listen? She fiddled with a necklace that she wore, a stylized sun with blocky rays of light coming from it. The same as the “Cutie Mark” she now bore. She always did that when she thought deeply on things. What was she to do to get him to listen? She just didn’t quite know...

She turned her head. Now that time, she’d heard something for sure. She put away her Diary, and called out. “Hello? Is somebody there?” She dried her tears, as to appear presentable to whomever would stumble out. Yet, the silence that was around was suffocating. She sighed, shaking her head. Perhaps it was just a bird setting down on a branch. She went back to fiddling with her necklace. Now, she’d tried calling him under premise of getting back together just to tell him, but that hadn’t worked. She’d also tried sending letters, but they were always returned to her unopened. And trying in person under the premise of getting back together had only gotten him mad. But maybe just simply saying that they needed to talk would be enough? Though, she had serious doubts about that. Maybe she could try something else…

She was knocked out of her thoughts when she heard rustling in the bushes. And whispers. Now she knew somebody was there, no doubt about it. She decided to confront them. “Whoever is there, just come out now! I know you’re there! I can hear your whispering!” She turned to look straight at the bushes. “Come out now, and I’ll be reasonable.”

The bushes rustled a bit, before the one(s) hiding in it came out. Stepping out of the bushes was an anthro she didn’t recognize, but inferred that he was related to Maestro. All because of a locket around his neck engraved with a chess king. He looked at her for a moment, and chuckled. “So you’re the one Lady Starlight sent that email to. Interesting…”

The anthro drew closer, and Brianna spoke out. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand… Who are you?”

Shaking his head, the anthro replied. “Oh, where are my manners?” He pressed a hand to his chest, and continued. “I am Chessmaster Star, the one that can help you.” At her look, he continued to explain. “Listen. You were chosen by Starlight for a reason. Did she not explain in the email?”

Brianna nodded a little. “The email said it would help me get what I wanted, but… that didn’t happen.”

Smiling, Chessmaster continued. “Ah yes, that.” He shook his head. “Tell me, was what you wanted at the time of anthrofication clear, or muddled?” At her downcast look, he frowned. “Muddled, huh? What about now?” He pulled out a notebook and pencil with his magic. “Is it different now, or is it still muddled?”

For some reason, when she thought about it, her mind was much clearer than it had been earlier. She wasn't full of as much confusion as before. “No, it’s… more focused. I know what I want.”

Raising an eyebrow, Chessmaster continued. “Oh? And what is it that you want now? What has become clear that was uncertain before? I’m genuinely curious.”

Looking straight at him, Brianna spoke. “If I can’t explain my past actions to him, I’ll just have to move on. Can you help me?”

Blinking in surprise, Chessmaster replied. “Well, I could, I suppose…” He looked around, and noticed something before looking at her disappointed look. “Don’t get me wrong; I can help you. The problem is that I want to know if you're certain. After all, if you take this, there is no going back.” He then extended a hand.

Hesitating for a moment, Brianna took his hand. "I want this."

Sighing for some reason, and muttering "I was afraid you'd say that.", he lit his horn with red magic, and the pair was gone.

Author's Note

And here we cover what happened with Briget after Maestro snapped at her. Fun Fact: This Side Story was originally going to center around a R63 version of the story, but I scrapped it for this. Besides, the section I wrote of it felt like it would repeat too much of what was to later happen in Chapter 23, and I didn't want to be redundant. Confused as to why Chessmaster muttered what he did? You'll see.... eventually...

Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 6: Hope

It was Friday, the day Trixie had told Rarity that she’d come to check on the dress. She was anxious to get to it all throughout the school day, but kept her nerves in check. Once it was over, she went straight to Rarity’s Place, and knocked on the door. She heard Rarity call out “Come in!”, so she obliged. As Trixie entered, Rarity turned towards her, and smiled. “Ah, Trixie! Come to check on your dress?” She stopped what she was doing, and went up to Trixie. “I think you’ll like what I’ve done with your suggestions. Come, this way!” Rarity gently guided Trixie to her back room, where a sheet was draped over a mannequin. Rarity went up to the sheet, and grabbed it. “Are you ready to see it?” At Trixie’s nod, Rarity pulled away the sheet, and Trixie’s jaw dropped. Smiling, Rarity spoke up. “I hope it is to your liking?”

Trixie was rendered speechless by the sheer gorgeousness of the dress! How could she not love it? It was a gentle lavender, and seemed to smell of it too. It was accentuated with tiny, white stars spread periodically about, in a imitation of her cape and hat. She ran her hand along the dress, surprised at how the fabric felt; soft and light. The shoes that went with it were quite something as well, soft like satin to the touch. Trixie looked back at Rarity, tears in her eyes. “It’s beautiful! I’d like to try it on, and make sure it fits.” Nodding at that, Rarity took the dress off the mannequin. She handed it to Trixie, who took it into the dressing room.

*Roughly 2 minutes later*

After putting on the dress, Trixie admired herself in the mirror. The dress fit perfectly, and she had to admit that it looked quite good on her. She exited the dressing room, and turned in place slowly. “So? Is there any doubt that I look stunning?”
Analyzing for a moment before responding, Rarity then nodded. “You look marvelous! Of course, there are a few little tweaks I’ll be making, as the dress isn’t quite finished. I promise you’ll love the final look even more!”
Trixie went back into the dressing room, and changed back into her casual clothes. She came out, and handed the dress back to Rarity. “I’ll be here tomorrow to pick it up at 4 PM. I’ll be going!” Trixie then left the store.

When the group arrived that day, Xavier and Maestro were already there, along with a dragon that Trixie recognized, Prism, Maestro’s now adoptive daughter. Twilight spoke out. “Maestro? I thought you said that you’d convinced Discord to find you some help. Where is it? Is that dragon part of it?”

Maestro blinked a bit, but then grinned. “Oh, Prism? She wanted to see this, help out a bit. Plus, as my adoptive daughter, she hasn’t really interacted with you guys much, and I decided that needed to be rectified. As for my other help…” He looked to Discord. “You found her yet?”

Discord apparated onto the scene, and spoke. “Of course! You are a good friend, after all.” He then tore at the fabric of reality, causing a hole to appear. Out of it came an anthro that looked a lot like Maestro- save for the fact that she was a girl.

She spoke first, looking at Maestro. “Oh? So now you’ve called on me, instead of the other way around? This just got interesting!” She then looked at the group, who seemed confused. “For those of you who don’t know, I’m called Vibrant Serenade Star. If you hadn’t guessed, I’m Maestro’s female counterpart in the ‘63verse.’”

Maestro straightened up. “All right! So, who wants to go first? Or, shall I?”

Prism twiddled with her claws a bit, uncertain of how to start. Vibrant put a hand lightly to her chest. “I’ll go first.” She took a deep breath as she looked towards Xavier, and then began. “Alright Xavier, let’s start with inspiration. There was a time in my life that I had to deal with a friend that just didn’t think that they were worth much of anyone’s time. So, I had a sit-down with them, and I told them that if they felt like that, they could always do something to change that feeling. Maybe, perhaps they could actively seek out somebody to lift up, to inspire. I told them to change their situation, and they did. Now they are a consultant for people with suicidal thoughts, and have arguably kept many people from taking that dark exit from this world. Do you see how just a few inspiring words can change somebody’s life, along with many others down the road?”

Xavier scoffed audibly. “So? That proves only that people are gullible. Deep down, they are all monsters. Inspiration? Please! That cannot change one’s nature.”

Taking the hint, Prism spoke up. “You may be surprised by the power of empowerment. I may not have much experience, but l have quite the example for you. I recently came in contact with a person that had no confidence in their work. I asked them to show me their work, and they decided to ‘humor me.’ I took a look at it, and gave them some advice on how to improve, seeing that I had some experience with art. It took some doing to convince them, but once they followed my advice, I convinced them to show it off to some people. They were surprised at the positive reception, and thanked me for not giving up on them, when they had given up on themselves. To see things in others that they don’t see in themselves takes great dedication. If you put your mind to it, I’m certain that you could pull it off!”

Xavier pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. “So you pushed somebody to follow their dream? What kind of proof is that? Do you even know if they kept at it? How do you know they didn’t just throw in the towel soon after? People are fickle, rotten creatures. They will always default back to what is comfortable.” He looked to Maestro. “So what’re you going to say? Rehash of your girl-self? If so, don’t even bother!”

Lastly, Maestro shook his head. “Of course I wouldn’t do something that stupid, Xavier. I’ve got a special example for you.” He then locked eyes with Xavier, and lambasted him. “Listen up, Xavier. I wasn’t always the hopeful guy that I am today. In fact, there was a point in my life where I thought a lot like you do now. I was cynical and alone, pushing everything away. I even went so far as to cause a lot of ruckus back in school, far worse than the pranks we used to pull. I didn’t see the point of connecting to others, if they would only hurt me in the end. However, the death of my father changed all of that.

“It was four-and-a-half years ago, to the day. I won’t go into detail, but his death shook me the most out of my family. I’d lost a lot since I’d broken ties with you, and frankly, I’d grown sick of it. I couldn’t stand the dark nature of the world. I wanted no part of it anymore. It would have been easy, to just give up on hope, and let go. But, something prevented me as I was drawn to my computer. I reasoned with myself, saying I’d take one last look before I left. Then, I saw it. The email from Mr. Dion. I read it.

“‘Hello there, Josephus.

Having dark thoughts, are we? Not to worry. Your old life might not be reason enough to stay, but how about this? I give you a new life, a new look. You can even choose one! Go on, and pick wisely.

-Mr. Dion’

“I thought it was a hoax at first, but as I looked down the list, I moved almost in a trance as I reached one that seemed to be calling me. It promised me power. It promised me wealth. It promised me vengeance, if I were to but choose it. The offer was quite tempting, but just as I was about to make the click, I heard another call out to me. It told me it could help me move on. It told me it could help me be happy again. It told me it could help me change the fate of my family, if I were to but let go of my hate and anger. Ultimately, I chose the one that soothed and assured me, and I found that after anthrofication, I had a new, brighter hope swell through my being. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, seeing as I’d been burned before, but I made a promise to myself that I would try and reach out, and bring people a reason to believe in a better tomorrow.
“Do you see now, Xavier? I almost lost myself that day. But with the right push, I found myself where I am today.” Maestro paused as he looked deep into Xavier’s being. “So you still don’t accept it… Ah, well. Go along now. I won’t stop you from leaving. I’ve done what I can, for now.”

Xavier backed away slowly, and then started to run. As he ran he tuned them out as they probably went over what to do next. After awhile, he stopped running, and caught his breath. The mere thought that Maestro could’ve ever been in such a position seemed ludicrous! And yet… Why did he sound so dead serious? Why had he told that story, if to not try and rattle him? Xavier shook his head. He couldn’t let Maestro win. He had to prove them wrong, somehow! But what was he supposed to do? He stewed over that thought alone, unsure of how he was to even counter the next “lesson.” He took out the crystal gravestone again, sliding his thumb across it a few times as he tried to think. Maybe he could use it…? It had been calling to him for some time, and yet… he hesitated. What would it even do when used? Destroy them? Turn them insane? He had no idea. He put it away, shaking his head. Best to use something I can depend on, rather than an unknown variable. He walked to his apartment, deep in thought.

Maestro had separated from the others to tail Xavier a bit after he resolved to do better next time. He pulled out his cell phone, and dialed a number. “Hey, Natalie? I was wondering if you could help me with something.... Mm-hm. Yeah, I gotcha. Hey, do you think you could stop over in Russia and pick up Erin and Eric? It’s been a while since I’ve seen them… You will? Great! See ya!” As he closed his phone, he noticed Sarah nearby. “Sarah! I was hoping to run into you! Listen, we need to talk…”

Terrified at what might happen, Sarah tried to leave. “UmI’vegottagobye!” However, she was stopped by a dome of turquoise magic. She turned to see Maestro, a hurt look on his face.

“Why are you scared? Have I given you reason to be? If so, tell me! Please. I won’t hurt you.”

Sarah took out a stone, one enchanted to break shields. “Ijustgottago!” She struck the barrier hard with the stone, breaking it. She ran away as Maestro crumpled to the ground.

Breathing heavily, he tried going after her, but was in no condition to do so, because of how draining shield spells were for him. He looked on as she ran. He sighed. Why had she run? He just wanted to speak with her. Maybe it was the way he’d said it…? He shook his head. He’d try again tomorrow, he supposed. After all, he could wait.

Author's Note

Alright, so here's the most recent lesson, Hope! Not what you were expecting? Don't worry, all will make sense in time. There's a reason I brought up Sarah running from Maestro. Can any of you figure out what it is?

Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 7: Magic

Saturday dawned, and Trixie got up and ready for the lesson for Xavier. Even going straight there, Xavier managed to be waiting for them, once again. Twilight, Trixie, and Janice stepped forward to teach the lesson. Janice decided to start her section first. “Having a good, strong connection with someone can be hard to maintain sometimes, but it’s worth it in the end. I know that troubles and trials can shake friendships, but those that hold and survive those problems are the ones you should cherish always.”

Postulating a bit beforehand, Xavier responded. “Really now? So you’re saying that all the ones that fall apart are worthless, then? So really, all the past friendships I’ve had should be buried forever, right?”

Noticing Janice’s flustered state, Twilight took over from there. “Not necessarily. Trying to make amends with old friends is paramount, to signal that you want to believe that you can repair what you once had. Why do you think Maestro enlisted our help? It’s because he knew that doing this alone would never work. He knew that having us help would give him better odds of rebuilding his friendship with you.”

Looking around for a bit, Xavier noticed Maestro having a look of remorse in his eye, a pleading that made Xavier blink. He shook his head. No. This had to be some kind of trick. He wouldn’t lose to them! “Why do you think you can do this, huh? What makes you believe that after all is said and done, I’ll just let go of what he did- What ALL of them did?”

Looking to her friends for support, Trixie put in her thoughts. “Because, deep down, we want to believe that you can change. I once terrorized the school of this city, and I had no friends. But everything changed after I anthrofied, and faced off against Twilight. I wanted to ruin them, but that desire only got me used in the end. After that debacle, I spent some time thinking. Why was I so empty? Even at the start of me wanting to change, I didn’t really feel comfortable calling Twilight a friend until I had a small group of people reach out to me, and show me that friendship was what I’d been missing. I want to offer you what they offered me- another chance.” She reached out a hand toward Xavier. “Please. Let me help you remember how good friendship can be.”

Xavier dropped his gaze, almost looking as if he’d accepted defeat. But then he started to shake. He laughed. Loudly. “HAHAHA!” His head shot up, his eyes in a bit of a craze. “You think that- that this spiel could ever help!?” He looked from side to side. “No, I know what you’re doing. You want to lure me into a false sense of security. You want me ‘on your side’ while I’m useful, and then toss me to the curb!” He shook his head as he backed away. “Well it just ain’t gonna happen, chief! Blow all the hot air you want, it’s not going to change my mind! Friendship is just a virus! And I’ll find the power to cure the world of it!”

After Xavier’s rant, he tried to get away, but Maestro grabbed him. “Wait! Please.” Xavier locked eyes with Maestro, and found his worried look, full of concern. “Don’t you understand the consequences of that? Friendship isn’t the problem, the people you surrounded yourself with during your travels made bad choices, much like I did. I cannot speak for them, but I would give almost anything to go back and change my choice that day. I-!”

*SLAP!* Xavier’s gloved hand hit Maestro’s face, loosening his grip. “I’ve heard enough! I will find some way, no matter the cost!” Xavier ran as Maestro was helped up by the others.

Twilight looked nervous. “So now what?”

Maestro looked after the fading figure of Xavier. “We get ready. Tomorrow, he’ll do something rash. After we stop that, we get back to what we’ve been doing. We up our game. I’ve even called in a little back-up. We’ve gotta fight hard if we’re going to break through.” He stepped away, and stood. “Go over every argument we can make to persuade him. We’ll be needing them.”

With those words, everyone nodded and split off to go over what they could do.

4 PM, Rarity’s shop.

Trixie needed a little break from thinking over what went wrong, and stopped over at Rarity’s place to pick up her dress for tonight. When Rarity opened the door, she took Trixie to the back immediately, and revealed the dress. It was even more beautiful than before, with silvery fabric sewn in arcs along the waist. There was a bit more of a blue hue to the dress than before, because of a transparent overlay. When Trixie put it on, she admired it once more. With this, she sort of looked like a princess. Rarity even shed a tear at how beautiful the finished work was. Trixie paid for it, despite Rarity’s insistence otherwise. She took it home, and her parents practically glowed over her look, insisting on taking a picture. After that, she prepped to ensure everything was just right. Once she was done, she waited for Gearbox to arrive. He got there on time, and when Trixie opened the door, she gasped. He was wearing a dapper chocolate brown suit, and his hair was cooperating for once. He smiled. “And here I thought you couldn’t get any more beautiful.”

Trixie blushed and looked away. “You’re not half-bad yourself.”

Chuckling nervously, Gearbox responded, offering his hand. “Well, shall we go?”

Nodding, Trixie smiled. “Yes. Let’s.”

The car ride was mostly filled with silence, seeing as Gearbox needed to concentrate on the road. When they arrived, Gearbox parked, and got out first. He went over to the other side, and opened her door, bowing with a flourish. “Milady.”

Trixie giggled lightly, and took his hand as he helped her out of the car. They went inside, and were seated at their table. After the waiter took their orders, Trixie and Gearbox talked about their likes, dislikes, and the like as they waited, until they were distracted by a couple laughing. When they saw who it was, Trixie’s jaw dropped. Maestro was sitting on the one side, chatting up a familiar girl. Sarah. However, Trixie couldn’t help but notice that Sarah seemed… off. Even after their food arrived, neither Trixie or Gearbox could focus on their date. Maestro seemed a tad tired, but otherwise his usual self. Sarah though, was acting extremely off. Her laughs at Maestro’s art jokes seemed hollow, and was that an eye roll she saw? She looked to Gearbox to see if he thought similarly, and he nodded. He could see it too. After dinner was done, they were too preoccupied with what was going on with Maestro and Sarah to think of doing much else. They went after them, and Gearbox called out. “Maestro! What’re you doing here?”

The leaving couple turned, and while Maestro smiled, Sarah seemed to glare at us. “Ah! Much similar to your reasoning, I suppose. A date with my girlfriend.” He looked to Sarah. “It’s going quite well.” However, Trixie noticed that Maestro’s right hand was out of Sarah’s line of sight. It was making gestures and symbols in the air, tough Trixie couldn’t decipher it just yet.

Seeming intrigued, Gearbox asked the question lingering in the air. “So how’d you two hook up? And when?”

Sighing dreamily, Maestro spoke. “Just this morning, actually. You see, last night, she ran off when I said that we need to talk. But when I came across her today and confronted her about it, she seemed confused at first. Then when she remembered what had happened, she apologized. She then heard me out, and after hearing how I felt, she agreed to be my girlfriend. It hasn’t been long, but I’ve never felt better.” Maestro’s hand was still moving throughout the spiel, and Trixie had figured out what he’d been doing.

Gearbox noticed this, and nodded. “Well, I wish you two the best of luck.” the other couple left, and Gearbox looked to Trixie. “So? What was his message?”

Sighing, Trixie shook her head. “Not much, but its connotations are dire.” She looked to Gearbox. “His message was this: ‘Not Sarah. Replaced. Help Me.’”

Concerned, Gearbox spoke out. “So what do we do?”

“It’s late. Both of us are tired, and everyone else is asleep. Going in against a Changeling anthro -most likely Chrysalis- right now would do us no good. We get some sleep, then tomorrow, we get some help.” The two nodded, and Gearbox dropped Trixie off at her house before he went home. Their second date may have ended with something unexpected, but the promise of a third later gave Trixie some peace of mind as she drifted got ready for bed, then drifted off.

Author's Note

The seventh day has arrived! And oh my, is it a whopper. Finally I manage to write a date scene (sort of) and lo and behold, it sets up the plot. Sorry about in not containing all the aspects that I had Gearbox claim it would. To be perfectly honest, I didn't include them dancing because I was completely clueless as to how to fit it with the set up for the next chapter without making it seem forced, so it got cut. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and please look forward to Chapter 25.

Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 8: Dual Crisis~ Shifting Heart and Dark Magic

The next morning when Trixie woke up, she got ready and went to find help for the changeling problem. She met up with Gearbox, and after confirming that he hadn’t been replaced, they went to find the others. The first person they ran across was Ayumi, and Trixie dragged her into an alley way, out of the sight of passersby. Ayumi chuckled nervously. “Coming on a little strong, aren’t we? And here I thought you didn’t swing both ways…”

Blinking at that, Trixie shook her head. “No, that’s not why I’m doing this. Never even crossed my mind. We need to know something. But first, a confirmation of if it’s really you. Tell me the name of Trixie’s mother.”

Ayumi scrunched an eyebrow. “Well, that’s never stated in the comics, and she never appears in the show, so it’s debated among fans. Why?”

Relieved, Gearbox released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “So it is you. No changeling could know something like that.”

Just as Ayumi was about to yell out, Trixie covered her mouth. “Yes, changelings. We got confirmation from Maestro last night. Somehow, a part of him was able to wrestle free from the control of whom could only be Chrysalis, and relayed a message to us. It was vague, but we put the pieces together.” she released her hold on Ayumi, and posed a question. “So, we know how they were defeated in the show- a love blast. But, Gearbox and I just aren’t certain if our feelings for each other would be enough. After all, we’re still... testing the waters. Besides, who knows who’s been replaced at this point. So how do we win?”

Thoughts stormed through Ayumi’s head a bit, until she thought of something. “Well, trying to find out who is replaced and who isn’t would take us a long time. So, we use one of the other weaknesses of changelings- a burst of high-frequency sound. With this, we can defeat them easily. Though we should also confirm that we’re dealing with my Chrissy cause if that’s the case i could just confront my wife about why she’s mind raping one of my friends.”

With a plan in hand, the three went to Gearbox’s lab and grabbed a machine that was designed to emit high-pitch wails. Ears protected, they stormed the city. They soon discovered that only anthros had been replaced- and pretty much all of them, at that. The sound drove back the changelings, and soon they found Maestro near the changeling disguised as Sarah. “Sarah” clutched her head in pain, as the changelings around lost focus and changed back. They then proceeded to run back to the portal to Equestria, which had opened nearby- and closed behind them. “Sarah” though, smirked. “I see you found a way to shake off the change. But it won’t be enough.” A burst of green flame enveloped her, as the disguise melted away. From the flames stepped an anthro that looked like a cross between Chrysalis and the anthro that Trixie had seen Maestro talking to a few days before. This revelation set a shock on all of them, which caused the strange anthro to chuckle. “Surprised? Don’t be. This way, I can still have Maestro, even if it’s not the full package. Better this than nothing at all.” Her gaze then sharpened. “And certainly better than him going for that Sarah girl. What does he even see in her?”

Just as Trixie was about to respond, Maestro finally broke free from the strange anthro’s control. “That’s enough, Bridget! I’ve dealt with many things from you, but I will not tolerate you thrusting your anger at me onto Sarah.” Bridget turned to him, surprised. She was too stunned to reply, so he continued with a sigh. “Look. About when I saw you as anthro for the first time… You’d been pestering me for so long about getting back together, that I snapped at you when you brought it up again. If nothing else, you deserve an apology for that.” His eyes softened a bit. “I’m sorry that I snapped at you like that. I hope you can forgive me.”

The form she had fluctuated and shifted, and in a flash she was brought back to the pegasus anthro she was before. Brianna crumpled to the ground, and began to cry. “I’m sorry, I… I just wanted to tell you my side of things. I was conflicted so long by my feelings that I was unsure if I’d be content with us just being friends. But now…” She looked to the anthros that stumbled out of the school in a daze, specifically to Sarah. “I can accept that you’ve moved on. Found somebody that, while you are uncertain as to how deep your feelings go for them, you know that you care for them enough to give them a shot. You did it once for me, and I screwed it up. All because I was desperate for any kind of stability.

“After all, a father that works all the time, a mother in the hospital, no siblings to speak of… Not to mention my roster of friends shifting constantly. All this instability in my life drove me near the brink. Then, I met you: kind, dependable, honest you. With all that… I just felt I needed you as this… pillar, I suppose. But as things continued, I found myself genuinely enjoying the time we spent together. I no longer looked to you for just stability amongst the storm, but also because I’d started to like you. At this point, I’d stopped making excuses to keep you around. But even so, the things I did to keep you around weighed on my heart. I’d wanted to tell you, but you left before I could. But I forgive you for that. And I hope that you can forgive me for doing what I felt I had to do.” She then lowered her head, ready for judgement.

What she got, however, was unexpected. Maestro hugged her. “I’m sorry. Sorry that I didn’t listen to you back then. If I had, maybe things would be different now.” He pulled back, and looked her in the eye. “But, things happened the way they did, and we must accept that. I understand why you did what you did. And I do forgive you.” He then looked away. “But, things cannot go back to the way they were back then. I just don’t feel the same way about you anymore. I don’t hate you, now that I know the full truth, but I can’t say I like you like you anymore, either.” He looked at her despondent face, and lifted her chin. “Nonetheless, I think we can at least be friends.” He reached out a hand. “What do you say?”

Smiling, Brianna clasped his hand. “I think that I can live with that.”

The anthros stood as Sarah found them. “Maestro… Who’s this?”

Maestro let go of Brianna’s hand, and placed his arm around Sarah. “You know the ex-girlfriend I talked about?” She nodded slowly. “That’s her. She anthrofied, we had a bit of a spat when we met up again, she took a deal to cross with Chrysalis (probably from Chess), and I broke her out of it with an apology. We’re friends now.”

After the recap, Sarah processed that for a bit. “I… see.”

Just relieved to have her back, Maestro smiled. “You know, I never got to talk to you about what I wanted to that night. How about a nice dinner? My treat.”

Before Sarah could reply, they heard a commotion in the distance. Now with the group together (and no longer groggy), they went off towards the sound. When the reached the area, they found Xavier. He was conversing with somebody, that being Chessmaster. They heard a piece of their conversation. “Can you really give me the power to prove that I’m right to those fools?”

Noticing that Trixie and the others had arrived, Chessmaster seemed ... different than he had before. “I can give you power, Xavier. But there are consequences. Do you really want this?” He had on his face a look of… concern? Why? Wasn’t this what he was supposed to do for “Lady Starlight”?

Noticing that Chess seemed hesitant to go through with this, Maestro lit up. This was different than he’d seen! Perhaps.... “Xavier! Please, listen! Chess is right!” He got strange looks for this, but he continued. “Is the power really worth risking losing who you are?” He motioned to Brianna. “She almost lost her entire identity from her deal with Chess! Do you want that?”

For some reason, Chessmaster had a somber, guilty look on his face. As for Xavier, he had the look of a trapped man, desperate to find a way out. “Shut up! I’m fed up with this nonsense! It’s time I get back at this world, once and for all!” He then clasped his hand with Chessmaster’s outstretched hand, causing it to be encased in a red glow.

A dour look played on Chessmaster’s face. “Very well. You have chosen your fate!”

Xavier was encased in a red glow, and Chessmaster backed off. He stuck around, however, just to see what would happen. Xavier laughed as he was engulfed in a cloud of Dark Magic, and shrouded in purple mist. His skin became pitch black as fur grew across his body. A horn sprouted from his forehead, red at the tip, and curved. His hair grew longer, and became black and wavy as a tail of the same color sprouted. His ears moved up his head as they morphed to be pony-like, and his mouth became a muzzle. His feet shifted into hooves, and his eyes became red. His irises became green, and purple mist wafted from them. The cloud dissipated, and he grinned malevolently. He bellowed a laugh, and spoke. “Behold the might of Xavier the Dark!” He then shot a blast of dark magic at Chessmaster, who barely dodged.

Surprise flashed across Chessmaster’s face, which turned into shock. “It shouldn’t be possible! The anthrofication spell given by Starlight was modified to control the targets, replace their personalities!”

The look of a madman played across Xavier’s new mug, and he shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe I’m just too strong-willed?” He launched another spell at Chessmaster, which hit this time. Xavier grinned as he saw Chessmaster’s eyes gloss over in fear as the magic took effect. “AHAHAHA! Become trapped in your worst Nightmare!” He then turned to the others. “Now, let’s start the show!” He summoned pillars of black crystal, and launched them at the group.

However, Maestro pulled out a crystalline object, and morphed it into a scythe. In one fell swoop, he cleaved the pillars in twain. He then summoned a dome of turquoise magic, and pushed everyone else out, leaving just Xavier and himself. Twilight knocked on the dome. “Maestro! Let us back in! We can-!”

“No.” Maestro’s harsh call stopped them in their tracks. “This is my fight. My responsibility.” they saw Maestro tap into his extra mana- and something unprecedented happened. They heard the sound of shattering glass. Had he just broken the seal on the excess mana? “I will not risk anyone else getting hurt. I made the mistake that set him down this path. So I am the best shot of getting him out of this state. Do not interfere.” He clutched his locket as he gazed at Xavier. “I won’t hold back, old friend. I won’t let you harm anyone or anything in the area. I will make the damage minimal, so that your guilt is minimal. Now let’s dance.” Maestro then pressed three portions on the backside of his locket, each resonating with a beautiful sound. And when the three sounds harmonized together, light came from the locket and enveloped his form. He then yelled full force. “Temporary Ascension!” The group witnessed as Maestro grew taller, to be about 7'2". Large bat wings sprouted from his back as his pupils slitted, and his canines sharpened. The final change was the richer hue of his coat, mane and tail. He then went to battle with his old friend.

The group watched as the two titans traded blow for blow, spell for spell. Xavier called a storm of crystals, Maestro countered with a wall of them. Maestro tried getting in close with his scythe, Xavier summoned a magical construct to parry his attacks. Xavier would strike, Maestro would defend, and then the reverse would happen. Though, Maestro still was holding back, not daring to delve into the Nightmare or Chaos Magic at his disposal- For he knew that to do so would be very risky. So he kept to what he felt was safe- The beams of colored light, scythe techniques, dodges, and blocks.

He knew in his heart that in order to break the attrition he would have to find an opening for the skill he’d never pulled off. So he decided to set up. He channeled his overflowing mana through his timed Thestricon form, and shouted. “Spectrum Split!” The magic was amplified, splitting him into more than the maximum he’d done before. Now, there were fourteen Maestros total- and this was the upper hand he needed. Each ‘gänger had an extension of his will, so working together, they pooled their magic, skill, and numbers to bring his ultimate skill into reality. If Xavier still was standing after this… Maestro shook his head. This had to be enough. It just had to! Focusing on every last scrap of hope he could, he unleashed his best. “Spectrum Scythe Serenade!” Each duplicate -plus himself- struck through Xavier at regular intervals, impacting the spell rather than the person beneath.

As the attack continued, Maestro could feel a familiar presence creep in. So. Feeling a little desperate, are we?

The familiar voice of his Nightmare Entity cropping up again in his head was starting to make Maestro feel a little acidulous. Quiet, you.

Smugness and snarkiness seeped into the voice, causing it to amplify its presence in his head. Oh, Maestro. Don’t be like that! You and I both know how this is going to end.

As Maestro clenched his fists around his scythe as he struck the forced anthrofication spell again. SHUT. UP. You have no power here, Cacophony.

Seeming amused at this outburst, “Cacophony” couldn’t help but chuckle. Hmhmhm. Fine, be like that. But when you fail… I’ll be ♪waiting♪. After all… Even you can’t escape destiny forever.

Maestro sighed as Cacophony finally butted out again. Just in time, too. The attack ended, and it was the moment of truth. Maestro’s duplicates vanished as he collapsed, his transformation wearing off. That wasn’t good. He looked to see Xavier back to his old self, causing Maestro to sigh. At least that was taken care of. The dome of magic left, and the group came in. Xavier looked around, taking in the collateral damage of the fight. His eyes widened as he backed away. He wanted only to prove a point, but… he shook his head. He was too stunned to speak. Then, before anyone could stop him, he ran. As they were about to go after him, they saw Maestro clutch his sides in pain as he groaned. The group was full of concern, and Sarah voiced it. “What’s wrong?”

Sweating furiously, Maestro gasped out. “Mana… poisoning… Quite… painful…” He then clenched his teeth as he hissed and forced out a blob of viscous sludge. His sweating and shortness of breath went down, as he slowly focused his magic to burn the sludge. After about a minute, the fire died, and left in its place was a ball of white aether. The ball then went back into him, and after that, he used his magic to reconstruct the seal. He wobbled a bit unsteadily as he slowly stood. “Hrngh. Still going to have to lay off the magic for a bit, though. That’s livable. I’ll recover.” he looked off towards where Xavier went. “Well, time to adjust tomorrow’s lesson. Forgiveness it is.”

Somewhat curious about something, Trixie posed a question. “Maestro, when you temporarily ascended… Why did you grow thestral wings? What’s that about?”

Quirking an eyebrow, Maestro turned to her with an “are you serious” look on his face. “I’d think it’d be obvious by now. I mean, slitted pupils, sharp fangs, natural cloud-walking… The only thing I don’t have is the wings! So, you tell me: why would I grow thestral wings?” After this, he purposely dispelled the polymorphs on his eyes and teeth, as if to make a point. “Why, could it be because of genetics?”

The group stepped back, all except Sarah. She looked to him with concern. “You’re sure you want them to know? I mean…”

Sighing deeply, Maestro nodded slightly. “They were bound to find out sometime, Sarah. I thought that since Janice was okay with being seen in her kirin state, Chess doesn’t care who knows he’s part griffon, and Servo’s fine with showing her minotaur traits… What excuse do I have to keep hiding the fact that I’m part thestral?” He shook his head. “None. Might as well let ‘em know now, rather than later.”

The group turned as they heard a series of slow claps. “Well said.” The one that spoke was Chessmaster, who looked different than before. For one, he’d taken off the Alicorn Amulet. His beak smirked. “Well said, indeed.”

Cautiously approaching, Maestro reached out. “Chess… Does this mean…?”

Looking at the Alicorn Amulet one last time, Chessmaster spoke gravely. “I don’t have much time before the connection is re-established. She will see soon, but for now... she is blind.” He looked to Maestro. “I know you were right. Once she sent that e-mail to your ex-girlfriend, I overheard her speak about how once all was said and done… she’d toss me aside.” He sighed. “Some part of me always knew, but the draw of gaining the power of an Alicorn… that was hard to ignore.” He shook his head sadly. “I tried to talk Briana out of accepting the change, but I couldn’t say much without raising suspicion from Starlight. But now I have an opportunity, even if brief.” He looked to Briana, and explained somewhat. “I did not want to change, warp, or twist you. But as I was under surveillance, I had to keep a certain air about myself. I hope that you can understand.” He looked away. “I can’t tarry longer. After all, I’ve got a job to do.”

A voice called out as he was about to leave. “Wait!” Chessmaster turned to see Servo and Janice coming up the road. They stopped near the group, and Servo spoke again. “You can’t just go! We’re not going to let you!” She cracked her knuckles as she lowered her head to point all three horns at him. “Not without a fight.”

Grabbing her horns and lifting her head up, Maestro spoke up. “Calm down, Servo. Chess isn’t going to leave, with or without a fight. He’s staying with us, whether he likes it or not.”

Amused at this statement, Chessmaster smirked. “Oh? And what makes you say that? You can’t stop me, you know.”

Adopting a chiding tone, Maestro continued. “Do you really think that Starlight didn’t think that your concern for Briana and Xavier was suspicious? If you go back there, she’ll probably just destroy you!”

Realizing that Maestro was right, Chessmaster looked down to the Amulet. “Well then, since that’s the case…” He focused his magic (no longer under the influence of the Amulet) and opened a portal to a random place in Equestria, and chucked the Amulet through. The portal closed behind the Amulet. He looked to the sky, knowing that Starlight was seeing this. “I believe we’re done here! I don’t think the Amulet’s going to do you much good if you can’t find it!” He chuckled as he looked to his half-siblings. “Oh, she’s mad. Serves her right, trying to use me like that.”

Sighing and shaking his head, Maestro replied. “It’s good to have you back. Now, I’ve got some business to attend to.” He went over to Sarah, and he asked a question that the others couldn’t hear. She hesitated before nodding, and the two went off into the distance.

Looking over to Brianna, a feeling of guilt came back to Chessmaster. “Could you two excuse me? I’ll be right back.” He went over to her, and paused before he spoke. “Listen… I know it was your choice to take that offer, but… I feel terrible for what happened to you. I’d like to make it up to you, somehow, if you’ll let me.”

Considering for a moment why Chessmaster would say this, Brianna lit up, and smirked. “Oh? And why do you feel responsible? Is it because you have… feelings … for me?”

Stunned for a moment, Chessmaster tried to not sound flustered. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about! Th-that’s ridiculous! I-I just am offering an apology, that’s all!”

Rolling her eyes and deciding to play along, Brianna smiled. “Alright then. Let’s get dinner. Your treat, of course. Then we’ll see if your attitude changes.” She then proceeded to drag him away.

Servo and Janice snickered at the scene, and decided to just go home to wait.

It had been a long day for Trixie, a lot of excitement. She said good-bye and good night, as she went back home for the day. She collapsed on her bed, exhausted. She ran through the events in her head. What did Chessmaster’s change of sides mean for them? Would this speed things along? Would it change anything at all? She decided that these were too heavy of thoughts to think of at the moment, and drifted of to sleep.

Author's Note

Here it is. Chyrsalis anthro crossed with an OC anthro. Xavier dipping into the power of Sombra. The pay off of Chessmaster's strange actions from before. All in all, a monumental chapter. Discuss thoughts below.

Side Story: Feelings Expressed, Finally

Today had been an extremely long day. All the excitement of earlier was pretty draining for Maestro. Despite that, he’d actually gotten Sarah to accept the offer he’d posed to her before they had to deal with Xavier using Sombra’s magic as an anthro. The car ride to the restaurant was plagued by silence, mostly because of Sarah’s nervousness and uncertainty. It was a nice dinner, at a quiet nondescript restaurant. Nothing fancy, but Sarah still seemed antsy. “So, uh… what did you want to talk about that night…?” She was more nervous than before, but managed to not clam up. “L-look, about what I said that night… I didn’t really mean to say that, I just sorta … panicked.”

She chanced a glance at him. He smiled at her. She melted somewhat inside as he spoke to her. “I understand. Really, I do. I suppose I should have phrased things better that night. Adjusted my tone. Ah, well. Life moves on.”

Their dinner arrived, but neither of them paid it any mind at the moment. Sarah was nervous, uncertain as to what she should say, or what he might say next. Would he tell her he wanted nothing to do with her? That he couldn’t stand her? She refused to believe that; Maestro wasn’t that kind of guy- she should’ve realized that when “Chrysiana” tricked her with that Maestro guise. No, if Maestro were to reveal something like that, he would likely let her down easy, cushion the blow. That’s probably what the dinner was for. He was letting her down easy. She looked downtrodden at that prospect.

Noticing this, Maestro considered carefully how he was to continue. After all, revealing right away what he knew might not go well. “But allow me to reiterate- I brought you here to talk about something. So, Sarah. Tell me… do you have somebody you like? As more than just a friend?”

Surprised by this line of questioning, Sarah could only wonder why he would ask this. There were only a few reasons, two in fact- One being that he wanted know as a friend, purely out of concern for her happiness. The other being that he was interested in her, and was curious about any “competition” he might have. Sarah thought the second was impossible, so decided that the first must be the reason. “W-well, I do have somebody I like, quite a lot in fact.”

Feigning surprise (top-notch acting), Maestro replied. “Really now? What is this person like?” He pulled out a note book, one that he’d prepared beforehand, for effect. It had two columns, one listing his qualities (as he knew them all), the other was to list the qualities of the “mysterious person that Sarah likes” (aka, also him).

Fiddling with her earrings a little to help calm herself, Sarah tried to keep it vague. “Well, he’s kind, honest, generous, funny, loyal, hopeful, smart, artistic, handsome, charming, perceptive, careful, and analytical. He’s really someone that I can rely on.”

Taking a look at the list (for effect, of course), Maestro smirked. “Well, that’s certainly something. Seems He and I have quite a lot in common.” He looked at her with a gentle smile. “This person you like wouldn’t happen to be me, right?”

Time seemed to stop as Sarah’s eyes widened. Of course he’d figure it out! One of the things I listed was that he’s perceptive! Oh crap! What should I do!?

Deny it!/Admit it…

[Deny it!]

Chuckling nervously, Sarah put on her most convincing lying face. “N-no! O-of course not! H-he just happens to share a lot in common with you, that’s all.”

Seeing as he was no one’s fool, Maestro took notice of her obvious lie- But he decided that maybe she just wasn’t ready yet. So he played along- for the moment. “I see. Forgive me for my presumptuousness, but I just couldn’t help but notice the similarities.” He looked deep into her eyes, piercing her very soul. “I noticed a while back that you’d started having certain… cues around me. It must be so hard, being around somebody that has practically the same qualities when compared to the person you like.”

Sweating bullets, Sarah realized that he’d just called her bluff. He knew. He knew that she knew that he knew. And he was waiting for her next move in this game. A look on his face revealed a smile. He wasn’t angry at her attempt to deny it. Had he enjoyed the little chase? She just had to know. “A-alright. S-so, maybe I kinda fibbed about you not being him. But I must ask…” She looked down timidly. “Why do you want to know? Why did you bring me here? Just to get this out of me?”

Shaking his head as he sighed, Maestro replied. “No. I… needed this.” He lifted her face to meet his eyes. “I knew for a long time how you felt about me, but for the longest time… I was confused as to how I felt about you. Did I like you as just a friend, or was there something more there? I had to know- So, I actively spent time with you to see if I could find an answer. And now… I think I have.” He then brought her face closer to his own. “I think this will explain far more than words ever could.”

Before Sarah could even think to respond, before she could even react, Maestro leaned in, and kissed her square on the lips as his eyes closed. Her eyes widened. Was this really happening to her? She was afraid, that at any moment, she’d be stirred by a Luna anthro or something waking her from a dream that was never meant to be- but it didn’t happen. She closed her eyes as the kiss deepened, tears streaming down her cheeks from her happiness as they embraced. This was really happening! She no longer had to dream, because she was living it! But even so, the moment had to end. And when it did, she couldn’t stop blushing. Eventually getting a hold of her emotions, she spoke. “So, does this mean…?”

Smiling, Maestro put a hand on her cheek. “Yes.” He brushed away her tears as he he held her close. “It does. From now on, we are a couple.” He broke away a little and paused before continuing. “It’s going to be bit of an adjustment on my end, seeing as I’ve been burned before. But for you?” He smiled as he looked her in the eye. “I’ll power through.” The embrace ended and they finished their dinner, which had gotten a little cold because of how caught up they’d gotten. But, now things were different between the two of them. They hadn’t know each other very long, but this connection they’d forged seemed to be powerful. And that thought couldn’t have made them happier.

Author's Note

About darn time I got to this. I was going to originally make a different Side Story here, but it was going to wind up too ... graphic ... for this story to keep its E rating. Plus after a certain point, I just wasn't feeling it. So yet another relationship is starting! Mayhaps adding a romance tag would be apt...

Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 9: Forgiveness

The next morning after school, Trixie was talking with her friends about something. She was addressing Tyra. “So, what you’re saying is that you’re feeling something weird coming on?”

Nodding, Tyra responded. “I’ve got this urge to do… certain things… and I don’t know why. It couldn’t be … heat, could it?”

An unamused voice spoke up. “That’s exactly what it is, unfortunately.” They turned to see Maestro with a serious look on his face, Sarah at his side with a new trinket around her neck. Was she embarrassed? “Don’t worry, the effects can be curbed. Take this.” He tossed to each of them copies the same trinket that was around Sarah’s neck. At their confused look, he explained. “Think of it like a firewall. That enchanted necklace will completely suppress the effects of heat. You won’t even notice that you’re experiencing it. Just put it around your neck, and it takes effect immediately.”

After all of them did so, a collective sigh of relief went out. Trixie though, raised an eyebrow. “So what’s the deal with Sarah? Why’s she so red?”

This comment only caused her to get further embarrassed, but Maestro comforted her as he sighed. “Last night, we officially became a couple. Though, I gave her the same suppressing necklace once she started acting a bit odd. Had I waited…” He shook his head. “I’d rather not think about that. Besides, I’m not that kind of guy.” He turned to Sarah and smiled as she calmed down.

Pondering for a bit, Rae spoke up. “What about your half-brother? What’s going to happen now?”

Turning his attention to the others, Maestro replied. “Honestly, I don’t know. We may have him on our side, but... “ He sighed, shaking his head. “It guarantees nothing. After all, he may have known where Equestria's Starlight was located, but even if she doesn’t relocate, we won’t be ready to face her yet. We’d need an ace up our sleeve to even consider going up against her right now…” He trailed off as he thought about their options.

As he was about to wander into deep thought, Ayumi brought Twilight and the others. “Hey guys! How are all of you doing?” After the varied positive responses given by the girls, she turned to Maestro, and broke his concentration with a question. “So, Maestro, about your idea for Xavier’s lesson today… What exactly did you mean by forgiveness?”

Snapping out of deep concentration, Maestro had a flat look on his face as he turned his attention to Ayumi. He brushed off her interruption, and sighed. “It’s obvious, really. He needs to forgive himself for the limited damage he did cause to the city. However, I know from experience that Xavier doesn’t forgive himself very easily. He knows that what he did was wrong- that’s why he ran off. We need to help him forgive himself. That’s why all of us are necessary for this.” He looked towards Alex, and glared at her. “Especially you. After all, you need to make up for exploding in his face. You must remember - He may be deluded, but he’s felt alone for all of his life, outside of the friendship that we used to have. He has no family to speak of- not anywhere.” Maestro then paused, as he tried to reign in his anger.

“That doesn’t excuse his blowing up at two people who were trying to help him.” She replied crossly.

Alex’s response was not a smart move, seeing as Maestro looked at her with a deadly look. “Listen up, you.” Everyone stared as Maestro shot a venomous gaze at Alex. “I know that him doing that wasn’t the best thing in the world, but he felt that Star’s help was shallow, and non-understanding, insufficient and weak. I know that you can’t see it, what with your clouded vision, but I see his struggle. I know that somewhere deep inside of him there is somebody yearning for help- But only through understanding can we offer that help. We must be the better people, and set the example. If we cannot bring ourselves to forgive him, how can we hope of helping him forgive himself?” Maestro was visibly restraining his anger at this point, as his colors threatened to darken again. He took a deep breath, and cooled his temper the best he could. “Listen… If you can’t bring yourself to believe in him, then we might as well give up now. I know that sounds odd, coming from me, of all people, but… The more people we have on our side, the better the chance we stand. So tell me. Will you help us? Can you bring yourself to see past your anger at what he’s done, and see the potential he has? I wait for your answer.” Once his betraying of his thoughts was through, Maestro’s colors stopped fluctuating as they returned to normal, a sign that he’d calmed down again.

After hearing Maestro’s tirade, Alex felt ashamed. Here was somebody that had been hurt by how his friend was acting, and yet found it in himself to look past it. She sighed, and looked to Maestro. “I’m sorry that I blew up like that. It’s just… I’ll give it a shot, I suppose. It’s the most that I can promise.”

Nodding his head in resignation, Maestro replied. “That’ll have to do.” He jerked his head in the direction of the park. “C’mon, we’re burning daylight.” The group then sauntered off.

When everyone met at the park that day, they saw Xavier with a dark look on his face. He spoke bitterly, a harsh edge to his voice. “So. You’re still going at this, then?” He scoffed. “Don’t bother. I don’t deserve your forgiveness after what I’ve done. I especially don’t deserve forgiveness from myself.” He then turned his back to the group as he glared into the distance. “No matter what you say, it won’t change the facts. Save yourselves the trouble. I’ll even call of the deal. All you have to do is just walk away, and spend your time where it’s needed.”

Maestro stepped forward, a stern and determined look on his face. He would not let things end here. He refused to let the chance for change to die. “I offered you this to see you change. I have come too far, and gone to too much effort to back off now. I will not give up on you now, old friend.”

Silence reigned for a solid minute before Xavier responded, shaking his head as he turned back to face Maestro. “You never really change, do you? Always were stubborn.” He sighed. “Fine. Continue then, since you think it prudent. It won’t get you anywhere.” He gestured to the group. “Let’s get this farce over with already. Who’s first?”

Maestro stepped back, signaling he wanted to go later. Feeling a pretty confident, Micaela decided to try first. “From what Maestro said about you earlier, you find it hard to forgive yourself, and from what you said earlier, I can imply you find it hard to accept forgiveness from others. I can tell you that not forgiving yourself will only lead to holding yourself back. It distracts from your goals, as you wallow in self-depreciation. I may not seem like I could tell you this with any experience, but that’s where you’d be wrong. I once let my ego end up hurting my friends, and it took me a while to even realize it, and longer still to forgive myself. Though once I did, I felt lighter than before, as the weight of it all abated. You may think it right to hate or despise yourself, but it only hurts you and those that care about you in the end.”

Entertaining the idea for a split second, Xavier soon dismissed it. “Who is there to hurt? Why should what I think of myself have any bearing on anyone else? How I feel about what I’ve done is my personal business, and the thought that it affects others is ludicrous. So what if how hard I am with myself holds me back? Maybe that is for the better, considering the damage I’m capable of…”

Seeing that Micaela’s message seemed to not resonate with Xavier for long, Ashley took the next shot. “Ya need ta forgive yerself, first of all. Without forgiving yourself and let go of the past, you will be eaten alive by bitterness and anger. Ya want to walk down that path, sugarcube? Y’know, there’s always two paths in front o’ ya in all yer journeys. One path leads to sadness, bitterness, and no inner peace. The other leads to ultimate forgiveness and true friendship among friends. We hope ya choose what’s best f’r you. And, only you can make that choice. As mah Granny always says, “Ya c’n lead a pony to a cider trough, but ya cannot make them drink.”

Blinking for a bit at Ashley’s attempt, Xavier shook his head near immediately. “I’ve been bitter for years. What’s a little more? I’m used to it by now. As for anger… So what? Anger towards myself is nothing new. I’ve traveled this path before. It is familiar, like the one friend I can trust aside from myself. So what if I wind up alone? It should not concern you, nor anyone else.”

Unable to stand how harsh and cruel Xavier was being with himself any longer, Flora pushed back her fear and addressed him. “Stop this! Why do you feel a need to punish yourself so harshly? We want to help you put this behind you, to help you see that you should be kinder to yourself. We know you did something that you’re not proud of, and that you recognize that it was wrong, but the way to handle it is not by being cruel to yourself! You must instead resolve to not do something like it again, and understand that there is a valuable lesson in letting yourself be forgiven.”

Understanding what Flora was getting at, but refusing to apply it, seeing as he didn’t believe he deserved it, Xavier refused to even give her a response.

A little irritated at how Xavier completely ignored Flora’s advice, Rarity tried something a little different. “I understand that you feel attacked, Xavier. You don’t want to change what you’re used to. You feel comfortable with how things are, and you’re fighting to keep it that way. Is change really such a horrible thing? Is adjusting to a changed situation really all that difficult for you? You want to believe that the world cannot change, so you refuse to change either. But the world has changed, and I believe it’s high time that you did the same.”

For a moment, Xavier paused. He knew what they were trying to do. He refused to believe that the world had changed- that much she’d gotten right. But her folly was with trying to convince him that it had changed. That was nonsense. This world would ever be the same, and he knew it. Deep down, they knew it too. He just had to get them to realize it. “So you say that this world has changed? What proof is there? After all, not one of the evils of the world have died- so how can you say that the world has changed?” He shook his head. “You’re deluding yourself, refusing to admit that the world hasn’t changed, nor will anything we or anyone else does change that. It’s just plain fact.”

Disappointed in how his spite of society was distorting his perception of things, Pinkie decided to try and bring some cheer. “Hey now, there’s no need to think like that! The circumstances you found yourself in may not have been the best, but what’s important is to see the good in yourself. You can learn from your mistake, and do better! Filling your days with a dour attitude won’t get you far. If you just take a new angle to look at things, you can even surprise yourself!”

Rolling his eyes at the notion, he just shook his head. The very idea of a new angle! What other angle was there that was practical? Certainly not ignoring the ill of the world all together, for only fools did that. Was she suggesting to try to take the supposed “good” with the bad? He refused to even entertain such a notion.

Knowing that her friends had done their best warmed Twilight’s heart as she attempted to reason with Xavier. “So far you have dismissed us out of hand, or otherwise derided us, but some part of you is listening, I can tell. Everyone recognizes deep down that they need forgiveness- you just have it buried further down than most. I urge you to take a moment to search inside of yourself, to find that part of yourself that knows that what we’ve said so far has merit. You’ll feel better afterward, I’m certain.”

Initially dismissing her entirely, Xavier was about to say how wrong she was. However, something stopped him. This needling, uncomfortable feeling that was worming form the inside. He pushed it down. No! She wasn’t right, none of them were! He refused to accept their empty nonsense!

Seeing that Xavier was still being stubborn, Tyra decided to step up to the plate. “You might feel that holding this weight over yourself is necessary, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I know that you think that you don’t deserve forgiveness from anyone, but in order to move on and be happy again, you must let go of the mistakes that you’ve made, lest they drag you to an early end. Lifting this weight from off of yourself is key to a long, happy life.”

At this, Xavier couldn’t help but roll his eyes. How was that different from what the others had said before? What was the point? Personal happiness had nothing to do with the larger picture, and was therefore useless.

Irritated at Xavier’s continued disregard of their efforts thus far, Rae let him have a piece of her mind. “You know, you’re really a piece of work, ya know that? I know that you think that all this is pointless, but we’re doing this because we want to help! I don’t know exactly why you want to stew in self-despite and loathing, but let me tell you, it’s getting old. Why are you fighting so much? Why do you continue to try and ignore what resonates? In my opinion, you’d best start being more honest with yourself, and what it is that you want, or you’ll find yourself high and dry.”

Chuckling out of a strange relief at the frankness of Rae, Xavier shook his head. So this was how it all went down, huh? Some prattle about being “more honest with himself”? What nonsense. Though…. He shook his head to rid himself of the stray thought. He was more honest with himself than others, that was for sure. After all, at least he was sure of what he believed, unlike the liars of the world.

Deciding to take a gentler approach than her compatriot, Diana relayed her thoughts. “Xavier, I know that you’ve changed before, hence why you’re the way you are right now. But why did you give in to pressure from the world to change? How long exactly, did it take to give up who you once were? Months? A Year? More? I know that change to anywhere close to who you once were seems impossible, but stranger things have happened. I’m not asking you to do a complete heel turn on the spot- after all that’s not going to happen. I just want you to try being your old self again. Who knows? It might make it easier to forgive yourself.”

Pausing to mull over that, Xavier tried thinking of anything wrong with her logic. Certainly there was something wrong, he just didn’t know what. That needling feeling came back, but he shoved it back down. Then the whispers came from that stone… Yes, there was something wrong with listening to this prattle. It was messing with his head! He shook his head, trying to clear it. He would not be dragged down into that trap again! He was stronger than that!

Realizing that Xavier still needed more of a push, Carmen did her best to bring a different perspective to the situation. “Listen, I know it’s hard for you to adjust yourself. To move on from the mistake you made. But you don’t have to go it alone! We can help you acclimate. I know you don’t want our help, nor do you want it, but if you give us the chance, we could really help you out.”

A raised eyebrow was the only response Xavier gave for a solid minute. A stray thought played in his mind for a split second, but he dismissed it just as fast. He didn’t need help. He didn’t want help. He was fine just the way he was, and nothing could convince him otherwise.

Taking a moment to expul the negative air, Cheryl decided to step up next. “Alright, you. Listen up! Because class is in session! You have consistently ignored our advice, and I get it, I really do. You just want things to stay the same, to prove to yourself that nothing will change, that everything will always be the way they are now. Well let me tell you, just because the world is not such an ideal place all the time doesn’t mean that you have to be a mirror for that! Reflecting the worst of the world will only make things worse, don ‘t you see? What has your current attitude gotten you? I know that having a positive outlook may seem hard, and I know the world isn’t ‘sunshine and rainbows’, but just because that’s the case doesn’t mean you have to keep emulating the cloud! Why not look at what lining there is around it? You may surprise yourself at the good you’ll find there.”

Chuckling ruefully, Xavier shook his head as he clenched his hands. She was suggesting he look at the ‘silver lining’? Didn’t she think that he’d tried that ages ago? Did none of them understand that he was the way he was because he’d tried all of this nonsense before? Because none of it had worked in the past, so it was sure as heck not going to work this time.

Taking the opportunity presented to her, Trixie reached out to Xavier. “You know, I know how you feel to an extent, Xavier. Before I got friends, I wasn’t exactly a nice person. I gibed and tormented many, and only recently have I tried making amends. I know it’s not the same as what you’ve done, but for the longest time I felt like I was unworthy to forgive myself until I’d proven that I’d changed. But with a little support, I’ve moved on, and so can you. You may think that you’re the scum of the earth, that there is no redeeming yourself, but that’s far from the truth. Just let us help you see it!”

Noticing her hand out stretching towards him, Xavier felt a strange compulsion to reach out. However, he reasoned that all this was to lower his guard. Instead of clasping her hand, he pushed it away. It’d be a hot day in Cocytus before he would accept friendship! He had to resist with all his soul!

Seeing as Xavier was yet again pushing aside their efforts, Bethany steeled herself for what was sure to come. “So you still don’t want to accept our help, huh? Listen, I know why you don’t want it. You think we’re going to use you, like many people have in the past. You think that when times get though that we’ll abandon you like pretty much everyone has up to this point in your experience. I know it’s not going to mean much, that you’ll probably dismiss it outright, but I just want to say… we won’t leave you hanging. No matter how long it takes for you to come around, no matter how many times you brush us aside, we’ll reach out, like we should’ve been doing from the start. We’ll stand by you, no matter what, and help you feel that you deserve forgiveness from everyone, including yourself.”

Rolling his eyes, Xavier scoffed audibly. Loyalty? That's what was being promised, but nobody ever delivered. There was only treachery in this world, so when you outlived your usefulness in other's eyes, they would leave you high and dry. That was just how the world worked. They thought that they could change his mind? He shook his head. If that was the case, then they truly were fools.

Taking note of what had happened so far, Kim took opportunity to try her hand at reasoning with Xavier. “You are prideful and stubborn, that is for sure. For you reason that everyone is unjust and impure. Know you not what they say of broad strokes? That it leads to misjudging of all types of folks? Turn aside from this unwise line of thought! And to a new way of seeing things allow yourself to be brought. For forgiveness brings freedom, and lightness of soul; while lounging in guilt will chain and restrain you from attaining your goal.”

For a sparse moment, Xavier considered what it was she was saying. Was he being too harsh? No, that was absurd! He clenched his hands as he cleared that thought from his head. They may believe that there was good in everyone, but he didn’t know if he could ever accept that. He’d seen too much proof in favor of what he thought to ever consider abandoning it.

Pushing aside the negativity in the air, Valerie spoke calmly. “I see that you’re having a bit of trouble letting go of what, in your eyes, has been confirmed as undeniable for years now. You’ve seen it all over the place, and this has caused you to extrapolate the sample size of a small group of people to cover everyone in the world. Don’t you think that’s a bit unfair? Pushing judgement on the world for the sake of what? Ten people? Twenty? I could understand if it was a significantly larger number of people, but you have blinded yourself to the larger sample sizes. Don’t you think that you should withdraw judgement until after interacting with a larger group of people?”

Unfair? Unfair? She had the unmitigated gall to call him unfair? Xavier shook his head. If he was being unfair, it was only because the world was unfair. After all, he, being the only sensible person alive, emulated the way the world was, unlike these idiots. Such was the way one succeeded in life- not by deluding yourself that the world was something it wasn’t, but accepting it the way it was, and emulating it.

Trying to correct the error from the last interaction she had with Xavier, Patricia spoke from her heart, instead of her head. “You keep pushing us away, and you’ll continue to do so, I suspect. I know that you don’t exactly respect any of us, let alone me. Especially with how… upset I got when plans went awry last time. I just want to say that I want to show you my sincerity- just like my colleagues do. I’ll try and be patient with you, but you haven’t exactly made that easy so far. But since Maestro won’t give up on you, neither will we.”

Blinking for a moment to digest all that, Xavier eventually realized what it was she was getting at. She was essentially promising to be just as stubborn as Maestro? He harrumphed in agitation as he rolled his eyes. He didn’t need an army of Maestroes, thanks.

Considering the situation, Amanda nodded her head as she went with her gut. “Most of us here have some experience with what you’re going through- at least I believe so. We want to help alleviate your burden, but you keep resisting our help. It’s understandable why, but it’s only going to hurt you in the end. I know that others have told you similarly, but it’s a point that must be stressed. Push aside the weight on yourself by letting us bear it with you.”

None of this was helping so far, at least as far as Xavier understood. He just shook his head for his response, and he refused to even try stringing together a proper reply.

Stabilizing her storming thoughts on all of this, Janice took charge as she tried to reach out to Xavier. “All of us may not know you as well as my half-brother does, but I understand that you’re frustrated, that you want to blame your problems on some part of yourself that you cannot change, nor control. But, I’m here to tell you that your “destined” conclusion is incorrect. You do have control over your life. You aren’t a passenger- but a player. I know that this shakes what you’ve accepted thus far, but you must understand the power you have. Forthwith, I charge you to really take a look at what you can do- what choices you have. I think you’ll have more success if you look at things this way.”

Destiny? Controllable? Such a thought tried to worm its way into his head, but Xavier couldn’t accept it. No. This was nonsense! Nobody had a choice- Or did they? He shook his head. This was ridiculous! Was he actually considering listening to them? He shook off the uncanny thought as best he could, but it was a stubborn thing to be sure.

Frustrated at how stubborn Xavier had been thus far, Ayumi decided to drop a bombshell. “I may not know you personally, but I know what you’ve been through believe it or not. My counterpart, Twilight, once became Nightmare Nova, a monster of darkness and rage. I myself can still turn into Nova if I draw to much from my memories.” Suddenly Ayumi’s voice changed as her whole body started to glow.

“As Nova, my mind is consumed by that rage, and all I can do is destroy everything in front of me, and I did, but I still was forgiven and I forgave myself. But I never forgot what I did, who I killed.” A tear slid down Ayumi’s cheek at those words. “If I could fall so far and still rise again to be who I am today, then one such as you who never even badly harmed anyone can do the same.” Ayumi’s body stopped glowing and her voice changed back “You heard my counterpart, and you know in you true heart that she is right. So forgive yourself, as you weren’t even the worst we’ve faced since the change.”

For a long period, Xavier was stunned to silence. Here was somebody that had done something far worse than he’d ever done in his entire life. If she could by some miracle be forgiven, and forgive herself, then… Maybe all of them had been sincere, and really wanted to help. Maybe… They were all right to some degree? And yet, some part of him refused to let go. That perfectionist inside, that refused to allow forgiveness of the smallest infraction. Still, Xavier, for the first time, actually acknowledged that some part of him wanted to forgive himself- despite how small that portion was. He still could not manage a vocal response, so he remained silent.

Alex sighed as she hopped down, grew to human size and looked him in the eyes. She took a deep breath and said, “As far as I know I’m the only one who has a taste of what you have gone through. Three years of betrayal, sorrow, anger, terror and dashed hopes is nothing compared to a lifetime of that. But you endured all of that- and without a family to fall back on and help you through the times, the weight might have crushed you soul. But it didn’t, and you’re stronger for it. If you still don’t have family, then as of this moment you do as the Viator family will welcome you into it. That is, if you want to. Anyhow, I cannot forgive you until you forgive yourself. But I will apologize; I’m sorry.”

After that she walked up to a pegasus anthro that looked like Daring Do who hugged her and sat down.

Ashley smiled at Alex, “Ah’m proud o’ ya, sugarcube! That took a lot of courage t’ admit you were wrong, and that’s the honest truth!”

Looking down at the gloves on his hands, Xavier paused. A family… He’d always resented the parents that he never knew. Maybe that was part of his problem. He’d always presumed that they just couldn’t be bothered with him. That they saw the magic he had, and cast him out, a freak. He pondered something as he looked to Alex. She was an odd one, offering something like that, what was essentially an adoption into her family. He didn’t know if he could accept something like that. Here was some kid offering to make him what? Her older brother? He shook his head. This whole thing was burdensome. She had even apologized for what she’d done earlier. Could he forgive her? Could he forgive himself? He didn’t know the answer. He was lost, for the first time in what felt like a very long time.

Seeing that some progress was starting to be made, Star tried again to relate to him. “I know that you said before that my experience was of no consequence, that I can’t understand, because I essentially gave up after one friend left. I won’t deny that what I’ve experienced pales in comparison to what you’ve gone through. But, I believe that what I can sympathize with has some merit. I’ve hurt others, something that I’m still trying to forgive myself for. I still don’t feel like I completely deserve the forgiveness I’ve been given, but I strive to prove to myself that I do deserve it. It may take a while to convince yourself, but the first step is saying that you do deserve forgiveness.”

He had to convince himself? Xavier had to admit that was something that he struggled with. After all, he still held onto many of the infractions of his youth. He still couldn’t convince all of himself that it was time to let the past die. He would try, he supposed, but he knew not how much longer it would take him. His silence continued as he puzzled over how to go about doing that.

Feeling that now was the best time to put in input, Sunset spoke on the matter. “Lost? Confused? Don’t worry, we can ease you through this. It doesn’t have to be scary or hard to adjust. I myself have fought the pulls of my own dark side, and have come off stronger for it. You don’t have to be alone. Facing your inner demons is hard, I understand that. But you don’t have to face them alone.”

Taking a moment to consider things, Xavier debated with himself. He was being offered something that he’d refused many times before. Help with fighting his inner demons? Should he…

But a voice emanated from the artifact that he always carried around. Just what do you think that you’re doing?

Blinking for a moment, Xavier paused. Did he just hear the amulet talk? Sure, he’d heard whispers from it before, but never in a distinct voice. He shook his head. Maybe he’d just been hearing things...

Alex’s ears twitched as she heard an indistinct voice come from Xavier’s direction. She stared intently at the human, trying to locate the the voice.

Taking a while to debate himself on how to best approach this, Gearbox eventually reached a decision. “I see you’re debating yourself. Part of you wants our help, and you realize that now. But part of you still wants to fight. It’s not easy fighting against your tendencies. It’s not easy changing yourself for the better. But by persisting, you’ll find it well worth it.”

Fighting himself? Xavier was unsure exactly what that meant, but he was somewhat willing to-

Stop this. Do not ignore me!

Okay, now Xavier was sure that he had heard something from the amulet. Had it just spoken directly into his mind? After all, he couldn’t discern how else it could happen, seeing as the sound seemed to bypass his ears all together. He pulled out the amulet again. It was glowing. How should he handle this? He’d kept this for some time. Maybe he could reason with this entity, who ever it was? He shook his head. He didn’t even know how to approach such a monumental task. He decided to tackle this later, but kept the amulet out, just in case.

Alex’s eyes widened at the sight of the glowing amulet. Suspecting something and started to say something but Daring Do tapped her shoulder and shook her head. She nodded to Daring and kept her mouth shut. For now. While Ayumi placed a hand on her back, showing Alex that she had heard as well and she didn’t like what she was hearing.

Excited at the prospect that this time something might actually stick, unlike other efforts before, Servo decided to help out. “Guilt for one’s actions, while good to learn from, and improve oneself, should not be held onto forever. It is hard to let go of guilt, all of us know that. Even if you don’t do it for yourself, others forgiving you, and you accepting it can really help out the process quite a bit.”

Accepting the forgiveness of others… Xavier recalled that Trixie said that had helped her, though he’d not caught it at the time. If he could bring himself to…

The amulet lit up again as its voice echoed in his mind. Xavier. Listen to me. I am your only friend. I am your destiny. I am the Amulet of Spirits. Toss aside the lies of the mortals. Embrace the call of the spirits. You need no forgiveness. You are destined for greatness. Push them away again. You know I’m right.

Attempting something bold, Xavier sent his thoughts into the amulet… or tried to. Why should I listen to you? Have you ever considered that you could be wrong? I have a chance to let go of something, a part of me that I now realize has been weighing me down. I think that I want to change…

The amulet pulsated, and responded. Wrong? I, who are you? We are the same, in a sense. However, I will… humor you for now. If you wish to entertain the idea of change, I won’t stop you… yet. I am your future. If you wish to try and deny that, go ahead. It won’t get you anywhere. Pray, Xavier. Pray that I will be lenient when you accept that I’m right. That You were right.

Xavier then heard another spectral voice speak up, Listen to your heart young one. Do not let any but it influence your decision.

Blinking in surprise, Xavier processed what this second voice had said. Listen to my heart… He didn’t know why it sounded like Alex was speaking in his head, but he decided not to split hairs about it.

Approaching with vigor at the sight of progress, Brianna spoke up. “I know that it can be hard to change, to prove to people that you can, or have changed. Even once you’ve gone down this path to rebuild your image, there is a chance that you will run into people that will find it hard to believe that you could change. But, should this happen, you shouldn’t let it discourage you. You should take heart, and show them the new person you’ve become.”

Considering how things were, Xavier realized that the possibility of him encountering those who’d wronged him in the past or that he’d pushed aside was far more likely than he’d ever bothered thinking about. This advice from Brianna was a little odd, considering the lesson, but Xavier found that it gave him pause. He also noticed that the amulet didn’t light up. It seemed that the “Amulet of Spirits” was keeping its word, at least for now.

Judging his move carefully so as to not cause a setback, Chessmaster put forward his thoughts on the matter. “It’s painful to let go of the wrongs you’ve done, sometimes. I still want to say that… I’m sorry for anthrofying you against your will. At the time, I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly. Part of me wanted to see if I could somehow prove I was still useful to Equestria’s Starlight, but another was just frustrated and angry at the fact that I’d been used. I know that it probably doesn’t mean much, but… It’s not entirely your fault that you destroyed part of the city. You may have had cognizance, but Sombra’s soul had a bit of influence, too. I feel responsible for your state of mind at that moment, so I want to make it up to you somehow. That is, if you’ll let me.”

For a long moment, Xavier regarded Chessmaster. Here was the person that offered him the anthrofication. Part of him was pretty angry at him- furious, even. He’s the reason I went crazy! And he dares ask forgiveness, and offers to help bear the burden of blame? If so, let him bear it all! It’s his fault! His Fault! HIS FAAAUULLT! He slapped himself to cut himself out of it. His eyes widened. That voice… When it tried mixing with his thoughts, he realized that he’d somehow heard it before. That was, heard it before today. There was no way though… right? How could he recall hearing this voice before today, when he was absolutely sure that today was the first time he’d heard it? And why did it push him to remove his gloves? Didn’t it understand? That was a part of himself he hated, that until recently, he thought he could control without covering his hands. So why did this voice want it so badly? He clutched the amulet as he tried to force himself to toss it, far, far away. Yet, for some reason, even now, he just couldn’t bring himself to. Why? Why can’t I get rid of you?!?

The amulet shimmered, and seemed to chuckle. Oh, Xavier. That’s because a primal part of you knows that I am vital to your survival. You cannot get rid of me. Even back when you first found this artifact, and you tried ignoring it, you could not. You have been resilient in resisting my offer heretofore, but time is short. The day that you can no longer resist comes. After all, you couldn’t resist me imposing on your thoughts just recently. Though, that was only to make a point. No amount of “listening to your heart” will keep you from me. Yea, it will instead hasten the day that you accept that you and I are the same person.

Trembling, Xavier was unsure of how to reply to that. Who even was this entity? He desperately wanted for the voice to be wrong, for this to all be hogwash- but no matter what reasoning he tried, he could not deny that something about the amulet always caused him to keep it. Whether the voice was right about why had yet to be seen, so Xavier steeled himself, and used his stubborn nature to reply. We’ll see about that.

Seeing an opportunity to gain more experience with helping others, Prism chimed in. “I may not understand where you’re coming from, exactly, but I think I have something that can help you out. Evidently, from what I’ve gathered, you can’t stand imperfection in yourself. You look at your mistakes with disdain, so you hold onto it. You remind yourself constantly, and don’t let yourself forget. While you should always remember to not repeat your mistakes, remembering them to constantly punish yourself is not healthy. Letting go of your disdain and accepting that you can be better is pivotal to your ability to forgive yourself.”

He’d heard something similar before, but Xavier realized that this time it seemed to stick better than before. Maybe it was because of his new-found determination to prove that voice from the amulet wrong, but no matter what the reason, he took another thought at the actions he’d committed to see if he could bring himself to let go after all this time...

Finally ready to bring his thoughts to the table, Clyde opened up. “You paying attention?” At Xavier’s nod, Clyde continued. “ Good. Listen… I may not have hurt people, or done damage to someplace, but I’ve had trouble forgiving myself over some pretty stupid things I’ve done. Sure, none of it compares scale-wise, but I still feel I have something of value to add here. I was a bit of a… case… after dad’s divorce. Wasn’t exactly my usual suave self, but who could keep composure in that situation? Suffice to say, my actions, as small as they were, left an impact on some people at the time, who I’ve come to understand have long since moved away. It doesn’t help that my own lack of composure wound up landing me in a coma for some time, so I’ve no idea of how to contact those people, to make amends. Nevertheless, I will try, and I urge you to do the same. Try and find those that you’ve hurt, reach out with an olive branch, and let the healing begin.”

To try and actively find those he’d wronged... Xavier knew that would indeed be a monumental undertaking, one he was unsure if it would have a foreseeable conclusion. After all, how many had he hurt or turned away thanks to the whispers of the amulet? How many more would he end up hurting if he didn’t do something about it? These thoughts, though troubling, brought a strange sense of relief to Xavier. He was unsure at this point if he could pull off any of their advice, but… it was certainly worth a try, right? Now if only he had some kind of starting point, or some idea of how to manage all of this...

The spectral voice spoke again. The “Amulet of Spirits” is both right and wrong about listening to your heart. But it is wrong about destiny being an unchanging and written in stone. Look at young Alex. The Viators were destined to to die out within three generations and would’ve if they just submitted to their curse. But they chose to fight the curse the only way they could by embracing it and making a strength. Their family has endured for 12,000 years because of that. Know this, Xavier the curse will not affect you directly. I give you one piece of wisdom, stop hiding your magic. Embrace it as it is apart of you. Alex will accept it as she is learning to control her after suffering surges for three years.

Stop hiding his magic? The power of decay that he could barely keep in check on a good day? Xavier was unsure if this voice was any better than the voice of the amulet! Both wanted him to embrace this power of his, something that could not help anyone, only cause damage. He couldn't find any reason to listen to this bad advice, so he just decided to ignore it altogether.

Deciding to be the penultimate voice on the situation, Sarah finally took her turn. “Forgiving yourself is near impossible when you can’t accept the full scope of who you are. You must come to terms with the fact, that while you can change what you do, you cannot change certain parts of yourself, as they are pivotal to who you are. Once you realize that, you can truly learn to let go of the things you cannot change about yourself, and try using them in a positive, constructive way.”

Eyebrow raised at that oddly specific line of thought, Xavier couldn’t help but wonder if what she said had been influenced. Nevertheless, she spoke of accepting what he couldn’t change as part of the forgiveness process. He looked down to his gloved hands again. He’d only put those on again after he lost control after his encounter with Alex the first time. He’d controlled the decay magic pretty well without them for years up until that point. The question was… could he really accept that part of himself? The part he blamed so many of his problems on? Could such a power be used for something constructive, when its very nature destroyed everything it touched? He didn’t even know. So, he decided to push away the voices, the whispers. To see if he could find an answer in his heart. He hadn’t listened to it in a long time… Could he even recognize what it said? He didn’t know. However, he wasn’t getting anything, heart-speak or otherwise at the moment. He looked over to see Maestro approaching. He decided he’d try again after Maestro was done speaking.

After all the others had said their piece, the time was right, and Maestro stepped forward for the final touch. He’d seen how this would go in a vision he’d tapped into earlier today. He just had to play his cards right. “I’ve been paying attention to the conversations that you’ve been having with the voice from the amulet. Most can’t tap into the telepathic channel, but I’ve been having Servo keep an eye on it. You are fighting back against this entity, and that’s good. Better than I thought to hope for. This voice however, is not native to the amulet. I’ve discerned that the dark magic of Sombra, instead of fully dispersing, latched onto the Amulet of Spirits, and is trying to trick you. Worry not. I know how hard it is, to break away from the cacophony of lies that can worm their way inside your mind. You need support, and that what I’m- we’re- here to offer. But also, Xavier… I’d like to ask your forgiveness once more. For what happened back then… I still regret it, even if I’ve moved past it, mostly. I don’t feel I can truly let go unless I know that you can bring yourself to forgive me for abandoning you back then. Please, Xavier. Let me know that I’m in your good books again.”

Pausing to take all of it in, Xavier tried to reply. “Maestro, I… I for- I for- for…” His breathing got shallow as the amulet started to glow, and the glow turned a sick shade of purple. “F-for…” Xavier was finding it harder to keep his thoughts straight. His left hand moved on its own, bringing the amulet closer.

The amulet’s glow grew harsh as the voice became audible to all in the vicinity. So you think you can rid him of me? Do you not know the reason he was not subdued when he was anthrofied into my form? He and I are quite similar, and that is not to be denied. You may have purged me once from him, but that was a fluke. I have seen his future. He is meant to be me once more, and this time, permanently.

The winds picked up, as most of the group was pushed back. However, Maestro was unmoved. He lit his horn. “Listen to me, Xavier! Focus on my voice! Don’t listen to him! You aren’t meant to be Sombra! There is one you have more in common with! Take a look at the amulet! Is its mark Sombra’s? I think not! It is the mark of the one you share a connection with in Equestria the most! You are not Sombra! You are who you chose to be!” Maestro went closer, and reached out his magic to the amulet, and winced at the power of the dark magic. He didn’t like doing it, but… he had no choice. He tapped into his nightmare shard, as well as his chaos shard. The pain from the dark magic was subdued a little, as Maestro tried to pull it out.

Regarding Maestro for a moment, Xavier tried harder to fight the pull of Sombra’s influence. He wanted many things in life, none of which he’d ever achieve if he became Sombra again! He clenched his fist around the amulet as he focused as hard as he could. His hands took on a gray glow, and his magic tore away the prison that encased it in seconds. He’d never actively called on his magic before, but to do it now… it felt oddly liberating. He felt he was… stronger than before. He had a determined look on his face as he stepped towards Maestro. “Li-listen up, S-sombra! I-i escaped you o-once, so I-i’m sure as heck not g-gonna let you prance about in my h-head again!” His magic focused onto the amulet, though not on the physical object. Instead, he led his focus to Sombra’s presence. “One th-thing you should kn-know!” His eyes narrowed as he spoke. “Don’t try and push around Xavier Hauntus!” As he spoke, a scream could be heard coming from the amulet. Maestro’s magic pulled out a pulsating shard of dark magic, and sealed it away in a container that was teleported away. The amulet stopped glowing, and Xavier let the magic around his hands die down, and Maestro let the nightmare and chaos shards go dormant.

A long silence prevailed, until Maestro spoke out. “Well that was… eventful.” He raised an eyebrow at Xavier. “Hauntus, though? Why’d you pick that one?”

Looking down at his hands, Xavier had a small smile. “I… heard them. My… parents. Their spirits spoke to me through the amulet. I could barely make them out amongst the noise, but… my heart knew it was them. They said… that they wished they could have been there for me, but didn’t have the chance…” He sighed as he shook his head. “At least now I know that they didn’t abandon me out of spite. At least now… I know who I am.” He looked back to Maestro. “As for what happened in the past… consider it forgiven. After all,” Xavier smiled. “How could I keep a grudge about something childish like that after you helped me just now? Really, though… Thank you.” He looked off to the side. “While I still don’t know if I can forgive myself completely… I’m getting there. As for the lessons… I think now, I might be a bit more open to applying them. Today, a weight has been lifted. But… change doesn’t come easy for me. Regardless, I will… try.” A cheer went out among the group, as they celebrated a big step in Xavier’s progress. It was getting late, so the group bade each other farewell, and went their separate ways.

The voice that spoke during the events then said, "Well done, young Hauntus. You have opened the door to a possibly brighter future. Now you must choose whether to go through or not. You also have to choose whether to accept Alex’s offer or pass on it. Know that I cannot advise you any more until you choose to. Be at peace.” Then the voice was silent.

As the others faded into the distance, Xavier stopped at what he heard. That voice again…. He looked over to Alex, who’d stopped for an unknown reason. He regarded her for a moment. She had magic before anthrofication. She knew what it was like. Should he take that odd offer of hers? He still was unsure. He looked down to the Amulet of Spirits, which was now cleansed of Sombra’s presence. He focused on the whispers, looking for a specific pair… If he was to take this offer, he wanted their opinion. He listened for a moment… He heard them again. It was… nice, to hear them. However, he kinda expected the advice they gave. Listen to my heart… Could I even recognize what it says? Let’s try again… He pushed out all foreign sounds, and focused. He listened for a while, uncertain of what it would even be like to “hear” his heart. For a moment, it seemed like he would get nothing… But then…

It is not time. You are not ready. Patience, and you will find your answer, in time…

Blinking for a moment, Xavier sighed as he walked away. Not ready? What does that even mean? He was unsure what that was about, but… He knew better than to question its advice. He walked on purposefully towards home.

We cut to a plane in mid-flight, and go on-board. Sitting in a seat near the front is a young woman with tan skin. On her left side is a boy and on her right is a girl, both sleeping while leaning on either shoulder, using her long brown hair as a makeshift pillow. Said young woman doesn’t mind, however, as they are family. Said young woman sighs as she looks at an archived email from Josephus- or rather, Maestro. She’d never seen him after he’d e-mailed her about his transformation, but tomorrow was bound to change that. Who he wanted her to help though, that was still a mystery. Natalie yawned a little, and blinked her green eyes. She could worry about this tomorrow morning, when the plane landed. So, she drifted off to sleep, not noticing that a new email had popped up...

Author's Note

This took a while, but here it is! Chapter 26! Did you really expect Sombra to just leave poor Xavier alone? Now with a solid step in Xavier's breakthrough, you might think it's going to wind down quickly. No, but it will wind down a smidge. As for the next chapter, I hope to get it out sometime next month. See you then!

Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 10: Natalie Lends a Hand

The day starts with an airplane landing at the airport. Natalie steps off the plane, lugging some bags over her shoulder. Her long brown hair blows in the wind as she takes out her phone. She looks at a picture that was sent her five years ago. Five people that she knew, all smiling around her. She straightens her teal dress, and speaks. “It’s been a long time since then, Maestro. I wonder what else has changed?” She then looked to the two children that followed her out of the plane. They were a boy and a girl, both having a light tan to their Caucasian skin. The girl had dirty blonde hair, and the boy had black hair. The girl had almost tripped over air, but the boy had stopped her fall with his walking cane. Natalie sighed and shook her head. “C’mon, Erin, Eric. Let’s get a move on! Your brother is anxious to see you!” As they got their act together, Natalie looked off into the distant town. “I wonder who he wants me to help him with, exactly…”

After school that day, Trixie and her friends found Maestro chatting cheerily with his girlfriend, Sarah. He was about to continue the conversation when Twilight and company approached. Twilight addressed him first. “Maestro, the girls and I were talking, and we were wondering… Do you have an alternative way of dealing with our confused feelings? Some of us aren’t too keen on the options that Ayumi knows of.”

Putting a pin in his chat with his girlfriend and processing that for a moment, Maestro responded cautiously. “I suppose you mean those of you that were once male that still feel a pull to girls as well as the new-found attraction to boys?” At the five former males’ nods, he sighed. “If I did so happen to know of a way, I first need to know…” He paused for a moment, considering his next words carefully. “Which of you are the ones that are interested in if I know of such an alternative?" All five of the former males of the group rose their hands, and this caused Maestro to quirk an eyebrow. “So all five, then? Then let me ask you this: How many of you would want to go through with said alternative, even if it was permanent?” The former males hesitated, and Maestro sighed. “It’s understandable that you’d hesitate. And a good thing you did, too. Such a decision should not be made lightly. Take your time- it’s your choice.”

Trixie and friends approached, and Tyra spoke up. “Are you just stringing them along, or do you know a way?”

Blinking at that, Maestro nodded. “I do know of a spell, yes. But it’s important that they choose if they want this or not- after all, I would never force it upon them.” He then quirked an eyebrow. “Why? Are you interested in the spell, too?”

At that, Tyra hesitated, but then answered with a question of her own. “What does this spell do?”

The former males among Twilight’s company perked up at this, curious as well. Maestro puzzled out how best to describe it, then answered in a way he felt most everyone could understand. “Ever heard of the term ‘crossed wires’?” At everyone's nods, he continued. “Basically, this spell allows the caster to uncross those wires. However, it is a very delicate process, and does involve magic delving into your brain. Not to worry- when using the spell, I would be careful of the areas around the wires. That is, if you want it cast on you. The spell is permanent, so take all the time you need to think about it. The offer’s always open to those who feel they can’t take the pull to both genders anymore.”

Before any of them could make a solid decision on that, a call was heard from the direction of the airport. “Maestro!” The group turned to see three humans run up to said anthro. The older of the three stopped short as the younger two hugged their older brother. “I brought them, just like you asked.”

Chuckling at his younger siblings’ antics, he spoke to them. “It’s nice to see you two again as well, Eric and Erin. Sorry I haven’t stopped by. I’ve been terribly busy.” He then pried away from their hug, and shook Natalie’s hand for a bit before drawing her into a brief hug. “Good to see you too, cuz. Been a long five years, hasn’t it?” He broke away, and gestured to the other anthros. “These are my friends, just like I wrote you about.” Each of them stepped forward as he introduced and pointed to them. “Twilight, Rarity, Ashley, Micaela, Pinkie, Flora, Trixie, Rae, Dianna, Cheryl, Tyra, Carmen…” He then noticed yet another group approach, and smiled as he continued introductions. “ Sunset, Ayumi, Alex, Star, Brianna, Gearbox, his brother Clyde, and she…” Sarah drew close to Maestro, and he put an arm around her shoulders. “Is my girlfriend, Sarah.” He then gestured to Natalie. “Everyone, this is my cousin, Natalie.” He then gestured to the two that had glomped him earlier. “And those would be my full-blood siblings, Eric, and his twin sister Erin.”

Digesting all those introductions, Natalie smiled sheepishly as her gaze scanned them. “Wow, that’s uh… a lot of anthros.” She turned to Maestro. “Also, why didn’t you inform me that you had a girlfriend now?”

Raising an eyebrow at that, Maestro put a hand to his chin and muttered. “That’s odd. I thought I’d sent an email about that a few days ago…” He then pulled his hand away from his chin, and shrugged. “Maybe you just didn’t notice it. You are notorious for not checking it often.” “You probably didn’t even read the one I sent you about Laranda and Reina’s anthrofications…”

Balking at that, Natalie stepped back a little. “Wha?! They did?” She noticed that Janice and Servo were approaching, and pointed at them bashfully. “Ehe. Are those them?” she pulled out her phone, and went to her emails, scrolling through them until she found one from Maestro, and opened it. She looked to the two of them, and studied them. “So…” She turned to Servo. “She used to be Laranda…” She then regarded Janice. “And she used to be Reina…”

Nodding, Maestro smiled as they came close. “Yes. Though, I don’t know where Chess is at the moment….”

Puzzled, Natalie spoke up. “Chess? Who’s…?”

Face-palming, Maestro sighed. “You didn’t read the one about Renaldus’ anthrofication either? I sent that one almost a month ago! I even sent an update on how things were with him a few days ago! Seriously, Natalie. You need to be more on the ball when it comes to your emails.”

“She reminds me of my Aunt Carla.” The anthro mouse said as she facepaws.

Scrolling further, Natalie saw the email in question. She sighed as she shakes her head, and replied. “Don’t get on my case like that! I just get really into my astronomy, alright? I don’t often find time for keeping up with social stuff online.” After a quick skimming of the emails, she puts away her phone. She looks forlornly at Maestro. “Still… didn’t expect you to have a girlfriend by the time I came by… You two do look good together, though. I’m… happy for you.”

Sighing, Maestro smiled a little. “Thanks, Nats. It’s nice to see that you didn’t… well, you know.” He then jerks his head over in the direction of the park. “C’mon. There’s somebody else that you should meet. An old friend of mine who needs your kind of touch.”

Nodding, Natalie spoke up as she followed the group. “I remember you mentioning that on the phone. Who exactly do you want me to help, anyway?”

Shaking his head, Maestro evaded the answer. “You probably don’t know him.”

They reached the park before Natalie could speak up, and they found Xavier facing away from them. He was in front of a withered tree,that had not been taken care of, and was beyond help, on its last legs. He reached out a hand, and coated it in gray glow. “Poor thing, so forgotten, uncared for… You are not much longer for this world. I will make it not take so long. Rest in peace.” He then touched his hand to the tree, which suddenly started to crumble to dust. As it did, its remains sunk into the ground to nourish what would come to be planted there next. Putting the glow away, Xavier took a shovel that was near the two saplings that he’d set down, and started to dig two holes. He spoke up. “So you’ve come. I’m busy at the moment, Maestro. Please, wait for a moment.” Xavier diligently dug until the holes were far enough apart from each other, and deep enough. He then took the saplings, and unwrapped them carefully. He then placed them down, one in each hole. He covered the holes up carefully, and patted gently. After he was done, he wiped his hands. He turned around. “So, what’s the… lesson…”

Noticing that Xavier had seen the new person, Maestro lit up. “Ah, yes. I see that you’ve taken notice.” He gestured to Natalie, who was also stunned at who she saw. “Xavier, this is my cousin, -”

“Natalie.” Xavier had cut Maestro off suddenly, leaving him flabbergasted. “It’s been a while, huh?”

Looking a bit guilty, Natalie glanced away. “Uh, hi… Xavier. Look, about what happened back then… I-”

Xavier raised a hand to cut her off. “It’s in the past. I understand why you did what you did. Even though you were the only one among my first set of friends to be okay with my powers, peer pressure can make you do stupid things. Really, I understand… and I forgive you.”

Recovering from his confusion, Maestro looked between the two of them. “Okay, since when do you two know each other? And why wasn’t I told about this?! No letter, no email, no nothing!”

Scratching the back of her head nervously, Natalie chuckled. “Well, we met a few years back. It was roughly a month or two after you two had a falling out. I was with some other friends of mine when we first met. We became fast friends, but when I first saw his magic, Xavier thought that I’d hate him. I didn’t yell or scream, nor run away in fear. I just smiled, and said ‘You think that you’re an oddball? Try having astral projection.’ We laughed about it, and grew close as friends. However, when the rest of them saw his magic… They didn’t respond as well as I did. They were scared of him, for magic had been lost from the public mind. I tried reasoning with them, but… then they pressured me. Side with them, or go. I know what I should’ve chosen back then, but I was scared. I felt I needed to have a large group around me, for security. So… I turned my back on one friend to stick with some questionable ones. It… wasn’t my proudest moment. It took courage built up for months to finally break away from them, to say that I had to find Xavier, and apologize. And now…” She smiled sadly. “I’m glad that he’s forgiven me. I don’t know if he could ever forgive the others, but… maybe someday.”

The anthro mouse adjusted her shoulder bag and asked, “How do you have death magic and be as healthy as you are?”

Raising an eyebrow, Xavier regarded Alex. “Ah. It’s… you.” He then turned slightly away. “More like decay, but I get your point. Shouldn’t I be a shriveled up prune?” He shook his head. “The answer in no. Turns out, your family and mine have a lot more in common than I thought. I looked into it, and… I found some records. Ancient magic of Earth, long since forgotten. My family has had access to the two main magics of Earth for a long time-” his right glowed gray. “Decay, and…” his left hand glowed azure. “...Growth.” He chuckles as he lets the two forces go. “I didn’t even know that I could use my magic for anything but destruction. It took a bit of practice, but I’ve gotten the other half to cooperate. It was… harder than you might think. Regardless, because I had the innate ability for both, the decay magic doesn’t speed up my aging, or cause ill effects.” He smiled, and it was somewhat refreshing yet also odd to see that smile more genuine than before. He sighed. “Ever since I accepted my magic, I’ve tried thinking of useful ways of employing it- decay especially- in a helpful way. It’s given me a sense of purpose that I’ve never quite had before.”

Stepping onto the scene, Chessmaster nodded in approval. “A noble aim if I’ve ever heard one. Just don’t dive too deep into your magic. Proficient in it or not, you could be consumed by it if you’re not careful.” He then turned his attention to Natalie. “Ah, you’ve arrived! Good to see you again. Though, a lot has changed since we last met…”

Looking a little self-conscious, Natalie nodded slightly. “Maestro explained everything... Or rather, directed me to some of his emails that explained it.” She turned to Maestro, who was a bit calmer now. “So, you need my help with Xavier… Why, exactly?”

Adjusting his vest, Maestro explained. “Well, I didn’t exactly understand why my visions pointed you out, until now. You connected with Xavier on a level that I did not, which makes you ideal for helping us help him get back to his old self… Well, a marginally acceptable reconstruction of that, anyway. Too much has occurred for him to really go back to who he once was completely.”

Looking to the others, Xavier shrugged. “True. But what’re we going for today? If I remember correctly, it’s loyalty again. Right? So. I’ll listen to what you have to say. What else can you tell me about… Loyalty?”

Deciding to take a different avenue than before, Micaela, Tyra, and Bethany stepped forward. Nodding amongst themselves, Tyra spoke up first. “The last time we approached this subject may not have gone well, but I still think some of it stuck back then, even if you wouldn’t openly admit it at the time. Let me give you a little question: Let’s say that you have somewhere important to be. It’s not exactly crucial that you be there at a certain time, but you feel that you should be there before a certain time. However, you have a friend who needs your help in some capacity, and it’s an emergency. What should you do?”

Xavier blinked for a bit. They were testing him? That was vastly different than last time… Still, he figured that he would at least put in the effort. He then felt he had an answer. “Well, it’s a bit difficult to say, really. But surely if the place you have to be isn’t too terribly insistent that you be there at a certain time, the people expecting you will understand if you take time to help your friend, even if it takes long enough that it causes you to get to where you need to be later than expected. From what I understand, if you are loyal to somebody, you should be willing to make reasonable sacrifices to help them when they need it.”

Seeing progress, Micaela brought up a new point. “While you do have basically the right idea, I don’t think you truly understand. Let’s say that you have other troubles on your mind. There’s a deadline for something your working on, and you can’t afford to be late. However, one of your friends needs your help, and though it’s trivial, you’re the only one that can help them. What would you do?”

This was a problem that Xavier wasn’t so certain that he could solve. Sure, the previous question was difficult, but it had a relatively simple answer. This one, however.... He thought about it for a while. What would he do if presented with this problem in real life? After soul-searching for a little bit, he felt he had an answer. “Honestly, it depends. Can their problem wait until after your deadline? Or, can it not? If it can wait, surely they will understand if you finish the more pressing matter first. If it cannot, then try and put as much time as you can feasibly spare into the problem. Regardless of whether you finish the pressing matter first or later, it is important to help them if you can spare the time.”

Taking the next point, Bethany took the wheel. “It seems that you’re really starting to understand. But let’s see if you can figure this one out. Let’s say you have a real tough decision: Either you can get to work on time, but to do that you have to ignore what your friend needs, right there and then. Or, you can help your friend out, and risk running late and getting told off by your boss. What is more important? Your friend’s trust, or being on time to work?”

This next problem hit a little close to home for Xavier. Regardless of what else you could say about him, being punctual was one of those things he prided himself on. Could he bring himself to sacrifice that kind of reputation? To have such a blemish on his record? He bit his lip, uncertain as to how to answer. He knew what they probably expected, but… He pushed out the negative thoughts plaguing his mind. He listened to the whistling of the wind for a moment. He then visibly relaxed. “From what you’ve said, I believe most of you would say the trust of a friend is more important. As for me… I honestly don’t know. I think… I would see if I could help, for as long as I could spare. Then, if I had not managed to solve the issue and had no time left to spare, I would direct them to somebody else I think might be able to help, and then leave with enough time to get to work on time. I believe they would appreciate that I at least tried to help, and understand if I had to go before I was done. At least, that would be what ideally would happen.”

Feeling confident that she understood how to help, Natalie added her perspective. “You figured a third way to go about it, one that tries to satisfy all parties. But what of this? Let’s say that there’s a friend of yours that has never had your back, has never been there for you. But something happens, and said friend needs your help- desperately. This problem won’t go away overnight, and you’re the only one that they can trust to help them. Do you sacrifice hours, days, possibly weeks of your time to help out this friend who has never helped you out when you needed it? Or, do you give them a taste of their own medicine, in this their most desperate hour?”

Silence fell as Xavier pondered. He was almost inclined to answer that he’d leave them high and dry. Yet… that was what he would’ve done before the whole debacle with becoming Sombra for a small time. That day had changed him, as seeing oneself as a monster was bound to do to a person. He listened to the wind, calming his tumultuous thoughts. He relaxed, and gave his answer. “If you had asked me that question when we first started these lessons, I wouldn’t hesitate to say I’d leave them to suffer, saying it would ‘serve them right’.” He shook his head. “But… I’ve changed. At least, I’d like to think so. Maybe I would consider doing so for a moment, maybe even joke about it. I can’t say for sure. But… If presented with that situation… I think that I would put aside what they’d done, and try my best to help, giving all the time I could spare. I probably would harp on them a little, saying that they should try not to land in that situation again. And when it was all over… Well, who’s to say what could happen?”

The majority of the group were quite surprised at how well this had gone. Last time hadn’t worked out well, but this time around had gone quite smoothly. There were probably a multitude of factors, but it was something to be happy about. But then they remembered the challenge sent to them on the first day by “The Crystalline Eye”. Nodding amongst themselves, they headed towards the place that he’d asked them to go to. Those that hadn’t been there when it was sent looked between one another and shrugged before following.

Arriving in the Outback a little before 4 PM, they saw a figure facing away from them. The sight of the figure caused Maestro and his half-siblings to gasp in shock, for they thought it impossible that they were seeing this. The figure was clad in a regal blue robe, and stood taller than anyone else they’d seen. Then the figure turned to face them, and smiled. He was a crystal unicorn anthro, with brilliant white features aside from his crystalline blue eyes. Around the neck area of the robe could be seen three clear gems of different types. “I see that you’re early. Well then. Shall we start?”

Ashley was the first to view the newcomer. “Is this our host f’r this part of the Friendship lessons?” She asked the other anthros in the group.

In a hushed voice, Maestro spoke in reverence. “How…? You’re really…? The real deal? The Crystalline Eye, Crystalon?”

The strange anthro chuckled. “I suppose you could say that, yes. I’ve been given opportunity to see this world at this period of time. Now, as for my challenge to you...” He lit his horn a brilliant blue. He teleported six artifacts to his side. He then gave them to Trixie and her five main friends, smiling. “I trust that you recognize these?”

Eyes wide, Trixie took the tiara that had come her way in her hands. She noticed that Rae and the others had grabbed hold of the necklaces that had come their way. Trixie regarded Crystalon. “These are… the Lunaverse’s… this challenge of yours… could it be?”

Smirking, Crystalon nodded. “It seems that you’ve caught on. Yes. Let’s begin.” His horn’s glow turned white. He ripped open a portal, and out came a very familiar anthro- albeit somewhat different. It was a Celestia anthro, though she looked odd to all that didn’t know.

Trixie however, knew exactly what was going on. The lack of pupils and irises on those white orbs, and the flaming state of the mane and tail- this was not the Celestia that everyone had come to know in the cannon of the show. She was about to tell the others to step back, but then a dome of white magic trapped Twilight and her main friends in with Trixie and her five main friends. She looked over to Crystalon, who shook his head. “Oh, don’t be like that. This is part of the challenge. You know how it worked out in the Lunaverse, but who’s to say it won’t work out differently here? If Corona is here, who’s to say the Elements of Harmony from this world couldn’t deal with her? That’s the point of this experiment- I want to see if the specific Elements of Harmony from a villain’s particular reality are needed to defeat them or not. Let’s see if the Main Elements can take care of the problem first. If not... That’s where you and your friends come in, Trixie.”

As Crystalon left the arena, the Corona anthro lit her horn with a golden glow, and the light of the sun intensified. Her white orbs glared at the two groups within the dome. It was if she was daring them to try something. Twilight looked to her friends as they took out their Elements of Harmony, and she placed hers on her head. From outside, Maestro shook his head. “It’s not going to work. Watch.”

Twilight and her group summoned the power of their Elements, and attempted to send the Corona anthro packing. However, they barely even lifted off the ground before they set down on the ground again, no rainbow in sight. Twilight and her group were confused, but they couldn’t even pull themselves together as Corona attacked with a ball of fire. Trixie and her friends stepped in the way as their Elements activated. The iconic rainbow came to life, and knocked away the fireball easily. Corona refused to just accept defeat, however. She tapped into her magic, trying to fight off the Elements with a blast of golden magic. “No! I am Celestia! I am the Sun! Your corrupted Elements will not defeat me!”

Regardless of her insistence, the Elements easily beat back the beam of gold magic, and knocked Corona back towards the portal. But, she was not quite backed through it just yet. She latched onto the edge of the portal, refusing to be defeated. She struggled to keep herself from being pushed back into the portal. However, her struggling was for naught, as she was pushed back into the portal before it closed. The Elements cooled down, and Trixie and her friends let out a sigh of relief. Before they could celebrate, Crystalon let down the dome, and came back. “Well, now that’s interesting… So I was right after all. Not surprising, though.” He then bowed. “You have satisfied my curiosity on this subject. I will take my leave.”

Ashley looked over at Trixie and her friends, “So, we can handle, say Discord, the Changeling Queen, Nightmare Moon, and maybe Tirek, but not the alternate versions of villains from other dimensions without the Elements of Harmony from that dimension?”

Pausing as he heard that, Crystalon turned back to the group. “Not necessarily. There are some exceptions- Take a villain from a dimension that has their name and origin spread across more than one reality. Feasibly, they can be dealt with using any Element set from a reality they appear in. The reason that you could not defeat Corona with your Elements of Harmony is because she is not Daybreaker, the evil Celestia possible in the reality your Elements hail from. The origin for each of them is different, and their drive and goals are different, meaning that the Elements that can deal with them are different sets, wielded by different bearers. Nevertheless, I only did this to see if I was right about that presumption- which I was.” He then teleported the Lunaverse Elements away from their bearers, sending them back to where they belonged. “You won’t be needing those, now that the portal is closed permanently. Don’t worry, I made sure of that. Your reality is now incapable of connecting with realities that are too different from your own. If there’s nothing else….”

As Crystalon started to leave, Maestro called out. “Wait!”

Crystalon turned, raising an eyebrow. “You…” His eyes widened for a moment, but then relaxed as he smiled. “Ah. I know you… What troubles you?”

Calming a bit, Maestro raised a question. “You said earlier that you were ‘given opportunity to see this world at this period of time’. What did you mean by that?”

Pausing, Crystalon looked at a portal that had appeared. “This was my final wish. To see the world I discovered at its peak crossover with my Equestria. That is how I’m here, when I’m supposed to be gone. The princesses allowed me this, before the end. It’s good to see that this world has grown.” He smiled as turned back one last time. “Farewell, intrepid one. A grand destiny awaits you, Maestro. I’m glad that I could meet you, before the end. A great future is ahead, if you will but believe. Farewell, ųi yüch.”

As Crystalon disappeared through the time-travel portal back to the past, Maestro gasped. Those words… So it was him… Maestro knew what those words meant. He sighed. Today had been draining, even though he hadn’t done much. He walked off, his family in tow. The others in the area didn’t know what those words meant, nor could even postulate as to what they could possibly mean. So they left it be for now, and went their separate ways for the day.

Author's Note

So a new direction presents itself, and the payoff for the set up of "The Crystalline Eye". I hope you Lunaverse fans can understand why I made Corona's appearance brief, seeing as the main characters of the Anthros of Harmony Universe are not Trixie and her Luna 6 friends. Though I do hope you enjoyed that she showed up, regardless of how short-lived that appearance ended up being. I hope you stick around for when Chapter 28 rolls around.

Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 11: Uncertain Future

The day starts in the Outback when a strange golden portal opens up. Coming out from the portal are a group of Anthros. The apparent leader, a light gray unicorn, seals up the portal, turning to the rest of his group. “Everyone remember their codenames? We can’t risk altering things too much.” The rest of the group consisted of light orange pegasus, a dark indigo thestral, a dark blue earth pony, a dark yellow griffin, a light purple catfolk, and an ice blue pegasus. The menagerie then sounded off.

“Skyreach reporting, Slighthand sir!”

“Renddown reporting, sir!”

“Mystquake reporting, bro- I mean, sir!”

“Hawk-blood reporting, sir!”

“Catseye reporting, sir!”

“Frigid Temper reporting, boss.”

Nodding, “Slighthand” took a commanding pose, his silver mane blowing in the wind. “Alright. You all know your assignments, correct?” At their nods, he smiled. “Good. commence Operation: Assist Heart!” the others broke into salutes, and went off. “Slighthand” looked to where the portal he’d opened had been. “It won’t be long, my friends. We just need to ensure a few things…” He then went off in a different direction than his fellows.

The next day after school, Trixie and her group of friends were on their way to the park when they saw Ashley, Twilight, Ayumi, Alex and Daring talking with a new thestral anthro. She had a dark red mane and tail, and blood red eyes. She had black fur, accentuated by her crimson dress. Trixie was baffled by this, but not as baffled as Maestro, who had just come onto the scene. He pointed at the new anthro, and looked a bit agitated. “Who’s this, now? I didn’t see her in my visions…”

The anthro noticed the group, and smiled as she introduced herself. “I was once known as Crimson Strings, but you can call me Serine Nocta.”

“My Uncle dropped her devouring mirror prison in his haste to get out of the area after a spell of his didn't go of the way he planned it.” Alex said. “I pulled her out of it and Ashley destroyed it.”

Raising an eyebrow, Trixie then shrugged. “Well, as long as she’s on our side…”

Glaring at the new thestral, Maestro harrumphed. “I don’t like it. I didn’t see this happening…” He sighed, rolling his shoulders as he relaxed. “Whatever. Time to roll with it, I suppose…”

However, Ayumi went up to Maestro. “Before we go, there’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask you…” Maestro quirked an eyebrow, and motioned for Ayumi to continue. “Do you know of someone known as ‘the Maestro’?”

Maestro blinked for a bit, and puzzled about it. His expression lit up. “Yes, actually. Omniversal villain, takes over people whose names were born as ‘Maestro’, and generally all-around bad dude. Don’t know much else, though.” he pauses, regarding Ayumi with a quizzical look. “Why? I mean, it’s not like he could control me anyway. My birth name isn’t Maestro, and the same goes for my pony counterpart. Even if it’s not only people who have their born name be Maestro that he can control, I have a failsafe. Not a very… conventional one, but it should work to defend myself if need be. It even adapts and changes against every attempt to control my mind. So really, there’s no need to worry. I’ll be fine.”

That was where Maestro was going to leave it, but Ayumi was still concerned. “Even so, you should open up more. We’re your friends. You can trust us, alright? We deserve more than you’ve given us.”

Hearing that, Maestro halted, and the group stopped. He looked somewhat different. Almost… sad. “Do you? Do you think that you could handle the truth? I mean, when you use that weave of yours, and see things, you jump to so many conclusions… and when it turns out that you’re wrong, you apologize, sure. But then you just go and jump to another conclusion later. Do you see me doing that with my visions? Do I assert that I’m right about what I see? No. More often than not, I welcome the idea that I could be wrong. If you want more from me… I need a promise from you. The next time that you see something that concerns me, or seems to, ask me if you’re right before you assert that you’re right. Take into consideration my feelings about what you’re doing, what harm it could do if the information is wrong. Will you promise me this?”

“I shall. Again I’m sorry for asserting that my visions are true, that’s never been my intention, The Weave shows me multiple futures all at once and the ones I see the clearest usually have some truth to them or are a warning of what may come to pass.” Ayumi looked down as a few tears slid down her cheeks. “I’m still learning to not let what I see influence my actions as much, but as you have witnessed I’m not far into that training.”

Maestro was a little stunned. He’d half expected her to not be able to make such a promise… Maybe he’d judged her too quickly. Even so, what more could he safely trust them with? He’d told them a fair amount already… He thought about it a bit, then sighed. He started walking towards the park. “Listen. I… I’ll tell you more in a little while. Just… Let’s see how Xavier’s progress goes today, then… I’ll tell you a little more.” The group followed in silence, leaving Maestro to his thoughts. I could tell them about why it’s hard for my family to trust others… that should be safe enough. Anything beyond that… is too risky to tell them. They may be my friends now, but if they knew the full truth at this point… I’ve seen what they’d do with 100% accuracy. No other future exists for if I told them everything. They’d turn on me. I’ve seen this one and only set in stone future for if I tell them now. That’s why it must remain hidden, for now. He turned his attention to Serine. As for her… she’s not supposed to even be here. A misstep. I’ve heard things about her past. The Nightmare mode she has, and what it did. The others don’t seem to care that she’s done horrendous things, or don’t seem to know. If they do know, they probably are giving her a ‘chance’, to show that she’s ‘changed’. I still don’t like that she’s here. I didn’t see her among the players on the field when all comes to a close… Perhaps there is a way to… he shook his head. No. If I sealed her back in a mirror, they’d just get angry. I don’t need to use my visions to see that a mile away. I’ll let her be, for now. But if she crosses that line again… She’ll get exactly what she deserves.

The group soon came to the park, and saw that Xavier was waiting. The others that were necessary were already there as well- that being Kim and Natalie. Xavier raised an eyebrow when he saw Serine. “You’re new. But also… ancient.” he closed his eyes for a moment, smiling sadly. “Ah. A lost soul, long forgotten. Far from the time she was meant to live in, cursed to die in a time where most have forgotten her. How… tragic.” He shook his head. “The spirits would welcome you, but I still see that you have much to live for. You are not ready to rest.”

Puzzled, Serine regarded Xavier. “Spirits? You can hear the departed?”

Xavier shrugged. “More or less. It’s hard to focus on specific ones unless they are closely related to me, however. The further away the relation, the harder it is to make the connection.” He looked a bit regretful. “Sorry that it’s not of much use to you.” He then regarded the rest of them.

Before he could continue however, Clyde came into the area. He looked around, as if looking for something, or somebody. As he did, he drew close to the others, and they noticed he had a more… serious look on his face. Concerned, Maestro grabbed his shoulder. He then brought his eyes around, so they were looking at him. “What’s gotten into you? You seem… worried.”

However, Clyde did not calm down. He was more than worried. Stressed was more like it. “I’ve got not time for this! I need to ‘choose one’, before it’s too late! Oh, but… how can I choose...:?”

Throttling him a little, Maestro yelled at him. “Pull yourself together! What’s going on? Who told you to ‘choose’?”

The sound of wings filled the air, cutting off a response. They looked to the sky, and saw a light orange pegasus anthro descend, a serious look in his maroon eyes. His white mane flowed gently as he touched ground. “I did. It’s best he make haste, honestly. There’s not much time left.”

One of Maestro’s eyes twitched. Who does this joker think he is? I didn’t see him in my visions either! What’s going on?!? He hated this feeling, this uncertainty. This player wasn’t even supposed to exist! He knew what to ask. “Just who are you, huh? What makes it right for you to go frightening Clyde into an early mid-life crisis?”

The unexpected anthro bowed slightly. “My apologies. I only did what I thought would get results. As for who I am, you may call me Skyreach. It’s an honor to meet you, Maestro Spectrum.”

Jackpot! Now that he had a name from this joker, Maestro knew what to do next. Time to see what these people have changed…. He focused, pushing away all distractions. He reached out for the future, determined to see how mucked up they’d made it with their presence. He needed to know. C’mon… Almost there…. Show me the possibilities!

But, as he reached out, something unprecedented happened. He saw so many images flash before his eyes, unconnected, unorganized. The futures that he’d seen before were in there somewhere, he just couldn’t find them. But as he tried pushing a little further, a voice sounded in his head. The Future is now Uncertain. There is nothing concrete anymore. Begone.

Maestro was thrown back a bit, and was caught by Sarah, who had just arrived. He clutched his head in pain, the most pain he’d ever felt in his life. He looked to “Skyreach”, then to Serine. The presence of two unpredicted wild cards has changed this much?!? Or are there more players on the field that are changing things? This has never happened before…

Sighing, “Skyreach” shook his head. “I see now that you’ve tried looking into me… and it’s given you quite the shock. Not to worry, though. My compatriots and I are here on a noble quest, one that does not interfere with what you need do. Rather, you shall find our quest to be quite bolstering to yours.” He noticed Ayumi, and chuckled at her failure to see the future with her weave. “You think you could see, when Maestro was denied? How delusional.” He looked to Clyde. “As for you… I’m sorry if I pressured you too much. You still must choose one, but not right away. Test your options, then judge for yourself which is the right fit. You’ll know when you’ve found the right fit.” He turned to the rest of the group. “You will probably meet my compatriots later- and quite a meeting it will be. It’s too bad that I didn’t meet Chessmaster or Brianna, but… oh well.” He shrugged. “My compatriots are as follows: ‘Renddown’ the thestral, ‘Mystquake’ the earth pony, ‘Hawk-blood’ the griffin, ‘Catseye’ the catfolk, ‘Frigid Temper’ a fellow pegasus, and our leader ‘Slighthand’ the unicorn. We have other compatriots, but they could not join us as of yet. There were... issues... with our transportation.”

The group was unsure as to who this anthro was and what his intentions were- He seemed cordial, but… what exactly were he and his compatriots up to? They looked to Ayumi, who seemed a little miffed at “Skyreach”’s earlier gibe. They then looked to Maestro, who had recently pushed through the pain. He seemed oddly calm as he looked to “Skyreach”, but still a bit anxious. He sighed. “You… I don’t know exactly why you’re here, or who you are… but something about you makes it impossible for me to not trust that you meant what you said. I don’t know who you are, kid, but… You seem like a good one to me. I don’t know what it is, but… I just got this gut feeling, telling me that you’re trustworthy.” He shrugged. “Maybe it’s your similarities to somebody I know. Who can say for sure?” He then had a serious look as his eyes locked with “Skyreach”’s. “Just don’t prove me wrong, and we’ll have no problem. Alright?” at “Skyreach”’s nod, he turned to the others. “Alright. Leave him be. We’ve got work to do.”

Puzzled at Maestro’s odd behavior, Ayumi voiced her concern. “Wait, why do you trust him? You barely know him! What’s he got that we don’t?”

Pausing, Maestro considered it for a moment. He then shrugged. “Don’t know. Just… feels right. I feel that I could trust him with practically anything- and the thought strangely doesn’t give me chills. I may have been surprised when he showed up, and a bit angry at what he did to Clyde, but as he explained… I couldn’t help but feel that he was sincere. It may seem that I’m putting an awful lot of faith in this stranger- and I suppose you would have a point. But something, deep in my soul, tells me that he’s no stranger. That I… know him, somehow. I know that probably doesn’t make much sense, but it’s the only way that I can explain it.”

Looking from Maestro to “Skyreach”, Xavier tried to deduce why this was the case. After all, Maestro had said he didn’t know him, yet knew him at the same time. After a while of trying to puzzle it out and finding that it was still not apparent, he decided to let it drop for now as “Skyreach” went on his way.

“I understand.” Ayumi said surprising Maestro. “I may seem happy go lucky, but I’m actually terrified of losing those I trust. It’s why I push for more friends, it’s why Pinkie does so as well.”

Maestro knew Ayumi’s intentions, but it wouldn‘t help him open up any faster. He’d already said he’d tell her and the others more later. He collected himself, and turned to Xavier. “That’s all well and good, but I think we should move to the task at hand.”

Taking the hint, Ashley stepped forward along with Rae. They were soon alongside Kim and Natalie, and shortly discussed who should take the reigns first. It was soon evident who was given the privilege as Rae made the first case. “You know how I tend to be up front and open with my thoughts? How I don’t believe in sugar-coating unless it seems necessary? There was an instance with an anger management class that could’ve changed everything. During this period, I was following the advice of a surprisingly good anger coach. His advice of letting things not get to me, and to hold my opinions more often at least seemed to be helpful for a while. That is, until my friends opened my eyes to what my new lease on life was doing to those around me, even my younger brother. They confronted the ‘coach’, and it was revealed that he had hypnotized me into ‘bypassing’ my anger, turning anything that would anger me into something that made me happy. However, they did manage to get that reversed, and I was back to my old self. There was a lot of regret as I, under the hypnotism, had sugar-coated so many things that it had worried and/or offended those that knew me. The ties were restored eventually, but that was due to tireless effort. I grew from this experience, and while my friends are used to my blunt nature, I’ve grown accustomed to being a bit more… gentle with the truth when talking to those that are not used to me. Still don’t sugar coat completely, though. It’s not who I am.”

Xavier could understand why she had related this story to him. This was basically a cautionary tale about too much sugar coating… possibly also about trusting implicitly? Though he’d nothing to worry about in that area. He nodded his head, signalling that he’d gotten the gist of it. “Too much of anything can be bad, if the cards line up in just the correct way. So, what else is there to honesty? Making sure you don’t sugar coat everything is a good pursuit, but how can one truly judge who can handle full bluntness? Is it even quantifiable?”

Trying to answer his query, Ashley thought about it. After some consideration, she felt she might have a good answer. “It’s certainly not easy to tell, Ah’ll admit. With friends, it’s easier to tell who can handle bluntness, an’ to what degree. But with those you don’t know well, it’s nigh impossible to tell without trial and error. The best option would be to err on the side of caution with strangers, trying to find a middle ground between full on bluntness and nigh-on leaving out too much in order to spare feelings. It’s not something easily found, but it’s worth trying for.”

There was more to it than that, Xavier was sure of that. But what exactly was there left to say? He was uncertain, so he asked another question. “The key, I suspect, is to try and ensure that you’ve got the most accurate information you can, right? It’s fine to admit when you don’t have all the answers, or the full scope of a given situation. But… even if you tell the truth, how can you expect others to trust that you’re being honest with them?”

Having anticipated that he might ask this, Kim did her best to give him an answer. “The feat is easier with those close to you, though rare exceptions may shine through. It may seem impossible to influence this as all see, but reputation of your actions being in line with trustworthiness is key. With somebody like you who is trying to change, it’d be hard for your reputation to rearrange. Much effort will need to be put forth, question is: how much is that change worth?”

Xavier sighed. It wouldn’t be easy, of course. That was to be expected. He did have a little leeway though, seeing as most people in this city hadn’t heard much about him. What was honesty worth, though? He’d heard many differing opinions over the years, and he’d been convinced for the longest time that it was worthless. Yet now, things had changed for him. He looked to Natalie, deep in thought. He then addressed her. “Truth be told, I think I understand better now. But… there is something I must ask. If you had to lie to save your friend, if there was literally no other way, would you? Or, would you tell the truth anyway, knowing that you may not see them again for a long time? Which choice is the right one?”

Considering the question for a moment, Natalie tried to figure out an objective solution. However, the more she thought about it, the less simple the question became. She eventually reached a conclusion, and resigned herself to it. “It’s not that simple, Xavier. There are many factors that can change the answer on a dime; there is no ‘objectively right’ decision here. Make no mistake, lying is not a good thing. But if your friend is being accused of something you know that they didn’t do, and you have no other information as to what could’ve happened, you should do all you can to help them. However, there are cases where the correct answer is to tell the truth. Your friend might feel betrayed at first, but they will understand soon enough. This question is far from an easy one, with no universal answer. The best you can do is ascertain which situation you’re in, and act accordingly.”

Seeming to understand, Xavier nodded his head. He’d figured things couldn’t actually be simple. He’d known Natalie would be the one to best describe the nuances. It was one of the things he appreciated about her. He looked to the others that had paid attention, seeing that some of them hadn’t quite gotten it. He shrugged, reasoning it was to be expected. He was about to leave, but noticed that everyone in the current area had turned their attention to Maestro. He shrugged, and decided to stick around, to see where this led.

Hands clasped behind his back, Maestro was facing away from all of them. He’d said that he’d do this, but… that didn’t make it any easier. He looked to Sarah for support, seeing as she already knew what he was going to say. She opted to only nod with a smile, knowing that that was all he would need. Steeling himself, Maestro turned to the group. It was the largest congregation he’d aired something like this to. This was worlds different from selling his art, that was for sure. He noticed that Natalie was a bit concerned, as she had a right to be. Regardless, Maestro knew that they were waiting- and so, he gave them what he felt he could trust them with. “All of you here know that I, along with my family, have issues with trusting people. The reason… well, it’s not exactly pleasant. There was a time, long ago that my family were widespread, and known for our trust in the good of people’s hearts. However, there was one who wished to see us fall, to see our clan crumble. He was the brother of the one who established our Clan, and he was roth with his brother for taking the woman he’d planned to marry. However, the leader of our clan insisted that he meant no harm, and that he could not control who the woman had chosen. He said that their bond was one of love, but the brother was having none of it. So, he spread misinformation about our clan, how we had ‘dark ties’ because of our stunning health for the era. There were many other lies he spread about the clan of his brother, out of his anger and jealousy. Even so, the leader of our clan could not hate his brother. In a desperate bid to save his relationship with his brother, our leader offered to let go of the woman that both of them loved, and allow her to choose between the two of them. Begrudgingly, his brother agreed, and the test was set. The woman was given a blindfold, and each brother was set an equal distance away from her. The woman was told to find the one she loved in the dark… and she did. This made the brother even more furious, and he attacked. The leader could not allow this to stand, and fought off his brother. The battle went on until the brother was defeated, but he vowed that it was only the beginning of the clan’s troubles. He was right. In the first few decades after that confrontation, our family was beset by traitors, liars, money grubbers, brutes, cynics, and all sorts of ill-willed folk, all intent on the very same thing that the leader’s brother had been after- the destruction or discrediting of our family. After hard lessons in what the world could be, we could’ve become just like them; the worst of the worst. But our choice overall was to put those around us through a collective ‘trial of fire’, in which only those most worthy of our trust would be allowed to join the family. We refused to give up hope in the good in the souls of others- we just decided to test how strong those portions were in others before letting them in. This tradition is so ingrained in us, that it’s become second nature. That is why I’ve given you all a hard time- It’s tradition.” He adjusted his glasses with his magic. “Any questions?”

“Yes.” Alex said. “Do you realize that tradition may have become a weakness?”

At this, Maestro tightened his grip on the crystal in his pocket for a moment. However, the moment ended as quickly as it had begun. He sighed, and looked across them. There was one in the audience that he’d felt didn’t deserve to hear what he’d said to his friends, but Serine hadn’t left before he’d told them. He glared at her a moment, then saw her confused look. He shook his head. She hadn’t gotten more than the others had out of it, thank goodness. If she of all people knew the full truth… he shuddered to think about the results. He turned back to look at Alex. “A weakness, you say? Perhaps. Yet, you must understand- This is no easy thing, pushing past something so ingrained in me. It has been our saving grace in the past, and still serves us well. Maybe in a perfect world, we would have no need of it, but alas, ‘tis not the case. The world is far from perfect. I promise nothing in regards to making it easier, for it’s a promise I would likely break. I’d rather not make a promise I can’t keep. I do hope that you can understand, as the heir to father’s legacy, he raised me to be quite stubborn, especially about this.”

An odd silence descended as they digested what Maestro had said. There was much that they were certain he was still withholding from them- but they doubted they could get anything else out of him for the next while. Even so, they did have a new understanding of Maestro, and that was what was important. It had been a long day, so the group once again went their separate ways, except for two. Maestro was about to leave, but Serine had a question. “Why did you glare at me earlier? What’s up with that?”

Pausing for a moment, Maestro considered his options. She really doesn’t know, does she? It seems that she’s not quite as sharp as I was told… He shook his head. Even so, he had to be careful with his answers around her, given what he knew of her past. He opted to give her the truth- what she deserved of it, anyway. “Listen. I don’t trust you. I know the darkness of your past, Crimson Strings, even the things that you’re still hiding from them. You may want to play ‘friend’ with them for now, but let me warn you right now:” He narrowed his eyes at her. “If you lapse back, and they get hurt? You’ll never escape the mirror that I’ll put you in. Capiche?” Serine could only nod dumbly in shock. Maestro sighed. “Good.” With nary another word, he teleported away.

Maestro arrived in his workshop, and started losing himself in his work. It helped him deal with troubling thoughts, and today there were a lot to work though. Firstly, that Serine girl. The others didn’t know the extent of her monstrous behavior. He knew what she’d done. To innocents, no less! The others were willing to extend a hand of forgiveness, despite not knowing the full extent. He was going to be cautious about her, however. After all, somebody had to have a bit of sense around here. Then there was his attempt to see the future after “Skyreach” came into the picture. That troubled him deeply, as such a thing had never occurred before. What did it mean? Was the future truly in such flux to be completely unpredictable? He couldn’t check again for a while, though. He was still reeling from the attempt earlier today, after all. However, the most concerning thing, however… Cacophony. He was far more chatty now, especially after he influenced Maestro’s threatening of Serine. He frowned deeply. Cacophony Chromium had always been there, ever since his anthrofication all those years ago. He was the option that had tempted Josephus with power, vengeance, and more. However, since the offer was ignored by his anthrofication into Maestro, Cacophony decided to hitchhike a ride anyway. Maestro shook his head as he pushed away another conversation with his own darkness. He refused to let it control him. He focused on his work, a unique piece that was not quite finished. He chipped away gently at the stone, carefully crafting it. He nodded as it started to look more in line with his vision of the design. However, it wasn’t quite ready. He still needed a few things...

Author's Note

Now we get into territory that is vastly different from my original plan. "Slighthand", "Skyreach", "Renddown", "Mystquake", "Hawk-blood", "Catseye", and "Frigid Temper" are characters I thought up only recently for this chapter. I'd been tossing around concepts for similar characters for a while, but settled on these. They are characters that only exist inside this fic's universe, and nowhere else. As for who exactly they are... Well, I'm not going to spoil anything for later. See you in the next chapter.

Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 12: A New Small Step

The next day after school, Trixie and her friends stopped by Maestro’s shop on the way to the park. The place was decked from floor to ceiling in different pieces of artwork of varying styles. None of it was organized as far as they could discern, so it’d probably give Twilight a conniption just to see this place. As they took in the odd layout, they saw him behind the counter, dealing with a customer. “So you want the Flame Vase, then? Excellent choice. That’ll be 30 dollars.” The customer paid with nary a complaint, and took the red fire-pattern vase home. As Trixie and her friends, approached, Maestro smiled. “Ah, it’s you girls! Are you here to buy something, or are you just soaking it all in? It is quite impressive that every style known to man lies within this room.”

What he’d asserted was in fact true, every style of art that they’d ever heard of, along with some they didn’t recognize, was in this room. In fact, now they they took a closer look, the art wasn’t arranged randomly at all- It was arranged by style, rather than by what medium was used. It was quite a sight to behold. Trixie then shook her head. “I’m afraid we’re not here to buy anything. I just wanted to see where you work for once.” She paused for moment, then addressed a little concern. “So you won’t be making it to Xavier’s lesson today?”

Smirking, Maestro lit his horn. “I might not be able to go personally, but it doesn’t mean that I won’t be there.” They were puzzled for a moment before they saw the spiral of his horn glow white, and the glow of his magic encase his form. After a bright flash, there were now two Maestros in the room. The original patted the copy on the back. “I’m a bit too buy to go myself, so a Maestrogänger will have to do. He’ll be going with you while I stay here. I’m about to do a bit more work on an important project of mine, so I’ll kindly ask you to see yourselves out.”

They obliged, taking the copy with them. Once they exited, they turned to see the sign on his shop change from “Open” to “Art-Making In Progress” as the door locked. They went on their way to the park, although they were a bit curious as to what Maestro was making. Rai breached the subject. “What’s so important that Maestro had to send a copy with us? What’s he making?”

The addressed Maestrogänger smirked and shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you that. Origin wouldn’t be too happy if I told you. It’s a very special piece, though. One of a kind. That’s all I will say about it.”

Knowing that they probably wouldn’t get any more out of him if they tried, they opted to go the rest of the way in silence. When they reached the park, Xavier was waiting for them. The others that were necessary were there as well- plus a few observers, among whom was that Serine character from yesterday. Before they could get started, they heard the flapping thestral wings, and turned to see a dark indigo thestral set on top of a tree. She had long off-white hair, and piercing red-violet eyes. At all the attention suddenly on her, she covered her mouth to try and suppress a giggle. “Oh, don’t mind me! I’m just done with my objective for the day, so I thought I’d spare a moment to watch this unfold. And before you ask- You might have heard Skyreach mention me- I’m Renddown.” She curtsied a little, smiling.

The others paid her little mind, but the Maestrogänger leered at her for a long moment. She was certainly different from “Skyreach”, that much was for sure. He wasn’t quite certain what it was, but something about her seemed… off. Wrong. Fabricated, almost. He decided to keep this to himself for the moment, however. After all, he wasn’t Maestro exactly- as a duplicate, he could only discern so much.

Serine knew it was risky, but she had to explain herself a little more if she was to ever alleviate Maestro’s mistrust of her. “After Xavier’s lesson is over for the day, would you mind if I show you guys and girls one of my secret, if that’s okay with you?” The others were a little surprised, but nodded to show that they didn’t mind.

As Flora, Diana, Valerie, and Natalie approached Xavier, they noticed something about his posture that the others hadn’t before. He was facing away from them, hunched over. They were concerned, and drew closer. But then they saw him turn around, and he was carrying a small stray cat. His hand was over its right hind leg, glowing a gentle blue. He was keeping it calm, amazingly. Soon enough, the glow from his hand cut out, and he knelt down as he set the cat down. It tested its weight on its leg for a moment, then scampered away. He sighed, and rose to his feet. The others were astonished at what had just happened. Had Xavier really progressed that much? There was only one way to be sure… Steeling her nerves, Flora breached the subject. “Xavier, while I would like to believe you were helping that cat, I must know… what was the magic for?”

Looking her straight in the eye, Xavier showed no hesitation. “Her leg. Poor thing had snagged it in some barbed wire. Had to remove that first before I got to work.” He pointed to the nearby recycle can. “It’s in there, cat hair and all. Just in case you need some proof.”

They checked, and indeed there was a piece of barbed wire in there, with scraps of cat hair attached, just as he had said. Although this was the case, Diana decided to make extra sure. “This is quite the departure from what your attitude has been before. While this is good progress, how can we be certain that this change is permanent?”

Xavier paused a long time to consider that. He’d been doing things a certain way for a long time. The old way he looked at the world would’ve urged him to leave the cat to its “fate”. Sure, he still had some of that thought process whirling about, but he felt that he was more inclined to ignore such thoughts than he had been before. “It’s certainly going to be an adjustment. After all, I’m still somewhat enticed by the way I used to think to entertain the ideas a bit before dismissing them. It’s a battle I have to face, and I’m willing to fight it.”

Everyone was a bit surprised at his admission. He’d certainly come a long way from the nearly heartless person he’d been before. However, hearing him admit that he wasn’t there yet was to be expected at this point. Taking this into account, Valerie commended his effort. “I must admit that I’m impressed. It takes a strong person to acknowledge that they have room to improve. Though, I’m curious… Maestro has said that you were one of the kindest people he’d met when you were younger. How does it feel, exercising that inclination again?”

A small smile adorned Xavier’s face. “Honestly? Nostalgic. I haven’t felt good about myself in a long time. However, I think I understand the why of it now. It was my cruel attitude towards others, it was rubbing into my treatment of myself. I chose to hurt others, and in turn treated myself poorly. Now… well, it’s not quite what it used to be just yet, but I definitely feel better about myself than I have in a long time.”

For a moment after that, as Natalie was about to finish things off, her eyes locked with Xavier’s for a moment. She hadn’t noticed earlier, but something about him… she shook her head, reminding herself to focus. As she spoke her piece, she tried to keep whatever that was out of her head. “It’s nice to see that you’re coming back to the friend that Maestro and I used to know. I know it won’t be the same, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. But I must ask… How many did you turn away? How many of them would you try reconnecting with, giving them a chance to show they’ve changed? Do you think you would have enough kindness to let them try and apologize?”

A large sigh came from Xavier before he answered. “How many have I turned aside, after what happened with you? Hundreds, perhaps more. I can’t remember all of their names, all of their faces. The reasons I did so all seem so petty, so judgmental. Shortsighted, even. If I could remember all of them, I’d… try at least, to show that I’ve changed, and am willing to see beyond that judgement I made. As for the ones who gave you that choice… I don’t know. I’d have to see them again to truly be certain.”

After this, it was apparent how much he’d changed already. Just a little further… The group then turned their attention to Serine, and Maestro had come in person and absolved the ‘gänger into his own form. His arms crossed, ready to hear what she said. Serine takes a deep breath “Here I go.” As soon as she said this, they started smelling burned fur and ash. Serine’s body starts changing, and as it does the smell gets stronger and stronger. Her fur gets darker black, and in some places turns dark gray. Her wings turn ash gray, and her horn looks like it’s been burned. The last thing to happen is crimson marks that look like stitches appear wherever something connects to her body. “This is how I actually look like, the other look is actually two illusions. Any questions?”

The group murmured amongst themselves, and Maestro glared at her intently. His whole form darkened a few shades as he tried containing his anger. This was the true face of Crimson Strings, the one who… Well, if rumors about the extent of the atrocities she’d committed were true, the one he had quite the beef with. He reigned in his anger, his colors returning to normal. He grimaced. He’d gotten dreadfully close to the tipping point. Best to try and keep his cool. He took a deep breath, and deferred to somebody else to ask questions.

However, there was one there that had absolutely no tact. “I’ve got a question.” They were reminded that “Renddown” hadn’t left, and she looked positively giddy about what she was about to ask. “So, how did you get all of those scars? Surely you weren’t born with those, right? If so, that’s lame!” Now that he had a proper look at “Renddown”, Maestro started to analyze her with his magic. If his hunch was correct, that would explain why she felt so… off when she was compared to her supposed compatriot, “Skyreach”. However, he ran into a roadblock as his spell analyzed her. A magic artifact hidden somewhere on her person was interfering, protecting her from his spell. Frustrated, Maestro dropped the spell, filing away that knowledge for later.

“All the markings you see are from someone or something dealing massive damage to my person. Each mark is where I had to stitch myself back together, that’s why I got the name ‘Crimson Strings’.” Serine said “Any more questions? Because I will answer anything you want to know about me.” Serine looks at Maestro, who had a serious look about him. “Come on, I know you wanna, so ask it.”

Keeping his cool, Maestro straightened, standing at his full height, now being nearly 7 feet tall. His arms crossed, he braced himself for the answer he thought he might get. “How many? How many lives have you ruined? How many families have you torn apart? How many can you say you regret?” He paused for a moment. He debated for a moment. There was something else he wanted to know. However, he felt that now was not the time to ask.

Serine stood straight up, chest puffed out standing 5 feet tall. And making the multiple marks around her neck stand out, “To be real with you, almost all of them. But the same question to you. And don’t think I don't know you, or your darkness. And I think one of your people’s old sayings is: ‘those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.’” Serine said in a cold manner.

Maestro blinked for a moment, then laughed. “Me? Ruin lives? That’s rich! I’m an artist, okay? I try and motivate people, not tear them down.” He paused, calming down. “As for darkness... I do have some, just as everyone does. I am not trying to claim that I’m all pure- I’m just saying that I’m much better than you. As for you knowing me-” He shook his head. “I don’t think you do.”

Ashley sensed the tension between Serine and Maestro and decided to step up, “Whoa there, sugarcubes. Let’s all calm down ‘fore y’all say or do somethin’ you’ll regret later.”

“Can I tell you guys a story from my world?” Serine asked.

As they were about to listen to the story, somebody new stepped in. “Not yet.” Their attention was drawn to a teal crystal unicorn anthro, with a look of death in his heterochromatic eyes. “You. I have a question for you.” He crossed his arms, his crystal blue right eye and crystal green left eye stared into her soul. “Did you? Was it you who reduced the number of the Trigems all those years ago? One of the many culprits of the centuries? I would like to believe that you were framed, but… that begs the question as to who would impersonate you.”

“My world no longer needed a monster like me, so I went out with a bang.”

Silence fell as the strange anthro glared at Serine from behind his ruby locks. “So it was you? Thankfully, there were survivors, but still…” He clenched his fists. “Do you ask forgiveness? Do you think that I would believe you to be sincere?” He paused, locking eyes with Maestro for a split second. A nod was shared between the two, as the stranger reigned in his rage. “Still, if my clan has taught me anything, everyone has light inside, regardless of how much darkness resides inside. I hope you can understand that, while I will most likely never understand why you would, I may find it in myself to forgive you… someday. Most likely not, though.”

“I will never ask you for forgiveness, but I forsook that light when I became this.” Serine gestures to her body.

The newcomer shook his head. “I see. You believe differently from us Trigems. No wonder.” He sighed. “There are many emotions I feel, knowing the truth. You are only one, in a long line of culprits. I want to hate you. End you. But, I am above vengeance. I never thought I’d meet you in person. Even so… You’re not the one I have the most personal beef with, not by a long shot.”

“That’s the thing, I’m not a person. I’m a monster and I haven’t been in the flow of time for over 400 years.” Serine said. “I’ve been living on my magic for longer than that, watch.‘ Serine said and pulls the sting from around her hand, which then falls of and then the hand crawls to Maestro and taps on his foot .

Slightly annoyed, Maestro lifted the hand with magic, and reattached it to Serine. “Please refrain from doing that again, if you wouldn’t mind.” Maestro looked at her with disgust. “I would like for this to remain a sensible air around here.”

“Now you know why I don’t publicize this.” Serine said. She then turns back to her previous form..

The newcomer paused. He then nodded. “Sensible, to hide something like that. I know what I need to, but… I wonder. In a different world, how would things have changed if you had met our clan earlier, possibly even befriending us? What would have changed? We will never know.”

“It is more than likely that there is a world like that out there, but like you said- we will never know.” Serine said.

Adjusting his robe, the stranger bowed slightly. “I know all that I need to know. Normally, my clan tends to be quite secluded, but this question was far too pressing to not have an answer. As for you…. You’re wrong about yourself. No being of pure darkness can feel guilt. That brings me to what you deserve…. Life, living with your guilt. Ending it for you would be a mercy. As I stated before, I’m not going to forgive you anytime soon… So why would I be merciful in your punishment? You took much from my clan that day, but as always, nothing we couldn’t rebuild from. So I, Sapphiron Rubeus Emerald, sentence you to life with guilt. I’m sure you can manage, seeing as you’ve been holding yourself together for this long. I now will take my leave, back to Equestria.” With no hesitation, Sapphiron’s horn glowed white, and he vanished through a portal.

“Great, just great.” Serine said sarcastically “One of the only few people that could end my suffering is going to be mean and not take the easy way out.” Serine said it should now be apparent to Maestro that serine has been trying to goat him into ending her or at the very least put her mind at rest.

However tempting it was to end it, Maestro was not awfully fond of violence, so he decided to leave her be. Besides, if Sapph from Equestria was going to let her live, he supposed that it wouldn’t do well to oppose a friend’s wishes. “Think of it this way: If you truly want redemption, continuing to live is the only way to achieve that. He may not forgive you, but self-forgiveness is more important.” As he looked to Serine, he sent a clear message with the way he glared slightly at her: Even so, I won’t hesitate to use the mirror if you turn on us.

“Then you don't know jack about me, if you think I can do THAT OR WHAT I'VE HAD TO DO.” Serine said, her anger growing and as shes yelling at Maestro, her marks slowly start coming back but this time something's wrong with them.

Maestro stepped back. Clearly, she was more harsh on herself than he’d previously asserted. The aura distorting her stitches was clearly her Nightmare form seeking full control. Either that, or something far more sinister was brewing. He raised his hands defensively. “Woah there! Chill, alright? I see that you clearly don’t agree with my angle on things. That’s fine. Just try and keep cool, alright? I’m sorry if I made a leap of logic, alright? I just… Ah, who am I kidding? You won’t listen to me on something like this.”

Serine has this sinister smile and starts laughing “That’s the thing, you don’t know anything about me, yet you think you can stop me. There’s a reason~” but before she can finish that sentence, her shadow takes a frying pan and hits her with it, knocking her out cold. They then see raven come out of said shadow.

Stunned, Xavier eventually got a hold of himself. “Okay, is anyone else confused at what just happened?”

Raven “Phew, I got here before Mary was actually released, and that would have been messy.”

Though everyone with reason was relieved, one in the area voiced her disappointment. “Awww~! I was hoping for a little brawl. Oh well. It was to be expected, unfortunately.” “Renddown” shook her head, and shrugged. “No matter. I have more interesting opportunities for entertainment later. Ciao~!” She then rocketed into the air at sub-sonic speeds.

“Be thankful that I stepped in, because light/white magic doesn't work very well on Mary.” Raven said.

Sparing a glance at this stranger, Maestro mused silently. The mirror he would’ve used was no stranger to dark magic, that was for sure, so it would contain even Mary, but he decided to not use it just yet. This new person seemed interesting, being an entity that was connected to a person’s shadow. He had heard whispers of such a thing before, but seeing it for himself was something else. He decided to let this new person be, for now.

Raven walks up to Maestro. “Can we talk alone before I have to put her in the shadow realm for everyone's safety?”

Pausing for a moment, Maestro lit his horn and encased the two of them in a soundproof dome of magic.

Raven explained. “I’m Serine's little sister, and I know you probably won’t believe me, but Mary isn’t one pony. She’s 100 souls of ponies who only want one thing. Can you guess what that is?”

Maestro shrugged. “Vengeance? Just tormenting others?”

“Yes but, as you can tell by the way Mary… acts... they’ve all gone insane and will not feel bad to take the law into their own hands.”

Blinking, Maestro considered that. “The law? Probably taking a few liberties, I’d guess. She’d probably go a bit far… But why tell me all this?”

“One, you’re in their way and won’t hesitate to kill you on the spot well, you and the twilight and two, you’re one of the few people that actually stands a chance at stopping them.”

Nodding at that assessment at first, Maestro looked to the unconscious form of Mary. “Even so, if I used the Eternal Mirror, I don’t know if I could separate Mary from Serine if it came down to it, though.” He clenched his fist. “If there was no other way, I would fight if it came to it. Even with my distaste for it, I would use violence if needed.”

“That’s the thing, my sister Serine and I don’t fear dying. We already died once, and that’s why my sister is trying to die. If she dies, they have to pass on. She’s their anchor to this plane.“ Raven becomes sad “She's like this because she asked them to bring me back.”

Blinking, Maestro considered the implications of what she had said. “Necromancy… I’ve heard of very few mortals capable of such, but spirits are more often capable of such things… at more hefty a price. Still… I refuse to put her down unless she is truly consumed completely. If there remains even a scrap of who she is, I will try and settle things civilly.” He then set down the dome of magic. “I’ve heard enough. I’ll see you all tomorrow.” Maestro teleported away without a second thought.

Raven looks over to Serine’s unconscious form uneasily. “I'm sorry, but I have to put Serine in the shadows before her nightmare starts.” She disappeared into the shadows with Serine.

The day had been draining for all of them, but some of them wanted to hear the story Serine promised, however since Raven and Serine had left, that was going to have to wait. Trixie and her friends however, just weren’t up for it, so they went on their way home. As for “Renddown”...

Landing in the agreed meeting-place, she sighed as she tuned out the “plan” that “Slighthand” had amended again. She was paying enough attention to know the changes, but it wouldn’t matter in the end. It wouldn’t change anything. As they broke off again, she chuckled a little. It was time to make a little progress on her true objective...

Author's Note

Finally got this done and.... *sigh* They've forced my hand. My co-authors really weren't considerate, and now I have to change the rating on this story, despite my original plan. I couldn't find a way to tone it down in time, so the rating will change to Teen. I'll still try and keep it reasonably tame, despite what they might write. I expected this might happen, so I will adapt accordingly. I'll be seeing you in Chapter 30.

Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 13: Change for the Better

Trixie and her friends were having a small get together at the mall after school on Friday. It had been a long week, and they were exhausted. To their surprise, they weren’t the only ones of their friends to be there. Rarity, Patricia, and Natalie were there as well, and so was Xavier. Seeing as they were here, Trixie and friends went over to see what they were up to. However, as they approached, somebody else came along from elsewhere. This stranger was an imposing figure, a chiseled face accentuated by his mangled red facial hair. Xavier and Natalie seemed to recognize this person. “Leon D’Aftice. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

The aforementioned person glared at Xavier. "Well, well. Ifn it isn Xavier th’ freakazoid. I see yuz gots yurself some more freaks ‘t surround yurself wit.” He then noticed Natalie was there, and shook his head. “An then there’s yu. ‘Chu doin re-connectin wit this freak? I’s thot yu gotten sense in yuz finally, bu now yuz gon dissapointin me. Then agin, I s’pose yuz would go an keep yur word when yuz said yud find him agin.” He crossed his arms, visibly scowling. “Honesly, I’s thot yu mite come bak 't us, but I s’pose t’wasn ment ‘t be.”

Keeping his cool, Xavier, held off Natalie from flying off the handle. He took a breath before addressing Leon again. “From what I understand, Natalie left you and your friends out of regret for her decision. I won’t take offence to what you said about me. I’ve come to accept who I am, and am unashamed. I am willing to move past what happened back then, if you are.”

A glare from Leon’s hazel eyes accentuated what he said next. “Listen up, freakazoid. I don't gots 't 'pologize for nuthin! That freaky crap yuz do jus ain't natural! I’s proud t’ call yuz wut yu are! Folks like yu don’ belong in this world!"

Irate at this, Natalie jumped to the occasion. “You take that back, Leon! Everyone has a place in this world, not just those that are ‘normal’. If the world had only ever had ‘normal’ people, we wouldn’t have nearly the level of tech we have in our lives as we do! So you take that back!”

Eyes wide, Leon was speechless for a few minutes. He blinked, then burst out laughing. “Oh, tha’s righ, ‘cours yu’da side wit ‘im! Yuz a freak too, wit those ‘astrul projecshuns’ ‘a yurz. Make sens why yud side wit ‘im, I s’pose. I’ll tell th’ others, say yuz don’ need bothrin. After all, yuz basically one o’ th’ freaks.” He shook his head. “I’s don’ know why we’s e’er saw anathin in yu.”

Before anyone could respond, a dark blue Earth Pony anthro came onto the scene. “A bit judgemental, aren’t we? One should not judge too harshly, Leon. You’re being a bit hypocritical, if you think that you’re not considered weird to somebody else. Maybe somebody ought to teach you a lesson.”

The others were a bit surprised that this anthro was being so blunt, but Leon seemed not to care. “Pah! I’s do wut I wanna, alrigh? So wut ifn others think me odd? All that matters is that my buds don’ mind. Yuz gots no right ‘t tell me what I’m doin’ is wrong.” He huffed in agitation. “Th’ others are expectin’ me soon. So yuz can do me a favor, an’ steer clear.” Leon then left in a hurry, not wanting to bother with anyone else at the moment.

Trixie and her friends were about to go after him when the mystery anthro cuts in. “Don’t. He’s not in a mood to be reasoned with at this point. And before you ask-” he bows theatrically, causing his light lavender hair to shimmer a bit. “I am known as ‘Mystquake’. ‘Tis a pleasure to meet your acquaintance.” his ice blue eyes go to Trixie, and he smiles slightly as he rises from his bow. “You especially. It is fortune that brings us together… Though, I was hoping to meet Gearbox… Ah, well. He’s due to show up soon anyway.” He then noticed the way Xavier looked at the direction Leon went off in. A look of sorrow… regret. He truly had changed quite a lot already, hadn’t he? “Don’t blame yourself- he wasn’t going to listen to you this early anyway. Besides, since you’re all here... “

“Mystquake” had a point. After a short discussion, Rarity approached Xavier’s lesson first. “Tell me, Xavier, you reaching out to Leon… can you tell me why you wanted to?”

Shaking himself off, Xavier considered it for a moment. “For the last while I’ve taken a long look at myself. I used to be so selfish, only really concerned about my own needs. I’ve changed that the best I can so far, or so I’d like to believe. But when Leon showed up, I went over what I’d thought of doing to him and his friends over the years. For a short moment, I considered hurting him. Getting vengeance. But, then I remembered what I was working for. I decided to give him another chance. Forgiving others also has to do with being generous enough to always try to give them another chance, and I will continue to try and have the patience for it. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.”

A little surprised, but overall glad, Carmen took things from there. “Being generous can sometimes be difficult or draining if your generosity is taken advantage of, but if you persevere you will find more people willing to not abuse your generosity. Of course, some people like that will always be out there, but you have to remain positive about the character of others.”

Xavier knew things had not been easy for him especially, seeing as he was still getting used to all this. He’d had his fair share of times where his patience ran thin with people, and he had to clear his head for a while. He knew somebody might mention a positive attitude, but keeping that was difficult for him right now. He decided to just nod, and turned the time to Patricia.

It was little odd for Patricia to see such a stark difference from how Xavier responded to the lesson last time. Still, she took a deep breath, and steeled herself for what she was about to say. “I realize that my first approach was flawed, and I know why. Charity is not something meant to be approached like some kind of equation. Rather, it must come from the heart, a genuine desire to be selfless. In my desperation to get this over with, I overlooked this crucial detail, and faced the consequences. I know that you’re trying, and we will support you the best we can.”

Nodding, Xavier replied. “It’s brave of you to admit where you went wrong, and I agree with your assertion. Without sincerity, how can you follow through? How will your attempt be received? Not very well, is the answer. I still struggle, but I will not give up on myself, or others. Not again.”

Finally, it came to Natalie. She approached steadily, but hesitated somewhat. What was she to say that hadn’t been touched upon? After a bit of rumination, and suppression of an odd feeling, she aired her thoughts. “Being generous is all that you have asserted, and more. Patience, positive attitude, and a genuine desire to help are all well and good, but it’s not quite enough. Sometimes, even with all this, the person you are trying to help will insist that they don’t need your help. The only thing you can do in such a situation is to at least offer. Even if they turn you down, deep down they will appreciate your offer, even if it’s not made clear on the surface. Moreover, some people may mistake your offer for ‘pity’ or a plan to abuse something they have that they think you might want. These situations will test you in many ways, but if you persevere, you will become better for it.”

Silence fell for a moment as Xavier took it all in. Natalie knew quite a lot about these topics, much more so than he’d anticipated. She probably had quite bit of experience while they were apart. She’d changed quite a bit, that was for sure. Maybe, this time… He dismissed that idea. He smiled, and nodded. “Let the world throw what it will. As long as I’m supported, I think that I can take it. It won’t be easy, but I’m no quitter. I’ll do what it takes to prove that I can be a better person than I used to be. No matter how long that takes.”

The day had been quite a success despite the hiccup earlier with that Leon character, and things were looking up. Just as they were about to call it a day, the group saw Gearbox stroll on over. Trixie almost ran over to him, but then she saw something that made her stop. He was busy with a test run of a machine of his, from the look of it. It seemed to be a sleeker version of the horn rig that he’d made a while back, less cumbersome and bulky. He carried his clipboard in an orange glow that corresponded to the machine’s horn. He spoke as he recorded the result. “Field Test #4: This model seems near perfect, working as intended. The Mech Horn responds to the wearers thoughts, almost 10 times quicker than the prototype. With these observations, I could feasibly market this, possibly to those who want to experience being a unicorn for a bit, and it might be usable as a prosthetic, in the event of…. Well, I’d rather not think on that. Though, I wonder if the mind link would work with humans? Something that surly garners looking into… Until I can find a willing test subject, such musings will rest for now. End of test.” He then grasped the clipboard and pen in his hands, and cut the glow on the mechanical horn. He sighed. “That sure is tiring, though. I’d rather not anyone not used to it knock themselves out by using it. Definitely going to need safety labels…”

Before he could react, Trixie went up to him. “I’ve missed you. Been busy, I take it?”

Gearbox sighed contentedly at her presence. “Yeah. I could use a break. How about tomorrow night? You could choose the place.”

As Trixie and Gearbox conversed, something odd came over “Mystquake”. The two of them, together and happy. He wanted to cry. He’d never seen this, and had consigned himself to never see it. But to see it now… If only his brother could see this right now. He shook himself, and left silently.

After the two had agreed on a place for tomorrow night, the group realised how late it had already gotten, and decided to go to their homes.

Meanwhile, Maestro was working in the back of his shop. He hadn’t rested in days. It had to be perfect. It was insane, that he was considering it this soon, but… He shook his head. It had to be perfect, the perfect metal, the perfect gem, the perfect inscription. It was almost done. Just a little more… He hadn’t worked in such a fervor in his life. He was tired, and reasoned that he should leave the rest until morning. He wanted to keep working, but he reasoned that being this tired would do him no good. So, with a bit of magic he ensured that none would come to ruin this, his most special of projects. After he was satisfied with his precautions, he turned in for the night.

Author's Note

Okay, we're starting to near the end of the story. Roughly ten more chapters are planned, excluding Side Stories. That being said, after the Final chapter, what would you more like to see?

A) Alternate Ending Chapter
B) Epilogue, set years afterward
C) Sequel story
D) Spin-off story

Please vote in the comments below. At the date of release of the Final chapter, the option with the most votes will be worked on.

Side Story: Xavier's Revelation

After the others had left, it was just Xavier and Natalie left in the park. Natalie looked uncertain, anxious, and nervous all at once. Xavier wasn’t quite certain why she’d stuck around, but it wasn’t long until he got his answer. “Xavier, I was wondering… would you… go out with me, just once?”

Xavier’s eyes widened as he processed that. Natalie was asking him out. He wasn’t sure what to say, let alone think. So, he decided to take a breather for a moment. “I’ll… get back to you on that. Stay here while I… Deliberate.” He slunk away quickly, to sort this all out. Once a suitable distance away, he tried to sort out what was going on. Was he being punked? It would make the most sense, but he wasn’t quite sure. As for how he felt towards her… Well, he did like her, there was no question about that. But the question was, how much did he like her? He had never asked such a question before, seeing as he had been pushing people away for years. He sat down, and tried to puzzle out the answer.

He was startled a little when a light purple cat-like anthro surprised him. “Troubled, are we? Matters of the heart can be quite difficult indeed.”

Xavier stared at this anthro for a moment. He had amber eyes, and yellow patches of fur on his paw-like hands. Gathering his senses, Xavier realized who this was. “You’re ‘Catseye’, right? ‘Skyreach’ mentioned you. What do you want?”

The now identified “Catseye” smiled, and bowed a little. “I just want to help you with your troubles, is all. Now, you are questioning how much you like Natalie, right?” Xavier nodded, shocked that “Catseye” had read him so well. “Catseye” then pulled out a pad of paper, and a pen. “So tell me, what comes to mind when you think about her?”

Xavier thought a moment, with “Catseye” writing down every answer. “She’s dependable, and kind. She always listens, and treats me like an equal. She has the sweetest laugh I’ve ever heard. She is considerate, and trustworthy. She was dedicated enough to her promise to herself that the instant we met again, she followed through. She… understands me, like nobody else does.” He paused for a moment as he realized something. “I think I’ve figured it out now.”

“Catseye” smiled as Xavier stood, and ran off back to Natalie. “Isn’t it beautiful, ‘Frigid’?”

An ice blue pegasus mare stepped out of the shadows, a blank expression on her face. “Tear-jerking.” However, her blue eyes remained devoid of any hint of emotion, along with her voice. “C’mon ‘Catseye’, ‘Slighthand’ is expecting us.”

Sighing, "Catseye" shook his head. “Alright, sis. Let’s go.” The two then went on their way, as silent as they’d come.

Author's Note

Alright, this was supposed to be finished and uploaded about the same time as Chapter 31, but I completely forgot about it. Sorry that it's late, but here it is. I hope you don't mind that it's short.

Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 15: Forward Movement

Trixie woke up the next morning, refreshed and relaxed. She reminisced on her date with Gearbox last night. She’d half-expected something extravagant, but it was nice to have a simple date, a movie with dinner afterword. She got ready for the day, anxious to see how Xavier’s lesson went today. She arrived in the park, seeing Xavier and Natalie talking with Maestro. A catfolk anthro was there as well- most likely “Catseye”, due to his demeanor. Her attention was drawn to the conversation going on. “You two are dating now, huh? I kinda had a feeling this would happen.” Maestro smirked. “Congrats. I knew that you’d be perfect for each other.”

A lightbulb went off in Natalie’s head. “You were playing matchmaker! I-! Wait, I think I know why. You were trying to help me.”

Nodding, Maestro replied. “I knew that things would be troublesome if you kept going the way you were. So, I decided to call you over, and have you meet Xavier. I didn’t know at the time that you two had met already, but that saved me quite the trouble. And because of my asking you to help him, you two spent quite a lot of time together- even outside lessons. Truth be told, I didn’t expect you two to get together for another week.” He then looked to “Catseye”. “I suppose that you had something to do with this?”

“Catseye” shrugged. “So what if I did? We’re just speeding along what might happen naturally later- is that such a crime?”

Maestro sighed. “You seem trustworthy, kid. Don’t know what it is about you, but… I think I’m starting to get the picture. Out of those I’ve met, I trust all but one. However, I will remain cautious about all of you- no matter what.” He then turned to Xavier. “Alright. Let’s get the show on the road.” He tapped into some Chaos Magic, and snapped his fingers. Two portals opened up. Out of one came another Maestro, though this one seemed vastly different than the one they knew. Out of the other came a man in his early twenties, with dark brown hair and blue-green eyes.

The different Maestro (Difstro) looked around a bit at his new surroundings. “Odd. Why do I… feel like I’ve see this place before?” He then looked to his form. “And why do I look half-human?” He flexed his fingers experimentally. Why does this feel... familiar?

The human adjusted his blue-framed glasses, and hummed. “Well now. Australia. Never been outside the States before.” He then saw the anthros. “Oh. So I’m now… Well, this makes things interesting.” He then turned to Maestro. “Hello. You don’t know who I am, do you? Makes sense. I don’t exist in your alternate Earth. Just call me... J.”

Maestro clapped once. “So! We’re here to teach my friend Xavier about Hope. Difstro, why don’t you go first?”

The confused anthro took one look at Xavier, and his eyes widened. Humans! Real live Humans! But why… do I remember… He shook his head, and approached the task at hand. “So, Xavier, was it? Right. Hope. Um. Sorry. I’m not used to this.” He paused a while, gathering himself. “Okay. Hope cannot touch others without a well to draw from. There rare occasions when the seemingly hopeless have given hope to others, and found hope in turn. But, even they had a small spark. Without hope in your soul, you cannot bring hope to others- nor would you want to. The truly hopeless only wish to spread hopelessness. You are not one of them. I can see that. Just take heart, and know that even you can bring hope to others.”

Xavier regarded this clearly more inexperienced version of Maestro. Yet, even he was able to muster up such an argument. This impressed Xavier quite a bit. He smiled, and nodded. “Thank you for that. I appreciate it.”

Maestro took up the helm after he regarded his phone for a moment. “You’ve come far since the start of these lessons. I’m proud that you’ve managed to do so.” He smiled for a moment. He then became more serious. “A lesson of how to keep the hope in yourself, regardless of what might come. That’s what’s needed here.” He paused for a moment, then nodded. “Imagine, if you would, a future where you had to keep hope when somebody that had been holding you up leaves in some fashion, with no satisfying explanation. How would you keep yourself from falling apart?” He looked to the others for a moment, looking quite pensive. “You all may have to answer this question- sooner than you may think.”

All of them blinked for a moment. None of them quite understood why Maestro would say this, especially Xavier. However, he did consider that question. He did go through something like this before, and he didn’t exactly handle that well. However, he felt now that he could find a way to weather that situation, should it come again. He then spoke up. “I know what I’d do. I’d take to heart what’s been taught to me. I would not give up on them, not this time. I know that I might have to face that possibility again, and this time I will be prepared.”

Maestro nodded, and looked to his phone. He sighed. “I’ve somewhere to be. Take it from here, Nats.” Maestro opted to walk to his next destination, most likely to clear his head.

Taking her cue, Natalie approached the subject presented. “What is hope? To reach out to others, when nothing else seems to be working. To press forward, despite odds that seem to be out of your favor. What is inspiration? To touch somebody’s soul, to ignite the fire in themselves they didn’t see. To teach somebody that they have something special inside themselves. What is empowerment? To keep being there, to always be ready to encourage others. To always try to help others through their problems, no matter the avenue you approach it in. This is why the three are often used in similar ways. They have the same core, the same feel. Without one, the other two ring hollow.”

Xavier nodded. He knew that she was smart, and he reasoned that she had a point. He smiled. No wonder he liked her. “You truly are something else. Connecting the three like that… I reasoned they must’ve been connected somehow, but the way you put it makes the most sense.”

Natalie blushed a little at that, and somebody spoke up. “Isn’t that cute. Save the mushy stuff for later. You’ll make me jealous.” The group turned to see the one who spoke. It was J, the stranger from another world. After the two calmed a little, J took the stage. He peered at Xavier for a moment, one of interminable silence. After a nod of his head, he spoke. “You know, there is more to hope and inspiration than you have been told. Bringing others up from the depths of despair, or just trying to stop them from falling down there in the first place, it’s all a matter of when you help them. No matter when you do so though, there is something you should remember: you must believe with the fullness of your soul that you are not too late. You have to believe that you can reach out and help everyone- and it’s certainly a herculean task. If you do so, you might surprise yourself with what you can achieve.”

This stranger knew quite a lot, Xavier realized. He seemed much more experienced than Maestro, and older too. J’s words dug into Xavier, an assurance of himself. He couldn’t resist asking a question to him, though. “Just… who are you? Are you another version of Maestro?”

J blinked, then shook his head. “Not quite. It’s more accurate to say that he’s a version of me.” He smiled coyly. “Even if he’s…incomplete, as it were.”

Before anyone could come to grasps with what that could mean, Difstro spoke up. “Um… so, how do I get to my Equestria from here? The person that brought me here left… It’s still kind of odd that the one that did that was me, sort of.” He clutched his head slightly. “Makes my head hurt. Not to mention...” He shook his head.

Surprisingly, J looked over to him. He paused before addressing the concern. “Well… If I remember correctly….” He stretched forth his right hand. “Let’s see… If I do that…” He focused for a bit, as if trying something. A blue aura flickered to life around his hand, and he smiled. “Ah, there you are. My old friend. Now…” He waved his hand with a flourish, and a portal appeared. “There we go. Go through that, and you will get home.”

Displayed through the portal was Equestria, though one less anthrofied. However, Difstro paused at the edge, and turned to J. “Will I remember this? Or will I forget?”

J shrugged. “Depends. If you want to remember, you will, If you don’t, you won’t. You’ve nothing to fear.” At that, Difstro just smiled, and went through the portal, which closed behind him. J then looked at his hand. “Man, It’s been ages since I… Feels good. Too bad I can’t use this at home. Magic’s dead back home…. shame.”

The area was hushed for a while before Trixie asked the question hanging in the air. “Magic can… die? I thought that wasn’t possible…”

Silence followed, as J looked off to the distance. He responded, after a slight bit of thought. “Well, I said that, but… To be more accurate, the Magic ran dry. Not something to be worried about here, where the rules of magic work very different, compared to how they did back home. Here, magic… regenerates, multiplies. I envy you, living in such a world.” He looked to his hand again. “I suppose I’ll just use one last spell, the one to send me home. It’s a shame, though. Haven’t been able to use magic since I was young….”

His melancholy about all this was deep, but it seemed that he’d resigned himself to it. He summoned a portal, but turned to the group before going through. “There will be a point in the future where you will find yourself against a foe who was once a friend. If you ask them ‘why they are doing this’ they will answer that they ‘cannot tell you why.’ That ‘you would not understand.’ There is, however, a reason why they will do this. I will not tell you what it is- you will find it for yourself if you look in the right places.”

The group paused as they took in his wording. He spoke with an assurance, as if he knew for certain what was to come- even though Maestro himself had a muddied view of the future now. Who was he, really? He left before they could ask, though- and they had to stew on this “prophecy” as they went their separate ways.

Ramona was still seething from yesterday. How could they turn on her like this? She wandered alone, until somebody came up to her. “Hello, Ramona. If vengeance is what you are in the market for, I’m selling the means to get it.” Out of the shadows came a pair of anthros, one a female pony anthro with a horn and bat wings, the other a tall male horned anthro wearing a black bodysuit that covered all his features. The female had tealish-lavender fur, and haunting gray eyes. Her purple mane flowed in the breeze, her matching tail swishing back and forth.

Ramona sneered. “Who are you? Why should I trust any help offered by anthros?”

The female chittered a bit, amused. “I am Princess Starfall. I want to help you achieve your destiny. I’ve seen the future, Ramona. In it, you are feared and respected, just as you always wanted. I can help you make it real, here, today.”

Debating a bit, Ramona decided to ask the question in the air. “Oh yeah? And how would you do that?”

The male spoke in a deep tone, addressing her. “It’s rather quite simple. We will give you the tools to get back at those that wronged you. Which, coincidentally, we also have a beef with. In essence we will kill two birds with one stone- However. You will not be able to attack them immediately. I will help your given power grow, and once the time is right, we will let you strike.”

A crossroads. Ramona knew that any attempt she made against the good anthros now would probably fail. These two were her best shot at getting back at them. Nodding, she grit her teeth. “Let’s do this.”

Red magic danced in the air, coming from the male anthro’s hand. Ramona could feel her body shift and contort all over. So this was what anthrofication felt like. It was a bit painful, but it was worth it- or so she hoped. Her body became masculine, and a bit frail. Was she becoming an old geezer?! Just great. Once the magic died down, she- or he, now- got a good look at his new form. The upper body had red fur, and he had a white goatee protruding out of his chin. He had two horns on his ape-like head, much like a bull’s. Her lower half had gray fur, and was a bit more equine. He spoke in a frail voice, echoing out of his small and fragile body. “What am I?”

The bodysuited anthro spoke. “You are a centaur anthro- not just anyone, though. You are Tirek.” The anthro opened a portal with magic, and gestured to it. “Through here, you will find vulnerable anthros. Feast on their magic, and you grow strong. After you are done, we will bring you to your next target. We must get you ready for facing them. It will take time, but you will be ready.” Taking the stranger’s cue, the now-Tirek stepped through the portal, and it closed behind him.

The bodysuited anthro spoke to Starfall. “Is that all? Is our deal fulfilled?”

Shaking her head, Starfall opened another portal, beckoning him to follow. “Not quite yet. Mother wants an audience.”

If one listened closely, they might have heard a growl from somebody in the suit- however, he complied quickly, only sparing a glance at Ayumi, who had recently arrived in the area. He considered removing the head of the suit, but decided against it before going into the portal.

Author's Note

Merry Christmas! Sorry about the curve-ball at the end. All will be explained eventually.

Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 16: Mending Connections

Today was the day, the day they might see the most progress. Trixie, Twilight, and Janice had discussed at length with Natalie how they would approach Xavier with today’s lesson. The four of them went to the agreed meetingplace, to see Xavier already there. He seemed a bit lost in thought, pondering something. There was another anthro on the scene, this one a pegasus mare. By process of elimination, they guessed that it was “Frigid Temper”, one of “Skyreach”’s compatriots. She seemed to be addressing Xavier. “The time is near, don’t you think? I won’t pressure you, but you can’t ignore it forever.”

At this, Xavier passively nodded. “I know. But today isn’t the day. I’m… not ready. Not ready to anthrofy just yet. Besides… I want one last day to see if I can get people to see the new me before I go thrusting a new change on their plates.”

“Frigid” shrugged nonchalantly, and notified Xavier to the girls’ presence. “They’re here. I’ll just get out of your hair.” Once Xavier turned his attention to them, “Frigid” left, making sure that she didn’t make a sound.

As agreed, Twilight broached the topic first. “The last time we did this, you were adamant about your position. However, I can see that you’ve changed quite a lot since then. How would you say that you have changed?”

Confident that he had the answer, Xavier didn’t hesitate. “I’ve managed to connect to a few people that I’ve wronged before. They see that I’ve changed- and are willing to give me another chance. I’ve become more loyal, more honest, more kind, more generous, more light-hearted, more hopeful, and more able to connect to others. It’s true I still have a ways to go- but that’s okay.”

The conviction in his voice was pretty convincing. Yet, he still seemed a bit uncertain. Taking the spotlight, Trixie addressed his concerns. “Though you say you have improved, I hear doubt still within your voice. You fear that your change will not be enough for those you cared about in the past to re-establish their friendships with you, and that is why you have hesitated at some points. Cast this fear aside, for true friends accept you as you are, faults and all.”

The topic she touched on really hit home for Xavier. He’d been reluctant to consider reconnecting with Maestro out of fear and doubt. Yet, he knew he had to eventually. It was part of his recovery, and he had a new determination to do so. Nodding his head, he silently vowed that he would try and reach out to Maestro, and finally rebuild that broken friendship.

Seeing his determined look, Janice knew that his journey was nearly done. Just a little further now… “When I look into your eyes now, I no longer see that angry, lost drifter that pushed everyone away. Your shift in focus to mending what went wrong is truly something to behold. However, you still have part of you that wants to hold on to the past, the part that still holds a grudge against Leon, Markus, Arnold, Ichabod, and most especially Ramona.”

It was true, Xavier knew it to be so. He still had a bit of bad blood towards the former members of Ramona’s gang, let alone Ramona herself. He knew that holding onto this grudge of his would do him no good, but it wasn’t quite that easy to let go of it. He resolved to talk to them at least, and hopefully they could work something out.

Natalie smiled, proud of how far Xavier had come, and she was a part of the reason why. She composed herself, and addressed the final point. “Connecting with new people, rebuilding friendships, and letting go of the hurtful things that they sometimes do. These are all things that you’ve come to understand, among many other things in your bid to change yourself. But most important is that friendship is worth fighting for, worth preserving anyway that you can. For if you don’t fight for your friends, you don’t deserve them. Sometimes you might have to figure out which friends need you the most, and try to balance it all out. It’s no easy task, and sometimes you might question if you made the right choice. But as long as you make the effort to keep your friends with you, they will appreciate the effort that you’ve made.”

A feeling of clarity rose through Xavier as he nodded. He really was lucky that all these people believed in him, of all people. He used to believe that nobody could change, that everyone was the same miserable person deep down, and that it was his mission to bring that to the surface. But now, he knew that couldn’t be further from the truth. He had people looking out for him. He had a wonderful girlfriend that he knew wouldn’t let him slip back to his old ways. He had a whole new outlook on life. But even so, there were a few things that needed to be done before he could complete his journey. He needed to find those he held ill will against still, and finally let it all go. He knew vaguely where Ramona’s old gang members had gone off to, so after bidding farewell for now, he went off to find them.

Ayumi was watching the whole goings on from her pocket mirror as she went through her armory looking for a few things for Xavier once he went through his transition “Glad we finally got through to him.” she said “His powers are already strong enough as a human, I would hate having to deal with him if he became an enemy.”

Though, something bothered her still about that anthro in the bodysuit that went through that portal she saw yesterday. Something about that figure didn’t sit well with her. She didn’t know who it was under there, but she had her suspicions. Trying to abate her ill feelings, she turned her mirror’s attention to Maestro’s shop- and she sighed in relief as she saw him there. He was busy as ever, it seemed. Even though she was relieved by this, something still bothered her about that figure. So, she attempted to find where he’d gone- but alas, nothing. Something definitely was going on with this whole situation, but who else might…. She facepalmed. Of course! Those strange anthros that nobody knew! They were highly suspicious, to be sure. So she shifted her mirror’s attention once more, in attempt to find them. After a long search, her mirror showed her a scene...

A table shook underneath the weight of a light gray furred fist. “Explain! How did Princess Starfall follow us?! I thought that…..”

Crossing the sparse room, “Frigid” attempted to calm their leader down. “Sleighthand, sir. I don’t know how, but that’s what I saw. She’s here, most likely to cause trouble, or worse undo our progress.”

Pinching the bridge of his muzzle, “Slighthand” sighed. “Just great. Trouble from… home. This doesn’t bode well. Our very presence interferes with divining the future, as does hers. What would they think if they knew that an enemy of ours has followed us here?”

Approaching cautiously, “Mystquake” tried to allay his fears. “Brother, I’m sure they’d help us out! Maybe it’ll take a bit of convincing on some of their parts, but we have the trust of some of them already. We just need to have a bit of faith, is all.”

Looking to his brother, “Slighthand” revealed his maroon eyes to be troubled. “I know, but… Some of them might never trust us. Out of necessity, we’ve kept major things from them. If they knew the truth….” He shook his head, and chuckled a bit. “This must be how Maestro feels about his secrets…”

“Skyreach” scoffed a little. “Hardly. If you must imagine it, try imagining it ten fold. That is what it is like, my friend.” This earned an affirmative nod from “Hawk-blood”, as well as “Renddown”.

Stretching a bit, “Catseye” yawned a little. “Man, these meetings of ours are awfully exhausting. Trust us boss, we’ll see what we can do about Starfall. You just worry about your impression on them all tomorrow. After all, it’ll be when they first meet you. Knowing your luck, you might meet both of ‘them’ instead of just one like your brother did.”

“Slighthand” nodded, and dismissed the meeting. But as everyone was leaving, he called out. “Renddown. I must speak with you.”

Surprised at this, “Renddown” shrugged, and stayed behind as everyone else left. “What did you want to talk about?”

For a long moment, “Slighthand” was silent. He then broached a difficult subject once he was sure the others were gone. “You’ve been distant lately. What’s wrong? You know that you can tell me anything.”

Shrugging it off, “Renddown” replied readily. “I’ve been very busy, alright? I’ve got quite a bit to work with, especially with Starfall in the picture. She resents me, you know. I’ve got to be on my toes, more so than ever. I don’t mean to be distant, but…”

Smiling softly, “Slighthand” nodded. “I understand. I won’t keep you here any longer- go, get some sleep.” After she left in a hurry, he sighed. “What’s wrong with me…? Why can’t I just man up already?” He pounded his fist on the table. “Dad never had this kind of trouble speaking to Mom back when they were only a couple. Guess the apple’s fallen pretty far from the tree…” He shook his head, and stood. “Tomorrow’s another day, I suppose. Maybe I can actually manage to…” He stopped himself as he reached the edge of the room. “Oh right. I’ll be busy tomorrow. Well, if I do things right…” He then exited, and the room fell silent.

Elsewhere, in a secret location…

Starlight coarsed more magic through the bodysuited anthro subtly, as he discussed things with Starfall. “All I’m saying is that we’ve got to be more cautious! I know ‘where’ you and those you’re deceiving are from, but did you really have to tip them off that you’re here?”

Rolling her eyes, Starfall refuted his argument. “I’ve got a strategy, okay? All this is to-”

The bodysuited anthro stomped a hoof, cracking the floor. “Yes! I know what it’s for! But maybe you should assure me that you haven’t gone and lost your marbles! If I’m going to work for you, coerced or not, I deserve a few details!”

Starlight sighed, cutting the magic. The spell cearly wasn’t gaining any ground… yet. “Patience, Jet. You are my soldier, and if you want me to fulfil my end of the bargain, I suggest that you reel in your temper.”

“Jet” clenched a fist and growled, but then breathed deeply. “Fine. I’ll hold my anger for now. But I will not stand down. I deserve a few details. Tell me this ‘strategy’ of yours…”

Shrugging, Starfall approached. “It’s rather simple, really. They know me, so my presence will send them on edge. But they don’t know that you’re on our side now. They don’t even know that you exist in this state. You’re our trump card, the one that’ll ensure we win. Let them know about me all they want- they know nothing of you, and even if they knew that we had you, they don’t know who is under that suit. You’re our best shot of victory, Jet. It’s better that they know that I’m here, rather than find out about you too early.”

“Jet” scoffed, turning from them. “I might have to help you, and I expect you to extend our deal indefinitely like the snakes that you are. I will hold my end of the bargain, as I am expected to. Make no mistake- I don’t like it, but I know that I don’t have a choice. If that’s everything, I’ll be on my way. I’ve got business to attend to.”

But before he could leave, Starlight called out. “One last thing.” “Jet” turned towards her, and he obeyed her beckoning hand. Once he was near, Starlight presented him with something. “For your efforts thus far. Think of it as a appetiser for what you’ll get if we win.” She opened her hand, revealing a photograph which “Jet” plucked out of her palm too quick for any to see the contents of the photo. He then excused himself, and left post haste. Starlight smirked. “Oh, silly, silly Jet. Fight it for now if you so wish. But soon you will have a different reason to fight on my side…” She chuckled, little sparks sizzling on the palm of her hand.

Astonished, Starfall stepped back. She could feel something inside, like she was getting… stronger. She smiled. “It’s begun…” She took a deep breath. Finally. Things were going her way now… she didn’t care if “Slighthand”’s group went unimpeded, just as long as her goal was realized. It wouldn’t be long now...

Author's Note

The plot thickens! Xavier is finally coming around, but new trouble looms on the horizon. Who exactly is Princess Starfall, and what does she have on "Jet" to force him into subjugation? All will be answered in due time...

Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 17: A Hand To Others

Trixie woke up the next morning with a good feeling inside. Today was the day. She had this feeling that Xavier would continue what he set out to do yesterday. But then she considered something. Weren’t they done? Wasn’t their goal achieved when it concerned him? He seemed to be well on his way to finding his new self, to being well-adjusted to it all. But maybe there was one last step, one that she couldn’t think of at the moment. She went to the park after school, and saw something intriguing. Maestro was there, back towards her. He was alone- Nobody else in sight. He seemed to be holding something, though she couldn’t make out what it was from this angle. He just stood there silently contemplating something. He put the object away after the interminable moment was over, and spoke. “He’s not here yet. Whenever we speak with him, he’s always been here first. Certainly, something has changed.” Everyone that had helped Xavier out then came into the park- except Sarah, for some reason-, and saw the two of them. They were just as confused as they were- why wasn’t Xavier here yet? Though Maestro seemed to have some idea. “He’s bringing some people by. I think he’s finally starting to apply all the lessons…” He smiled, and nodded. “He’s come a long way. He’ll be here soon.”

Sure enough, Xavier came into the park with Ramona’s former gang members in tow. He approached Maestro, and offered his hand. “How about we finally put this all behind us, alright? I think it’s high time that we officially patch things up. What do you say, old pal?”

Surprisingly, Maestro hesitated for a moment. Nobody was quite sure why, and Xavier looked concerned. But the moment passed, and Maestro shook his old friend’s hand, a smile on his face. “I’d like that, Xav. I’d like that quite a lot.” As the others cheered, Trixie could’ve sworn that she saw a dark, almost haunted look dance on Maestro’s face for a split second, but it vanished just as quickly. She shrugged, convinced that it must’ve been a trick of the light.

Then, after everyone calmed down, a masculine voice piped up. “Well, I must say that this is quite something.” The group’s attention was drawn to a light gray unicorn anthro, who just exuded confidence. This was clearly “Slighthand”, the leader of the stange anthros. He bowed, and smiled. “I see many of you have put together who I am- but for those of you who don’t quite get it, I am ‘Slighthand’.” He then stood, and took in the scene before him. “It is quite an honor to see all of you here-” He blinked, and did a double-take. “Hmm. Somebody’s missing from this picture. Has anyone seen Sarah?”

Now that Trixie thought about it, Sarah hadn’t been seen for a while now. The group was a bit concerned, that was until Maestro spoke up. “She’s fine, really. I’ve seen her recently. She’s just a bit occupied at the moment, is all.” The group breathed a collective sigh of relief, though Trixie thought that she saw that same look from before on his face- it went away just as quickly, so she presumed that she was just seeing things.

Xavier assured Leon and the others that they were indeed forgiven, that he had moved on. “Seriously, just forget about it. I don’t want any hard feelings between us going forward. Alright?” He extended a hand to them, which they shook in turn. This truly was the greatest thing that had happened in some time.

Then, they heard feminine laughter, at which “Slighthand” went a bit pale. “Oh no. Not her. Not now!”

A blast of magic was fired at the group, which they deftly avoided. They then looked upon the anthro in the air- a thestricorn with tealish-lavender fur. She pouted for effect. “Aw~, you’re no fun. I thought that you’d play along~!”

The group was reasonably surprised, having not seen this anthro before. “Slighthand” glared at her. “Princess Starfall. We meet again.”

Princess Starfall chuckled. “Hello to you too, ‘Slighthand’. Been a while, hasn’t it?” she laughed as his glare intensified. “Oh, somebody’s got some issues~!” She then broke out into a mocking tone. “Can’t we get along~?” She laughed so hard, she cried. She then wiped away the tears as she calmed down “Ah, I’ll never forget the day that you naively asked me that. So precious!”

“Slighthand” growled at that comment, clearly not amused. “Listen here, Starfall. I will not rest until your plans fail! Whatever you got, my team and I are ready!”

Starfall wagged a finger and tsked. “Au contraire, ‘Silghthand’. You’ve yet to meet our trump card. But, I won’t spoil the fun yet. He’s not somebody to be trifled with though, I will give you that.” she looked amused at the group getting ready for a scuffle. “Oh, please. As if I’d dirty my hands directly with you at this venture. I’ve something more entertaining in mind.” Her hand started to glow red, and the air grew dense. “Rise, Mirror of Shadow! Bring forth the darkness that lies within!” A onyx framed mirror arose from the ground accompanied by swirling dark clouds. Once it was above ground, it towered above them all with massive height. The glow of red intensified as a sheen pulsed across the surface of the mirror. “Now, bring forth a warrior of Darkness from the heart of one who is present!” The mirror’s surface shuffled through the images of the anthros present- aside from Starfall, for obvious reasons- and continued going for a good while before coming to a stop on the image of Trixie. The mirror shone with red light as the dark clouds coalesced inside the mirror, and then started to spin as they took form of a shadow of Trixie. Starfall grinned, and spoke out dramatically. “I proudly present for the first time anywhere…!” The now silhouette stepped out of the mirror, and the clouds dispersed to reveal an anthro that looked a lot like Trixie, except with darker fur and longer mane and tail. The Cutie Mark was changed slightly, too. The tip of the wand was a black star, and the cloud coming off the tip was now navy blue. Starfall concluded the introduction of her new creation. “The Great and Powerful Malatrix!”

The look in the dark duplicate’s eyes was certainly vile, and she looked downright intimidating. She flexed her hands and breathed deeply. She then spoke in a malevolent tone, with the attitude of a prima donna. “Insects of all vocations! Measly insignificant wretches! Bare witness of the power of the Great and Dominant Malatrix!” She lit her horn with dark maroon magic, and prepared for her “show.”

At this, Starfall chuckled. “I would stay and watch, but I’ve better things to do! Auf vitesain!” She then disappeared in a flash of red magic, taking the mirror with her.

Ready and raring, Twilight was about to end this quickly. “Alright girls! Let’s- Hey!” Just as she was taking out the Element of Magic, a box appeared around it, as well as the other Elements of Harmony.

In a flash, the boxes disappeared, leaving nothing behind. The group saw Malatrix now held a bigger box, and then summoned chains around it. She then wagged a finger at them. “Sorry. I don’t think that’s very sporting of you. How about we have some fun~?”

This setback was a bit unexpected, but they were resolved in taking down this dark entity. They got ready to attack, but Malatrix seemed unconcerned. The first to try and take her down was Ashley, readying to lasso Malatrix. Slightly amused, Malatrix took the rope in her magic, and turned it on its wielder. Ashley cried out as the rope hog-tied her, and she glared at Malatrix. Though before she could say anything, Malatrix summoned an apple into Ashley’s mouth, and smirked. “Seems you’re the one that’s all tied up!” She regarded the others, and lit her horn. “Let’s up the ante!” She then duplicated herself until there was a copy of her for each anthro in the area that was not incapacitated. All of them grinned. The original raised her arm. “Time to divide and conquer!”

The copies each isolated one of the anthros, intent on leaving them as helpless as Ashley. One of them trapped Rarity in a lock box, placing a magic suppression ring on her so she couldn’t use her magic to escape. Another transported Chessmaster into a playing card, while another found Janice and trapped her in an illusion maze. One by one, they blocked off the anthros’ magic, and trapped them in various ways- Micaela in a loop of the sword and box trick, Flora in a hamster ball, Servo on an endless staircase, Tyra in a mirror, Cheryl as a drawing on a chalkboard, Carmen stuck in the ground, Rae being tormented by visions of that “therapist”, Diana in a glass box with no exit, Prism trapped in a metal egg, and then finally after much hassle, Pinkie as a cardboard standee. The remaining anthros- Trixie herself, Twilight, Maestro, Alex, Ayumi, Serine and Gearbox huddled together as they were approached by the copies. Maestro grit his teeth as he pulled out a crystal blade. “Well, this went south quickly.” He looked to the others as they were surrounded. “Any bright ideas?”

The others were unsure of what they could do, for the clones had taken down their friends rather quickly. Serine grimaced in thought. “A few that I don’t like. That said, Mary has one but you might not like it.”

Shaking his head, Maestro was about to chastise her for even thinking on that. But Gearbox yelled out as one of the duplicates grabbed him. “Oi! Let go, you shallow imitation!” He forced the imposter off, but it only bought a bit of time. He looked to Maestro. “Listen, bud. I know that you’ve got qualms with her methods, but now is not the time! These are hardly real, Maestro! We gotta do what’s necessary to win!”

Anger flowed through Maestro as he gripped the blade tighter. He hated to admit it, but Gearbox had a point. He braced himself to ask the plan- until he saw something rather peculiar from the corner of his eye. Xavier was keeping the humans calm. How didn’t he see it before? A grin spread across his face. “Maybe we’ve got a little surprise of our own! Xavier!” Garnering the desired attention, he saw the Xavier already had the artifact in hand. Maestro nodded. “Go get ‘em!”

Nodding, Xavier held up the artifact to his chest. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Now is the time. His eyes shot open, and lifted the artifact into the sky. “The shards on the wind! The phantoms that howl! I accept my new life, and spread my wings!” A sudden change came upon him like lightning, and his form changed in seconds. His skin sprouted crystalline periwinkle fur, and his hair became jet black as a tail of the same color grew. His face elongated, and his eyes changed color to light orange. His ears became equine as they travelled up his head, and large wings sprouted from his back. A necklace now hung from his neck, bearing a gravestone with a spirit circling it. This sudden change caught the attention of the duplicates, and Malatrix herself seemed slightly amused. Though as the the duplicates tried to overpower him, he broke them into pure magic with a focused touch. Their numbers were soon dwindled to even things out, and he barely had a scratch on him. He smirked. “I am known as Phantom Howler! And now, your grave awaits!”

Scowling, Malatrix readied an attack. “You really think that you can defeat me? Well then, how about this for a trick up my sleeve?” She cast a spell that covered the entire park in a giant mist, causing the humans and incapacitated anthros to disappear from the scene- though for whatever reason, Malatrix was nowhere to be seen. She laughed, and the group’s attention was now drawn to the giant Malatrix that had appeared. She cackled. “In this realm, I am all powerful!”

Things were looking bleak, even with the newly anthrofied Phantom Howler on their side. The anthros looked between one another, knowing that if they were to stand a chance, they would each have to take quite a risk. Twilight channeled her magic into the most powerful spell she could think of. Ayumi tapped into her full potential as well. Gearbox was ambushed from the fog by a duplicate and entranced by a hypnotic screen before he faded into the fog. This got the rest of them on edge, knowing now that the clones had not disappeared, only been made undetectable. Alex honed her senses, and Phantom tapped into his magic that he retained from his human life. Serine let Mary off her “leash”, and Trixie focused on dispelling the illusion field. Maestro had a grim look on his face, and steeled himself. He attacked one of the clones without much hesitation, now that he knew they were basically pure magic. He glared at Malatrix as he scanned the magic. She had made this world, and projected a giant avatar of herself- though it was evident that the source of the spell was… “Alright. I’ve got good news, and I’ve got bad news. Good news is that she’s still vulnerable- Bad news is that she’s basically made the avatar a giant barrier to protect her.” He shook his head. “We need to bring down that barrier in order to defeat her, but there’s a problem with that…” He grimaced. “That barrier is the toughest I’ve seen. We need full power attacks to break it, and even then it will take a while.” He focused his magic as he let the seals open. “Best shot is we attack all at once. On my mark!” With blade charged with magic, Maestro yelled as he leapt at the barrier. A bit startled, the others managed to get ahold of themselves and fire their attacks as Maestro attacked the barrier.

The projection smirked, shaking her head. “Oh, foolish microbes! You cannot overthrow the might and majesty of Malatrix! Try as you might, it will do you no good!” She smirked at them as they tried to break her barrier. Oh, it was quite amusing that they tried so hard. She almost felt pity towards them… almost.

With Malatrix distracted, Trixie assaulted the illusion field with an illusion breaker spell. It was a bit complex, but she poured more effort in as the others kept Malatrix’s attention. She was starting to see some results, as Gearbox was soon revealed again. She went over to him, and snapped him out of his trance. He shook his head and looked to her. He smiled, and nodded his head. He whistled, summoning his new and improved synthetic horn. He attached it to his head, then lit it with magic and cracked his knuckles. He jumped into the battle, pumping magic into his landing. When he crashed down, he sent a mighty shockwave across the form of the barrier. She turned, and was shocked to see him. He smirked. “Nobody impersonates my girlfriend!” He landed on solid ground, and taunted her. This cause on of the duplicates to attack- but he broke it with a single well-placed kick. He glared. “I’m not falling for that again!”

The tides started to turn as Trixie freed more and more of the anthros, soon overwhelming the duplicates entirely, leaving only Malatrix. She scowled, and shouted. “ENOUGH!” This froze everyone in their tracks, including the now-visible humans. Malatrix grabbed Trixie, and brought her to herself. “You have been a thorn in my side for too long!” The avatar opened its mouth. “Bon appetít!” The group yelled out, unable to help Trixie as she was dropped inside the giant barrier.

Dharcveld

Trixie woke up groggily, a hand going to her head. She took in her surroundings, and was disturbed by them. She was in a castle, with walls of onyx stone. She looked around, and saw Malatrix sitting smugly on a throne of silver. She motioned to the surrounding area. “Isn’t it beautiful, Trixie? This is what we could’ve had, were we smart enough to usurp Starlight and make her plans our own.” She shook her head. “Oh well. Better late than never.”

Trixie stared at the grin growing on her dopplegänger’s face. It was a twisted, unnatural thing, a far cry from a genuine smile. Trixie tried to stand, and only barely managed. She hissed in pain, but was determined to stand up for herself. “Do you think that I would join or submit to you? You are naught but the dark desires of my being! I am stronger than that!”

Malatrix chuckled as she shook her head. “Oh, sweet, naïve, Trixie. You think yourself strong? You think yourself great? You think yourself powerful?” Malatrix shook her head. “Far from it, I’m afraid. You are nothing. You are a two-bit hack, a few cards short of a full deck! You do not have any real power without me.”

Part of Trixie wanted to listen to Malatrix. After all, Trixie was a stage magician- how could she win against this power? But, just as she was about to give in, she felt something- a power in her soul. One of Loyalty. One of Honesty. One of Kindness. One of Generosity. One of Laughter. One of Magic. She glowed with power, and Malatrix stepped back. “You’re wrong, Malatrix! For I have something you don’t!” She lit her horn, as the rainbow energy filled her.

Malatrix’s eyes widened, looking over to the locked box, only to be puzzled that it wasn’t open. She looked back to Trixie. “But how? This shouldn’t be possible! You gave those back!”

Trixie spoke with power as the faith of her friends filled her. “Once an Element Bearer, always an Element Bearer!” The rainbow magic filled the room, expanding outward as it became white. Malatrix could only scream as she was enveloped, and the white magic washed over Trixie as she passed out.

Author's Note

Well now, haven't done a proper cliffhanger in a while. So Xavier has anthrofied, and Trixie has defeated her inner darkness. Don't worry, she is okay... But she might be different when you hear from her next in chapter 35. Things just keep getting crazier...

New Lease On Life

Consciousness came to Trixie slowly as her eyes opened blearily. She could somewhat make out some words that were being said on the edge of her conscious thoughts. “...alright?” “...think so…” “...hear us?” She started to sit up slowly, to alleviate the discomfort from her back. Her thoughts became more clear as she now could recognize the voice that spoke next as her boyfriend, Gearbox. “Oh thank goodness you’re alright! I was worried, you know.”

He hugged her tight as her eyes fully opened, taking in the room she was in. She was in a hospital room, which was frankly didn’t surprise her- she did pass out, after all. Pressure built on her back as it grew in discomfort. She had a strained smile and spoke softly. “A little… tight, don’t you think?”

At that, Gearbox let go reflexively. “Oh, sorry Trixie.” He stepped back, and Trixie got a chance to breathe. She could feel the discomfort lessen, though it was still there, somewhat. As if there was a part of her that was… constrained, inhibited.

Maestro approached cautiously. “You alright? Feel anything… different?”

The way Maestro phrased that implied that he knew something that she didn’t- but that was nothing new, considering who it was. But then she analyzed the others in the room- Twilight, Pinkie, Ashley, Micaela, Rarity, Ayumi, Alex, Janice, Phantom, Cheryl, Carmen, Rae, Dianna, Tyra, Brianna, Chessmaster- even Natalie and Gearbox looked as if they knew something that she didn’t. She glared suspiciously, hands on hips. That was when she noticed that something on her back tried moving. Yelping in surprise, she clamoured a bit. “What’s going on here!?”

Twilight tried to calm her down. “Easy now, Trixie. Just try and calm down. You’re still you, regardless.”

Eyebrow perked at those words, Trixie lapsed into third person for the first time in a long while. “Of course Trixie is still herself! She is not a numbskull, Radderson. She-” This is when she caught herself, cleared her throat, and continued. “I just want to know why you’re all looking at me like that!”

The group looked amongst one another, but Ayumi decided to break the ice. “Well, you’re not exactly your old self anymore. After all… you have wings now.”

At that, Trixie gasped. That movement from her back resurfaced, and this time it made sense. But there were still a few things troubling her. “Okay, so I’m an alicorn, then? But… why are my wings bound? What’s wrong with them?”

A bit of uncertain murmuring went through the group until Gearbox gave his thoughts. “None of us know why for certain; but I think I have a guess. Maybe the ascension was… incomplete, somehow? That’s my guess as to why your wings were damaged when we found you.”

Shaking his head, Maestro voiced his opinion. “I’m not so sure about that. I think that the ascension did work properly- but perhaps the sheer force of her fall banged up her wings.”

Ayumi decided to speak up on that bit as well “I’ve known alicorns who have normal wings at first, but after a bit they change their looks in the transition the wings damage themselves.” Ayumi spread her own dragon-like left wing “It happened to this one when it first changed.”

Clearly a bit upset, Trixie crossed her arms. “Well, it doesn’t matter what happened, the point is that even though I have them, I can’t use them!” The bandaged wings on her back twitched slightly in her agitation. She had wanted them so much, but now that she had them they were already useless!

Twilight then attempted to cheer her up. “Hey, it could be worse. You could have gotten broken bones! Your new wings may take time to be useful, but once you can use them, I assure you that any of us fliers will be willing to help you learn how to use them.”

Trixie was silent for a moment, until a small smile grew on her face. “Thanks, I guess.”

It was at that point that a human doctor came into the room with a tray of hospital food. He smiled at the sight. “Ah, she’s awake. Good timing!” He set the tray on her lap, and explained to her as she ate. “I have some good news- Your wings look to be healing quite nicely, so those probably won’t need the bandages in a few days. Remember to change them daily-” He handed her a small kit full of the proper materials. “Until they are fully healed. Though, I’d suggest not flying too high or fast with them until you get used to using them. I recommend coming in here at least once a week for a month to check with our anthro consultant on the progress of your wings.”

After Trixie finished the tray of food, she spoke up. “Is that all? Can I go now?”

The doctor chuckled a bit. “Not yet. We’ll do a few tests of your reflexes, and then you’ll be cleared to get going.” He turned to the others. “Now, if the rest of you would so kindly exit, I can begin.” The group followed instruction, and the doctor did the standard tests- the little hammer on the legs, the eye follow test, and so on. After that was all done, a nurse came in with the clothes that Trixie had been wearing earlier. He spoke. “Well, miss Evenlor. I’ll leave you to get dressed, and then you can go.”

The doctor left, as did the nurse after setting the clothes on the bed. Trixie got dressed quickly, until she was at the blouse. She didn’t quite know how she was supposed to do this, now that she had wings. Thankfully, Rarity came in at just that moment. She was about to excuse herself, but Trixie called out. “Don’t go!” She went up to her, and dragged her into the room. She showed her the blouse, and explained. “I don’t know how I’m going to put this on now that I have wings! Can you…”

Understanding, Rarity nodded. “Leave it to me!” She took out a pair of scissors, and went to work. She eyeballed the wings on Trixie’s back, running through a few ideas. She shook herself out of it, and returned to the task at hand. She carefully cut the fabric so that the wings could fit through, making sure to keep a steady hand. Once she had finished with both holes, she handed the blouse back to Trixie. “Try it now, darling. Hopefully it’ll work out.”

A bit apprehensive, Trixie looked at it for a minute. She wasn’t sure, but it was best to find out now- after all, she couldn’t go out half-dressed. She carefully put it over her head, fumbling a bit. But after a bit of struggle, she got it on and sighed in relief. She smiled. “Thanks, Rarity. I’ll probably have to send you my other blouses and have them adjusted, too. Luckily that dress you made has a low enough back to not worry about it.” She chuckled a bit.

Rarity smirked. “I suppose with that piece I had a bit of foresight or something. Regardless, I’d be glad to help you out with any of the clothes you have, free of charge.”

Rarity left the room, and Trixie sighed. She was pretty lucky to have friends, especially her main ones. She decided go spend some time with them- after all, it was them that helped her ascend. Smiling, she went to the front doors of the hospital, glad to see the five of them waiting for her. She spoke out. “So, where do you girls want to go?”

They left, discussing where they would go and what they would do when they got there- but Trixie was just glad to have them around her in that moment. It was the start of a new chapter in her life, and she was determined to get it right.

Elsewhere…

“She WHAT? How did that two-bit stage magician ascend!?” Starfall flinched at the very force of Starlight’s words. “Why I oughta...! JET! Get in here!”

Arriving on command, Jet responded. “What now? I have other things to do, you know.”

Starlight glared at him for his impertinence, but decided to let it go. He was pivotal at this stage, so she let him run his mouth… for now. “I need you to bring Trixie to me. I want those wings! I don’t care how you do it, just get her here!”

Jet stiffened a bit, but then sighed. “Alright. I’ll see what I can do. It’ll take a while, though. Nevertheless, it will be done.” At that, Jet dissolved into the shadows.

Starlight then murmured under her breath. “It had better be, Jet. Don’t fail me, or otherwise…” Starlight let the implications hang in the air, certain he heard.

Author's Note

Here we are! Yes, I ascended Trixie. But notice how I approached it? She won't be using her new wings just yet. Anyway, I hope you keep patient for the next chapter. It won't be out until May.

EDIT- 04/13/19- One new Paragraph in the discussion of why Trixie's wings are damaged.

Jet Attacks

They found their way to a circus tent with the sign stating: “Currently undergoing renovations. Thank you for understanding.” Trixie was a bit put out at this, but decided to not let it get to her. She just needed a bit of time with friends, and that was what was more important. However, Rae called out in astonishment. “Look out!” She tackled Trixie, the two of them diving out of the way of a black beam of magic.

Their attention was drawn to an anthro unicorn in a black bodysuit, a glow of black magic around the right and left hands. The figure scoffed. “Hmph. Surprising…” The voice felt as deep as a chasm, the features of his face concealed by his helmet’s dark visor. He brushed himself off. “Ah, well. A good strategist knows when to withdraw.” He cloaked himself in magic, and addressed them. “I am known as Jet. Do not presume this is over, Trixie. I will withdraw for now; but Starlight will have your wings. No matter the price. Farewell, for now.” He then vanished into shadow, just as suddenly as he had made himself known.

Stunned, Trixie looked to her friends. They seemed just as confused as she was. None of them had heard of this Jet character before, and they were uncertain what to think of him. Ayumi found her way onto the scene, and saw the damage. “Woah! What happened here?”

Trixie steadied herself, and turned to Ayumi. “Some mysterious anthro in a black bodysuit calling himself Jet attacked me. Luckily, Rae tackled me out of the way.”

Ayumi had a confused look on her face at first, but then recalled something. “So he’s called Jet, is he? So that’s who I saw discussing things with Starfall…” She studied the damage, which had scorched the ground and caused a bit of a crater. Not many could fire such a powerful spell, but she couldn’t think of anyone that would attack Trixie like that. “Just who are you, Jet…?”

Just then, Maestro arrived on the scene. He lit his horn, and started tidying the area. “This… Jet… certainly has a flair for power, that is to be certain. This spell is raw power, on the level of high-ranking unicorns.” His magic expunged the scorch marks, and used loose material in the area to patch up the damage. He continued his speech effortlessly. “Certainly there are only a select few that could pull off this sort of large-scale attack. Certainly, it’s… disconcerting. It casts potential shade on some we might trust; and raises many questions.”

Their attention on Maestro, it raised a few more questions. Jet was a male unicorn anthro, and they didn’t know very many of those… The question hanging in the air passed from Carmen’s lips before she could stop herself. “You didn’t do this, did you? You wouldn’t attack us, right?”

Silence fell as Maestro let his magic fade. For a moment, his hands clenched, and his fur flickered into a darker shade. But the moment passed as quickly as it came, as he took a deep breath and faced them. His face was serious and grave, signaling that this was no joking matter. “I certainly could do something like this, I will admit. Given a certain level of pushing, I could be capable of such destruction, perhaps far more. I won’t deny that.” He paused, looking down at his hands. “I don’t like this power of mine sometimes. The things I could end up doing with it sometimes make me wish I had ended up turning into somebody else. Yet, there is nothing for it now. I chose this path, and so I will own up to it, consequences and all.”

They had not expected Maestro to be quite this frank with them regarding this. They expected him to deny the possibility, or elsewise insist that it had to be somebody else. Yet instead, he made no attempt to do so. The pain on his face when he talked on such things really spoke volumes for his struggles with himself. Cheryl addressed his worries. “It’s alright, Maestro. You’re our friend; I’m sure you would never do something like this.”

Maestro however, remained silent. But then, a laugh was heard from the sky. Their attention was garnered by Starfall, looking smug. “Ah, the faith they have is adorable. What they don’t seem to understand is that everyone has a breaking point.” Standing on a roof near her was the figure from before, silent as the grave. She rubbed his shoulder, a minx-like smile on her face. “Why don’t you show them what I mean, hm? Jet! Get them!"

Jet paused a bit before replying to Starfall. "As you wish, Princess." He leaped from the roof, magic flaring. When he hit the ground, it shook. As he stood, the others arrived on the scene. He scoffed. “Well. You think you have me outnumbered? Let me show you something.” His magic encased his form, and he disappeared into the shadows.

Ayumi called out, concern in her voice. “Oh, great! Now he could be anywhere! Be on your guard, everyone!”

They all were on edge, all except for Trixie. She felt confident. “So you think you’re tough, huh? But you shouldn’t feel cocky; illusions are my forté!” She lit her horn for the first time since her wings grew. She noticed the immense power there that hadn’t been there before, just waiting for her command. Using this magic, she made herself disappear into thin air. She then focused magic so that she could see magic in use, and smirked. Gotcha! With the wave of a hand, she disbursed the illusions in effect, revealing Jet about to attack Tyra from a blind spot.

Jet cursed, and backed off. “Tch! Well. So you’re adapting to your new power… Alright. You’re an illusionist, but can you handle what I do next?” He poured more magic into his being, readying to attack with a massive spell. Panicked, The group scrambled to pool their magic together. “Fools. FALL!”

A ball of black magic was hurled in their direction, at a speed that they couldn’t hope to react to- But somebody did. Maestro had suddenly appeared in front of them, standing at full height. His eyes were set in determination. “Sorry, all. But you are just gonna have to carry things from here.”

From the audience Phantom spoke up. “What’re you saying, Maestro!? We just made amends!”

At that, Maestro shook his head and chuckled darkly. “This must be done. I have to find them. Sarah and Prism. This is my one shot. I hope that… you can understand.” With a deep breath, he pooled his magic. He encased himself in it, and leaped towards the ball of magic. One final phrase could be heard from him before he disappeared. “If I’m not myself when we meet again… I’m sorry in advance. Farewell.” When his figure disappeared into the horizon of the black ball of magic, it stopped mid-air. It suddenly started spinning, faster and faster. It started to pulsate, and the group backed away, as did Jet and Starfall. Then, at its fastest, the ball exploded into white light, pushing everyone against the walls- and sending Starfall and Jet flying several kilometers away.

When the light died down, Ayumi took scope of the situation. Maestro was nowhere to be found, and Jet and Starfall were long gone. None of them knew exactly what had happened to Maestro, but it wasn’t looking good. They discussed amongst themselves what he’d said. He said that he was going to find Sarah and Prism. None of them had thought those two were missing, only busy. But from the way Maestro spoke, they’d been missing for a while. They had to have faith that he was alright, and would find them soon. As for this Jet character, they had to discuss that with “Slighthand” anyway. So, they traveled to the place they had last seen him to discuss the matter.

When they arrived, “Slighthand” turned to them. “Hm? Back so soon? What’s wrong?” and so they explained it to him, and he listened intently. “Hmm… Jet, huh? Does remind me of somebody I knew back home, to be sure. Not sure if it’s him, but… We’ll keep the option open.”

Though, one thing was bothering Ayumi immensely. “Where are you guys from, anyway? I’ve never heard anything about you before…”

“Catseye” shook her head. “It’s complicated. We’d rather not endanger the balance here anymore than we have to. Once we do in Starfall, we will take her back home with us, and be out of your hair. You won’t have to worry about us for a good long while.”

Though the answer wasn’t satisfying, they weren’t likely to get any more answers out of them. So, regretfully, they let it be. It was getting late, so they all went their separate ways for the day. Trixie still couldn’t help but feel that she somehow should know “Slighthand” and his brother. Just something about them felt like she should know them. Yet before they showed up, she’d never seen them before. Maybe they had been people she’d met before they anthrofied? She shook her head. That answer felt wrong, somehow. However, she’d get no answers fretting about it, so she turned in for the night.

Author's Note

Now Maestro's gone missing! Things are starting to come to a boil. It'll all make sense in the end.

The Circus Crisis

Trixie was still reeling from what had happened yesterday. Not only had she been attacked by that Jet guy, but Maestro had gone missing in front of their eyes. It was definitely heavy stuff they were dealing with if he had to do so in order to find his girlfriend and his adoptive daughter. Honestly, Trixie needed a break… and that was when the idea hit her. Fix the Circus! Surely she wasn’t the only one feeling this way, so she thought she’d do everyone a favor and finish fixing it up. She got ready for the day, and went to the old tent after school. Nobody else was there yet, so it was prime time to start. She worked on the basic mending first, seeing as there wasn’t much left that needed done on that. As she started working on the inside though, somebody decided to stop by. “Mind if I lend a hand?”

Trixie turned to see who it was; and lo and behold it was Serine. Trixie nodded and smiled. “Thanks. I don’t know if I could’ve fixed this on my own, but this way, we’’l be done a bit quicker!” The two got to work, re-arranging the stands and revamping the ring in the center. It took a while, but after a few hours it was finished. The two stepped back, glad of their accomplishment. It was unfortunate that Maestro wasn’t here to see it, but he’d definitely be proud of what they’d done.

At that moment, Twilight and the others came onto the scene. Applejack let out a whistle. “Woo-wee! Now that’s quite th’s overhaul! But why the circus?”

Trixie puffed out her figure smugly. "I think we needed a distraction from all the hectic things going on lately, so I finished up Maestro's work on the Circus!" Serine cleared her throat, causing Trixie to blush and amend her statement. “Er, with a little help, of course.” She collected herself, and sighed “Though, we will need a bit more time to get the acts ready…” She shook her head. “Might not be ready until tonight. We’ll have to see how that works out.”

Just then, black magic seeped into the area. Alarmed, each of them were on high edge. The familiar laugh of Jet came from the rolling clouds of magic. “Hello again. I told you I’d be back.” As their eyes searched the clouds, Jet couldn’t help but chuckle harder. “You really think I’ll be that easy to find? I like this tactic far better… Just see if you can find me this time!”

Trying to remain calm, Trixie tried to fire up her magic. But when she got no response from it, she gasped. “My magic! What have you done to my magic!?”

Jet’s amusement at the situation as the others also felt no response from their magic was rather apparent. “Do you like my new trick? Antimagic is quite powerful…” They could almost feel a grin forming underneath his mask. “Honestly, your reaction is more delicious than Maestro’s was…”

At the mention of Maestro, Chessmaster responded harshly glaring into the clouds. “Where is my brother!? Answer me!”

Jet let out a tsking sound. “Oh, like I would tell you that. But I’m feeling generous, so let’s just say… He’s quite lost at the moment.”

At the non-answer, Janice huffed indignantly. “Rotten piece of-!”

However, Phantom cut her off, an air of calm about him. “Janice, getting angry about it won’t do us any good. All we really can do is hope that Maestro makes it back alright.”

Jet scoffed from the clouds. “Good luck with that. In a little while, he probably won’t be quite himself anymore…” He shook his head. “No matter. I’m just going to cut to the chase.” The clouds rolled forward and upward until they created a large dome. “No one gets in, no one gets out. Not until I get what I came here for! Let the fun begin!”

The clouds rolled with thunder, lightning jumping across the gap. It cut just short of them, even though it could’ve likely gone through them. The ominous feel only grew stronger as the clouds grew tighter together, weeding out any light that’d found a way through before. The dark pitch around them set them all on edge, especially since they couldn’t access their magic. However, they wouldn’t let down their guard so easily.

Though they could hardly see, Trixie and the others refused to let it get to them. Jet was in the darkness somewhere, but it was hard to say where he’d strike from. His first strike was fast, unprecedentedly so. His attack struck near Ayumi, but he was too quick for her to attempt to retaliate against. The darkness made it impossible to see exactly what he’d done, but the fact that Ayumi was hissing in slight pain gave Trixie some ballpark guesstimate as to the power behind the attack.

The next attack went for Twilight, coming from above. Yet again, his speed in the dark area made it impossible for Twilight to respond in kind. Her wince in pain could be heard throughout the dome, making it clear that Jet wasn’t messing around much longer. He was probably going for Trixie next, so the group rearranged itself so that Trixie was surrounded on all sides by her friends. Trixie smirked. Get through that, Jet!

Even that plan didn’t quite work as desired as Jet popped up from the ground beneath Trixie. Startled, Trixie stepped back. This wasn’t good. She couldn’t do too much without access to her magic, so this looked pretty grim. But then, light started to shine through the dome of dark clouds, exposing Jet. Alarmed, he tried to get away. “Drat! Not now!”

But his escape was in vain as Rai and Ashley both grabbed onto his arms with all their strength. He tried to charge a spell, but Turquoise magic slipped a strange ring on his horn, cutting the spell short. This caused the dark clouds to crumble, revealing not only the sunset hour, but also a familiar trio. “Maestro! Sarah! Prism!”

At their elation, Jet scowled. “Grr. This isn’t good…” He tried to worm his way out, but the full strength of his main captors had returned, so he wasn’t going anywhere. He huffed indignantly. “Bah. Well, there goes my plan…”

Before the others could question him, Maestro closed the distance. He glared into Jet’s visor. “Tell me. Where’s. Cacophony? How’d you separate him from my consciousness?”

At this, shock played across the faces of the others in varying degrees. Ayumi seemed more concerned than anything else, though. Jet just laughed. “Hahahahaha! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!” A hand went to his visor as he started to convulse a bit. “I thought you hated his annoying voice in your head? I thought you wanted to get rid of him? You should thank me!”

Maestro continued to glare at Jet, while the others nursed some disturbing thoughts. However, somebody was about to break the case wide open. “That’s enough, Shadeshot. Just show yourself!” Their attention was garnered by the one who had spoken; that being “Sleighthand”.

Jet looked at him too, and scoffed. “Shadeshot? You’re quite mistaken. I’m somebody quite different, you see…” He made to remove his helmet, but then he pulled his hands away. He shook his head. “No, not yet. You wouldn’t understand how, let alone why.”

All of a sudden, Maestro made to remove the helmet. “I say otherwise. I will have answers!”

But, it wasn’t to last. Just as Maestro had made sleight progress in removing the helmet, Starfall arrived. “Jet!” With a wave of magic, she knocked the others away. She landed next to him, sleight concern in her voice. “Are you alright?”

She helped him up, and removed the magic suppression ring from his horn. Jet re-adjusted his helmet. “I’m fine. It seems I misjudged them once again…” He clenched his fist tightly, before slightly snarling. “A mistake I won’t make again!”

Starfall took him up into the air as she looked at the scene. Her eyes widened as she saw that Sarah was free, but she regained herself quickly enough. “Farewell for now, heroes. We’ll meet again… sooner than you might think.” The two then teleported away.

Eyes turned to Maestro, full of confusion. He sighed. “Alright, you guys want an explanation of how I got back so quickly? Well...”

Elsewhere, in a secret place.

Starlight smiled at her subbordinate’s return. “You did well, Jet. Your mastery over Antimagic is astonishing. So, do they suspect anything?”

Jet shook his head. “No. The ones from where Starfall is from thought I was one of them. They know not the truth.” He looked away, distraught. “I couldn’t get Trixie’s wings, but I did manage to syphon a small portion of her magic… maybe this will give us a bit more headway in deciphering the secret of ascension…”

Starlight sighed slightly as he handed the small vial to her. “Ah, well. Take what you can get, I suppose.” She set it next to the sample from Twilight that she’d gotten so long ago. That sample had provided some insight, but with this new one, they might actually bust this whole thing open. She secretly worked her magic again. “Thank you, Jet. I hope you know how much I appreciate you.”

But Jet was too stalwart to be swayed by the spell. “Listen. I’m in this for personal reasons. Nothing will change that. I already know that you aren’t likely to keep your end of the bargain; but I’ve no choice in the matter anyway. Once this is all said and done, you’re likely to kick me to the curb.” Jet turned to leave. “I’ve business to attend to. Farewell, Starlight.”

After Jet left, Starlight let out a huff of anger. It was proving more difficult than she expected to change him. Possibly even more effort then he was worth. But then her attention turned to Starfall. She was in danger of something drastic if Starlight’s efforts to turn Jet fully failed… Her eyes bore a fierce look. She’d just have to be a bit more… forceful. Just a little more persuasion...

Author's Note

Now we're getting somewhere! Just a little further now...

Side Story: The Dark Realm

Maestro stirred from the long journey, and looked around. The surrounding area was strange, and sparse. He had no idea where he was, except that it looked to be some sort of labyrinth. If his gut was right, Prism and Sarah were somewhere in here. He could also sense that Jet character nearby, so he would have to remain on high alert. He had no clue as to the full capability of that guy, except for the fact that he was roughly as powerful as himself, if not more so. But, he heard a snide comment from an unwelcome voice. Y’know… maybe we should side with him. He’s powerful, like us. We could use that to our advantage. Set aside the nuisances around us, and claim what should be ours!

Maestro grit his teeth. He didn’t want to deal with Cacophony at the moment, so he tried to use his magic… but then, alarm bells went off in his head. My magic?! I can’t access it! What’s going on here?

Snickering a little, Cacophony spoke up. Well now, looks like you’re stuck with me! It seems we’re surrounded by Antimagic. Well played, well played. Maestro could almost feel Cacophony’s grin. This certainly makes things… interesting.

Maestro sighed, and rolled his shoulders. Great. Now let’s get on with this already. We’re wasting time. Maestro looked around once more, trying to judge which direction he should go. Hmm. Can’t just cheap out and use my magic, so I’m gonna have to trust my gut on this one. He focused, clearing his mind. He then pointed to a path that was currently on his right (though it was hard to say if it was one he’d seen before when he first came to). He walked with a determined look on his face. Alright, Jet. let’s see what game you’re playing…

The path often diverged and twisted, but Maestro didn’t let that daunt him. At each intersection, Maestro paused to regain his bearings, and take the direction that felt most “right” to his gut. After many various turns, Maestro started to see the cell that those precious to him were being kept. He smiled. Not long now. I don’t know how long it took to get here, but it doesn’t matter. I’m almost there.

Before he could go much further, he heard a dark chuckle. “Well now. I didn’t think I’d have to interfere much, and just watch you get lost, but… Look at you! You’ve done astoundingly well so far! It seems that I underestimated you. Time to fix that.” the eerie air grew heavier as the maze started to rumble and shake. Maestro steadied himself, and glared into the darkness. Jet’s laughter echoed through the chasmous space. “Really, now. Did you think I’d just let you waltz on there without interference now? The fun is just beginning…”

A giant clock rose from the ground, displaying a time limit of two hours. Maestro shouted into the void. “What are you playing at, Jet? Explain yourself!”

Jet sighed deeply from the shadows. “Listen. Starlight wants something, and I intend to get it for her. You got in my way, so now your sanity is on the line.” Jet’s tone shifted to imply a bit of regret. “You have two hours to get out of here with your loved ones before the latent magic of the area starts to eat at your mind. You were a powerful foe, so it regrettable to see you fall this way. Your time starts…” Before Jet could finish, Maestro bolted off at top speed. Adrenaline coursed through him, putting his senses in overdrive. Jet sighed, and apparently shook his head. “Now.”

Time was of the essence, so Maestro couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. He instinctively weaved and bobbed through the maze, jumping over pits, ducking under lower ceilings, and climbing walls. Traps started to try and obstruct his path about 10 minutes in, but Maestro was so focused and aware that he adapted on the fly. He would not give in, not when he was so close! The traps complicated things, slightly adding to his time. He was getting closer to his goal, but from the corner of his eye he saw that it had been 30 minutes so far. He put in a burst of effort to go faster, respond quicker. He was uncertain how close he was, but he wasn’t taking any chances by slowing down. Sweat began to roll fiercely down his body. Yet, he refused to slow down. His breathing quickened as his stubbornness caused him to push harder. Faster. Faster! FASTER! He soon was almost too hard to follow, and he was making rather good time now. An hour in, and he was more than three quarters of the way there. He could do this!

Yet, he wasn’t quite in the clear just yet. A dark miasma descended, draining his energy. He started to slow down, even though he didn’t want to. Jet practically snarled. “Did you seriously think that I would let up when you were so close? Fool! No way in Cocytus will I just let you go further! You will break, whether you like it or not!”

Even as Maestro’s movements slowed, he refused to give in. He was too close to give in now. He pressed onward, with every fiber of his will fighting to move forward. But an unwelcome voice chimed up. Come on, Maestro. Give in already. It’s high time that you let me drive.

Maestro chose to ignore Cacophony, resolved on pressing onward. He wouldn’t give in, he couldn’t give in. Not now, not ever. His progress may have been hindered, but he was far from giving in now. He made some decent progress, despite all the things working against him. 30 minutes left on the clock, and he was almost there. Just… a little… Further! His nature kicked into overdrive, his focus unwavering. He started to pick up pace again, despite the strange miasma. He would not give in! Not when he was so close to his goal! He would do this! No matter what, I will succeed!

Time was ticking, and his goal was within sight. Just a little further, and he would have passed Jet’s little game. He couldn’t afford to make a mistake now. He went through the final exit, reaching the clearing with the cell. The timer showed 15 minutes, and it was still counting down. Maestro forced his way over to the cage, busting the bars apart with mighty strength. Prism and Sarah rushed over to him, the former speaking out. “Dad! Oh, I was so terrified!”

Maestro pulled back, and took them out of the cage. He looked towards the rope dangling from the black sky. “Alright. There’s only one thing for this.” He lifted Prism onto the rope, and she clung there. He spoke harshly. “Get going! We don’t have time to dawdle!” Prism took the cue, and climbed as quickly as she could. Once she was further up, Sarah started to climb after her as quickly as she could. 7 and a half minutes remained.

The two climbed further, and Maestro started to climb after them. But, they weren’t out of the clear just yet. The miasma grew in strength, slowing their movements further. Yet, Maestro called out to them. “Don’t give up now! Just keep going!” At that, Prism managed to muster enough strength of will to pull herself to the top and exit out. 3 minutes 45 seconds.

Sarah had barely managed to get three quarters the way up the rope, and Maestro was only halfway up himself. But he urged her onward. “Almost there! We can do this!” the two poured on more effort, and soon Sarah too managed to get out. 1 minute remains.

Maestro kept going. The nagging of Cacophony’s voice couldn’t stop him now. He was too close to give in now. He’d come too far to stop now. 45 seconds. He climbed further, determined to get out. He would see his friends again, and nothing would stop him! He could do this! He would do this! 30 seconds. He was three quarters the way up the rope, and he could almost make out the voices of Sarah and Prism giving him encouragement. He smiled at the thought that they would return the favor, so he put more effort out to get closer. He would not be deterred now! He could not be stopped now! 15 seconds. He’d almost made it out. He was so close now, he could almost taste freedom. He pulled himself to the exit, and just managed to peek out into the setting sun of the open air. He saw the smiling faces of Prism and Sarah, and they grabbed on to help pull him up and out. 0 seconds.

Something latched onto Mastro’s leg, threatening to drag him back in. He was halfway in, and halfway out. Prism and Sarah pulled with all their might, not willing to let go of him now. After a brief tug-of-war, Sarah and Prism managed to pull him completely free. After Maestro landed, Prism went over and shut the manhole. She welded the cover to the street so that the force couldn’t escape. Sarah looked at Maestro with concern. “Are you alright? That was too close for comfort…”

Maestro blinked for a moment. Something felt very wrong, but he wasn’t quite sure what. He felt his magic, activating it just fine. He could still access the syphoned magic from Nightmare Moon, Discord, and Sombra. He was going to answer that he was fine; but then his eyes widened. “Cacophony!” He panicked a little, trying to reach out to that annoying voice in his head… but there was no response. He turned to Sarah, his face a bit pale. “He took Cacophony!”

Sarah tilted her head slightly. “So? I mean, he’s just a Nightmare entity. You’re better off without him, right?”

Shaking his head, Maestro explained. “He’s more than that, Sarah. He may be insufferable at times, but he’s a part of me. He’s the part of me that stops at nothing to get what he wants- and now he’s captured by Starlight.” He turned to look Sarah in the eye. “This is far from a good thing, Sarah. The two of us keep the other in check, to some extent.” He sighed as he looked away. “I guess it just took losing him for me to truly understand that…”

Prism want over to Maestro and hugged him lightly. “It’ll be alright, dad. We’ll find a way to get him back if it means so much to you. Promise.”

Maestro smiled. “Thanks.” He turned to Sarah. “And you? Will you help?”

Sarah nodded. Once they were in agreement, they left together.

Author's Note

Now things get interesting...

Plan Of Attack

After they all heard Maestro’s explanation, Trixie asked a question. “So, your… dark half was taken? How are we supposed to get him back?”

Maestro looked off into the distance and sighed deeply. “I’m… unsure. It still puzzles me how he was even removed. I mean, Nightmare entities can be extracted and exterminated easily enough, but Cacophony Chromium is far different from a simple entity. He’s been inside my head since I anthrofied, and he always felt like his own person. Since Jet works for Starlight, it’s likely that they’ll try and give him what Cacophony has always wanted: a body of his own.” Maestro shook his head. “No matter what, we can’t allow that. He’s dangerously unstable without me keeping him in check. I always had some inkling that you guys might have to snap me out of his mindset one day, but this is different from that. We need a plan to deal with this. Any suggestions? ‘Cause I’m all ears.”

Before any suggestions were made, Ayumi asked the smart question. “You know him best, so you should let us know what to expect concerning him. We can’t plan unless we know what we’re dealing with.”

A nod from Maestro, and he sighed. “Right. I guess there are a few things to go over. He and I have different methodologies when it comes to getting things done. I carefully plan things out and can adapt on the fly when necessary. Cacophony, on the other hand, is more sporadic. He switches between plans and just winging it on a dime, like a pendulum. He has pretty much the same capabilities as I do, but he doesn’t really like to hold back. It’s hard to really put him at a true disadvantage when you consider how unpredictable he can be. I think that’s about everything that’s relevant to the matter at hand.” He looked around the group. “Any questions?”

The consensus seemed to be that there were no questions to be had. They decided to toss around a few ideas to hash out what could work. It was then that Gearbox put his idea out there. “It’s a longshot, but it might just work. Maestro, did you manage to siphon some of the antimagic?”

Maestro shook his head. “No dice, I’m afraid. The antimagic cut off all power to my enchantments. The little flaw that siphons away magic couldn’t do anything because that was turned off, too. We’re going to have to approach this differently.”

“Well that’s why I’ve been working on this,” Ayumi said as she pulled out a leather-bound book with a black five-leaf clover on the cover “This is a replica of the antimagic grimoire wielded by Asta in black clover including the daemon dweller sword.” Ayumi opened the book with a black mist “I’ve been training on how to use it’s antimagic swords without harming myself and have yet to master it to the point where I can access black daemon mode, but it should be enough to nullify anything Starlight throws at us, or whoever has Doc Jones void energy.”

Maestro considered it for a moment and reached out his hand. “May I see that for a moment?” Ayumi handed it over, and Maestro weighed it in his hand. “Hmm. Powerful stuff, this book. This might be a bit risky, though. Something about it just… rubs me the wrong way.” He handed it back to Ayumi and sighed. “We’ll keep that as a back-up plan. The risks from using it should relegate it to last-resort status, but we don’t have many ideas at this point. Anyone else have an idea?”

A murmur went through the crowd as they tossed around some more ideas. At first, nothing seemed to really be all that good. But then Chessmaster proposed his idea. “We’ll split into teams. One to distract Starlight, the other to sneak in. But we’ll need a bit of an edge… something they’re not expecting.” His gaze turned to Natalie. “Have you gotten the email from Mr. Deon yet?”

Natalie nodded. “I have, but… I haven’t touched it. Should I? I’m uncertain…”

Briana shook her head. “Not just yet. We need that as our surprise. You’ll open it to anthrofy once we get inside. That should give us the edge we need to take back Cacophony.” She looked at Maestro. “What do you think? Is it a good plan?”

Silence fell as Maestro considered it. It was a bit risky, seeing as they really had no clue as to what Natalie would become. It was a wildcard gamble, but not as potentially dangerous as using the antimagic book. And so, he nodded. “It’s a good base. I’ll be part of the infiltrator team. I have to be there to try and reason with Cacophony, seeing as I know him best.” He looked around at everyone else. “Each of you must consider which team you back carefully. This is a delicate operation.”

“If I may?” a male voice asked, “I think we should bring Nightmare Moon in on this.” Spike said “If Cacophony is as powerful as you say, we may need a very heavy hitter besides Ayumi. And since Nightmare is able to use lunar magic to purify or seal certain things away her powers could be useful.”

“That’s my mother Spike.” Ayumi said “I want her as far from the fight as possible,” Ayumi sighed “But you’re right. Even at my strongest, I’m only one pony. I’ll try to get her in on this but if she gets hurt remember what I can do in a rage.”

At the mention of Nightmare Moon, Janice looked a bit concerned. “Should we really enlist her help? I mean, I know this isn’t the same one we know. But… isn’t she too much of a loose cannon?”

Maestro shook his head. “She may be, but she’s not necessary.” He held the platinum locket around his neck. “Remember what these can do. By activating its magic locked inside, I and my relatives can obtain a temporary power boost. Used strategically, we can do this without Nightmare Moon.” He glared a bit at Spike. “Besides. I don’t want Cacophony sealed away in anywhere but my head. If he was purified somehow, that darkness would have to go somewhere. I’d rather not risk that going somewhere that I can’t control.”

Prism sighed heavily. “Don’t be so harsh on him, dad. He’s just trying to help.”

Maestro rubbed his forehead. “Alright. So we’ve got a plan. I still need people to show which team they’re on. Who’s infiltrating with me?” As expected Sarah, Chessmaster, Janice, Phantom, Natalie, Prism, and Trixie and her friends all raised their hands. Maestro nodded. “That means that Twilight and her pals, Ayumi, Serine, Alex, Gearbox, Spike, and the rest can be the distraction team. We need to coordinate our efforts, though. Chess will guide us to the Castle, and then we’ll split into the two teams from there. Any objections?”

A long series of shaking heads was the response. Just as they were going to go over a few more points, “Slieghthand” arrived from the east. “Guys? We have a problem.” He looked around the group, a grim look on his face. “It’s come to my attention that a Tirek anthro has been rumored to be siphoning magic from anthos around the world. The signs were first seen in some smaller countries but ultimately overlooked. However, the most recent attack was in East Africa. He’s making his way to Australia.” He sighed. “Put on hold your plans. We’ll have to get ready to strike back when this anthro arrives here.”

Maestro pinched the bridge of his nose. “If it’s not one thing, it’s another!” He let out a huff as he nodded. “I did not see Tirek’s attack here happening until a bit later, but it seems he’s grown impatient. Well, we’ll have to deal with this first. It’s a far more pressing issue, as it stands.” He looked towards Twilight. “Actually, you and your friends can handle it on your own, right?” At her nod, he sighed with relief. “Alright. We can still tackle both then. Just a few adjustments need to made to the plan, but it can still work.” His attention shifted back to “Sleighthand”. “You. Get your buddies, and help us out. But leave ‘Renddown’ out of this. I don’t trust her.”

“Guess I can test the antimagic blades on Tirek” Ayumi said “I’m not letting my little sister go up against that beast on her own.”

Setting that aside for a moment, “Sleighthand” questioned Maestro. “Why don’t you trust Renddown? I mean, she’s…” He shook his head. “Nevermind. But why don’t you trust her?”

A sigh escaped Maestro as he clutched his chest. “Something about her feels fake. I trust my instincts on this one. I say she’s playing all of you for fools.”

“Sleighthand” gasped. “I’ve known Renddown since childhood! She’d never do that to us!”

Maestro huffed, pointing harshly at him. “Listen, loverboy. I say that she’s a sham. I may not have access to my future sight at the moment, but all the alarm bells are going off when it concerns her. She’s only trouble, trust me.”

Anger and venom seeped into “Sleighthand”’s response. “You take that back! My Rendy would never betray us! I trust her with my life!”
Maestro was about to refute him, but sighed. “We don’t have time to argue, kid. We’re wasting time. Just grab your pals and meet us at Starlight’s Castle. But if you bring ‘Renddown’, don’t say I didn’t warn you when she turns on us.”

“Sleighthand” was about to respond when “Frigid” flew in from the east. “Sleighthand. We’ve got a situation. Renddown has been captured by Jet.”

Shock set in on “Sleighthand”’s face. “What? But how? I sent her off with Catseye and Mystquake! She should’ve been fine!”

“Frigid” shrugged her shoulders. “It’s uncertain how at the moment, but when I arrived, both Catseye and your brother were barely conscious, and they relayed what they recalled. They said that they’d been overpowered by Jet, and that they only barely caught a glimpse of him leaving with Renddown.”

Maestro shook his head. “Suspicious, if you ask me. I say she set it up to look like that. She’s working with Starlight. I can feel it.”

This time, Janice cut in. “Bro, are you sure? It seems that Sleight has an awful lot of faith in Renddown. Couldn’t you possibly be mistaken?”

Another shake of the head. “Not this time.” He glared at “Sleighthand”. “Let’s go. Your ‘girlfriend’ has some explaining to do.”

At the g-word, “Sleighthand” blushed a bit. “W-well, she’s not my… not yet, anyway, and…” he shook his head. “That’s aside from the point. You’ll see how wrong you are! I’m coming with you inside the Castle! The rest of my friends can help with the distraction. Once inside, then you’ll have to take back what you said!”

Maestro rolled his eyes. “Sure, whatever kid. Just get it all ready, and meet me there.” He beckoned to the others. “Let’s go. We’ve got preparations to make.”

As “Slighthand” and “Frigid” went off to make preparations, the others followed Chessmaster to the Outback, where they could see the Castle. It was made out of obsidian with platinum accents. Chessmaster pulled out a map of the area, and started marking a few things down. “The front door of the Castle is where they’ll expect us, and it’s the most heavily guarded. Our distraction team will go there, and destroy the many traps in the area. This should get Starlight to send a good portion of her hired goons to deal with the issue. The rest of us will sneak in using Trixie’s illusion magic to hide us from detection. Once inside, we’ll have to be on high alert. She‘ll have some pretty hefty security. We attack tomorrow.”

They all seemed to agree, and went to their homes for the night.

Author's Note

That's right! Tirek is coming! I originally was going to have him in this chapter, but I pushed him back a bit.

The Magic Thief and Cacophony Chromium- Part One

The day had come to enact the plan to rescue Cacophony. Trixie was a bit apprehensive, but if Maestro felt it was necessary, then who was she to argue? She got to the agreed upon meeting place after school, and saw the intrepid group gathered. Trixie looked around. “Where’s Twilight and the others? They off fighting Tirek already?”

Maestro shook his head. “Not just yet. He’ll probably show in a little while…” He stood tall as he looked around the group. He saw that all the people that were on his mission were here- Sarah, Janice, Chessmaster, Briana, Phantom, Trixie, Tyra, Cheryl, Diana, Rai, Carmen, Natalie, and Slieghthand were all present. He sighed. “We can’t start without them. Hopefully it doesn’t take long for them to show.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth did the others make it there. Twilight, Ashley, Rarity, Pinie, Flora, Micaela, Ayumi, Alex, Spike, Gearbox, Serine, Star, Mystquake, Hawkblood, Frigid, and Catseye had arrived. Twilight had a slightly sheepish grin. “Sorry that we’re late. Is everything ready?”

Chessmaster nodded as he turned to Trixie. “Hide those of us that are sneaking in with your illusions when I give you the okay. Alright?” She nodded, and Chessmater whistled using his fingers.

A large bus pulled in, and when the doors opened, they saw that the Discord they knew was in the driver’s seat. He grinned toothily. “All aboard who’s coming to foil Evil Starlight!”

The group filed into the bus, and Maestro paused at the front to talk to Discord. “Thanks for doing this. Traveling to where that castle is by foot…”

Discord rolled his eyes. “Oh, posh! Think nothing of it, my friend. The chaos that you and the other outsiders generate is thanks enough for me! Now sit down, and buckle up!” Maestro took a seat next to Sarah, and did as instructed. Discord shut the doors, and turned his bus driver’s hat backwards. “This ride is built for speed!” He adjusted the gearshift, and put on the gas as the bus lunged forward. He yelled out in excitement as most of the rest of them adjusted to the discomfort of the insane speed. “Yahoo! Now this is what I call a Chaos stream!”

The world when looked through the windows seemed to twist in unusual ways, yet when the windows were rolled down, it looked normal for how fast everything was going by. It wasn’t long before the bus came to a stop in the Outback. Discord opened the doors, and Chessmaster spoke up. “Alright, Trixie. Now.”

She took a deep breath and focused. She reached out her magic to all those involved in the infiltration, and with a single thought shifted their perception so that none could see them. She opened her eyes, and they were all invisible aside from those going off to face Tirek. She spoke up. “Alright. Now, unicorns of the group, turn on your magic sight. Find a non-unicorn partner, and guide them to stay with the group.” Once Trixie saw that her instructions had been followed, she grinned. “Alright. We’ll exit all as a group. Those visible will go to where Tirek is rampaging. The rest of us will follow Chessmaster to the castle. Let’s do this!”

They all filed out of the bus in an organized fashion. Once everybody was out, Trixie whispered to Twilight. “Good luck out there. We don’t know who the Tirek was before, but they are pretty powerful.” with a slight nod from Twilight, the groups separated as the bus disappeared into thin air. Chessmaster took the lead for the infiltrators as they crossed the Outback and Twilight’s group faded into the distance.

Chessmaster raised a hand after a few minutes to stop the group. He spoke in a hushed tone, so no prying ears would overhear. “Here is where things start to get a bit dicey. Magical mines are strewn about the area, with a myriad of nasty side effects. We will have to proceed with caution to get through this. Keep close, alright?” a nod was shared among the group as Chessmaster led them through the delicate path among the mines. It wasn’t clear what the mines would end up doing if touched, but from Chessmaster’s tone, it likely wasn’t pleasant. It was a bit easier on those who could fly, seeing as he only had to hiss out a direction an air mine was in so they could avoid. Though, once they made it through, Chessmaster looked around. He squinted. “Hm. That’s odd. I think they might be expecting us, given how clear the rest of the way is. Be careful, and stick close.”

A nod went through the group as they approached the castle with caution.

Meanwhile, Twilight and her friends had recently spotted Tirek. The hulking centaur had just tossed aside another anthro after draining their magic. Twilight looked towards Ayumi. “Well, now or never, right? Let’s do this!”

She led her group into the open, and saw Tirek turn to face them. A smirk grew upon his face. “Ah, you again. I see that Xavier isn’t with you. Pity. I was hoping of squashing all my opponents in one fell swoop, but…” He shrugged. “What can you do?”

A shocked gasp went through them, and Ayumi realized who it was that was talking. “Ramona? You accepted some kind of deal just to get back at Phantom?”

A smirk danced upon his face. “So he’s gone and done it, eh? That makes things easier.” He cracked his knuckles as his smirk grew to a grin. “Stand aside, and I won’t hurt you. Much.”

Alex grew to human size and moved to get some fighting room as said, "No can do Tirek. For one thing I don't surrender bullies. And you know what bullies are? Cowards. weaklings."

"You had a chance to get stronger, but you threw it away by refusing to apologize Xavier. You weakened yourself by bullying people who were different and surrounded yourself with yes-creatures. When they chose the path of light you cast them away." She calmly ranted. "And now you've gone let yourself be turned into a centaur. YOU THREW AWAY YOUR HUMANITY FOR WHAT? REVENGE? THAT IS THE CHOICE OF THOSE TOO WEAK TO CHANGE!"

After saying her piece Alex go ready to fight Tirek.

The halls of the castle were empty, which only set the group on edge. Then, it happened. Their illusion wore off as they were captured in some sort of cage. A figure approached, a striking resemblance to Maestro. All his colors were darker in shade, and he had a malicious air about him. Maestro called out. “Cacophony! Stop this! I just need you to go back-!”

Cacophony’s eyes twitched at his suggestion. "Go back? GO BACK?! You think that I want to go back in there? Not being allowed to have my fun was suffocating!" He glared. “I won’t ever go back! Now that I have what I want, there is no stopping me!”

Slighthand growled. “Where is Renddown!?”

Cacophony smirked as he snapped his fingers. The cage levitated off the ground, and he walked off as the cage was forced to follow. “You won’t like it. Trust me.”

Maestro tried to bust through the bars of the cage with magic, but to no avail. “Bah. Those are some tough enchantments.” He turned to Natalie. “Well? Now’s a good time…”

Hesitation was upon her face, but she sighed as she pulled out her phone. She scrolled through the e-mails until she found the one in question. She took a deep breath. “Well. Here goes everything!” She opened it, and jumped back slightly as midnight blue light filled her vision. A mark could be seen on the screen, a gibbous moon with small sparkles coming off of it. She yelped out as midnight blue fur spread across her. She hid it from the sight of their captor as he dragged them to the throne room...

Author's Note

Sorry to make it a two-parter, just couldn't fit all of it in this one during the time given.

The Magic Thief and Cacophony Chromium- Part Two

The silence grew as the prisoners were dragged along by Cacophony. Natalie squirmed, struggling to keep the changes from being spotted by their captor. They were soon let into a throne room of sorts, and upon the throne of crystal was the Starlight from Equestria, with a new pair of bat wings protruding from her back. She had a menacing and triumphant grin upon her face. "So, here we are at last. Face to face." She looked at the group, and her expression grew sour. “So Twilight is not here with you? I was hoping to gloat about my new wings to her personally… such a shame.” She shrugged, and snapped her fingers. A new cage appeared, holding “Renddown” inside. “Is she the reason that you came here so grossly underprepared?”

“Slighthand” growled. “Let her go this instant!”

Starlight giggled incessantly. “Very well.” she turned her head to call into the back. “Jet! Come over here.” The aforementioned unicorn in bodysuit appeared from the shadows. “Let little Rendy out of her cage for me, okay? Show them… what the truth of the matter really is.”

Jet growled and clenched a fist, yet obliged nonetheless. He lit his horn, and the cage disintegrated from around Renddown. He caught her as she fell, and stabilized her on her feet as Cacophony snickered. “Oh, your reactions to this will be good~! I can almost taste them!”

Natalie lit her new horn with indigo magic as her hair grew out pale blue with a silver streak down the middle. “You don’t know the half of it!!” An explosion went off, tearing the bars to bits- but the group was stopped from rushing forward by a force field.

Cacophony chided them as he shook his head with disappointment. “Oh, as if we didn’t expect the last of the Star clan to anthrofy. It was inevitable, really.” His grin grew as he turned his attention towards “Renddown”. “Wake her up, Jet! Time for the show to start!”

“Renddown”’s eyes fluttered open as Jet shook her slightly, and she held her head as Jet stepped away. “Slighthand” called out to her. “Don’t worry, Renddown! I’ll get us out of this mess somehow! I promise!”

Her eyes took a scan of the room as her hand fell away, and her fear started to melt away as a new look of… amusement took its place. She shook her head, and stretched a bit. “Oh, zip it. You still don’t get it, do you?” A magic aura lit up around her as her amused look became a smirk. “Maybe this will shed some light on the situation!” Then, the entire room went white as everyone attempted to shield their eyes.

Back with the others, Tirek scoffed as he dodged Alex’s attempt at fighting. “Please. Do you really think that wise?” Slowly, a grin grew upon his face. “Allow me to enlighten you as to how foolish you are!” He reached out and grabbed Alex by the tail, and held her up. Tirek smirked. “Your magic? MINE.” He opened his jaw, and started to drain Alex’s magic.

It was then that Ayumi attacked, forcing Tirek to stop mid-way. “Hey! Why don’t you tousle with somebody on your own level!”

Tirek snorted in irritation. “You dare cut off my feeding? Now you’re in for it. Sure, your friend still has some magic left… but you only served to get me mad.” He summoned magic between his horns, anger boiling. “You really should’ve quit while you were behind!”

The ball of magic fired out a beam, and Ayumi fired her magic back- but her s was slowly yielding to Tirek’s brute power. Twilight then stood at her side, and poured her magic into the attack as well, bolstering it. “You may be powerful Tirek, but in the end you are still alone! And nothing can stop those in the right when they work together!”

To compound her statement, her friends stepped forward, each aglow with a power that Tirek did not seem to understand at first. “What is the meaning of this? How is you magic getting stronger!?” But then, as Twilight and her friends took upon the Rainbow-esque look from the show, it clicked as a look of shock lit upon his face. “No! That isn’t possible! This is madness!”

The Rainbow power glowed brighter and stronger as Twilight linked hands with her five main friends. “No, Tirek. This is what the Magic of Friendship can do!” Acting all as one, they fired the blast of rainbow power, and watched as it encompassed Tirek.

He looked in horror as the power started to ebb out of him. “No! All of my power! All of my strength! It’s going away!”

It was at this point that somebody appeared in a puff of magic. It looked like Maestro, but… different. He shook his head. “Oh, Tirek. How the mighty have fallen!” He stretched out his hand, a grin on his face. “I’ll be taking that!” A wisp of orange energy flowed out from Tirek as his anthrofication was undone and Ramona slumped down. A grin spread across the face of the not-Maestro as he flexed his arm. “Ooh~! Drain magic. The fourth key.” He chuckled incessantly. “Now.” He turned towards the others, just as they were getting ready to square off against him. He yawned. “Oh, please.” He snapped his fingers, and all their wings and horns disappeared, and Alex’s magic was blocked. “You won’t be using that now. I’ve something to show you.” He lifted them into the air with his magic, and grinned. “Alley-oop!” They all vanished into a puff of dark turquoise magic.

Just as the light was fading, another Cacophony appeared, with the rest of the group in tow. He tossed them into the force field and gave them their magic and wings back. He chuckled. “Just in time.”

He merged into the first, and the light faded entirely. In the place of Renddown was a familiar, unwelcome face. “Starfall!?” “Slighthand” spoke in abject horror and shock. “Don’t tell me...!”

She cackled, doubling over slightly. “It seems that you finally get it!” She stood, a victorious smirk on her face. “I was the mole the entire time. Your precious “Renddown” is still back home where you left her, while I took her place to follow you! It really was quite simple to fool you…”

“Slighthand” cursed himself as Starfall laughed haughtily. Twilight turned to look at Maestro. “What’s going on here? Tell us the truth.”

Maestro sighed as he shook his head. “Nothing good. Cacophony’s gone awol, Starlight has ascended, and Starfall has just broken ‘Slighthand’’s spirit. I think that it’s about as bad as it gets…” He looked up, straight at Jet. “But then there’s you. I understand why you are doing this, truly I do. That’s why… I came to help you.”

Jet shook his head. “You cannot possibly fathom why I have sided with Starlight. I-”

Just then, a portion of the wall exploded. Out came another Maestro, holding an exhausted unicorn Trixie- the one from Equestria- and the Prism from Equestria. The other Maestro smirked. “Did you really forget that I can make doppelgängers? How sloppy are you?”

Jet was frozen stock still for a moment as Starlight started yelling. “Jet, Why did you fail to inform me of this power?” He did not respond, only going towards the pair in the Maestrogänger’s arms. She practically growled. “JET! Answer me!”

Jet chuckled. “Ace in the hole.” He took the two rescued in his grasp, and turned to look at Starlight. He took off his helmet, revealing that he too was a Maestro- though this one was clearly the one from Equestria. “I frankly don’t like you dragging me into this mess that you’ve made. It’s one thing to attack another reality. It’s another when you endanger those I care about. You almost twisted this world’s Maestro, until you took opportunity against me.” He lit his horn, and surged with power as the Maestrogänger went back into the Maestro behind the force field. “I am not to be trifled with. This world may have-”

It was then that he was interrupted, as a blast of magic struck him. Everybody saw Cacophony with a glare on his face. “Oh, Shut up. Go home.” He snapped his fingers, and a portal opened behind the second Maestro. Cacophony smirked. “After all. This isn’t your world. It’s MINE.” With a flick of his wrist, he forced the Maestro from Equestria through the portal with his passengers, and sealed it shut behind him.

Starlight turned to him, confused. “What did you do that for? We could have destroyed him! And what are you on about, your world? We had a deal!”

Cacophony chuckled, and shook his head. “Oh silly, naïve Starlight. Did you really think that you could pull one over on me?” He snapped his fingers, and suddenly Starlight found it impossible to move or use her magic. “You were lied to. This is my world, always has been. Ever since my daughter convinced you that she was yours, you’ve been listening to her guide you to this end.” He grinned at Starfall. “Now that’s what I call double-cross. Who’s daddy’s little girl?”

Surprise lit upon everybody’s faces, all except “Slighthand” and his entourage. He spoke grimly. “This is how it ends. At the hands of a madpony.”

To Be Concluded...

Author's Note

Now, the final chapter awaits...

The Final Battle: Vs. Cacophony Chromium

The shock of the group died down, and Maestro turned to face “Slighthand”, a bit of a cross expression on his face. “You just had to go and mess with time travel, didn’t you?”

“Slighthand” sighed. “So you figured it out, then? That we’re from… the future?”

Ayumi raised an eyebrow. “Wait, I thought that the time travel spell was back in Equestria! How did they…?”

“Catseye” jabbed a thumb at “Slighthand”, and gave a bit of a huff. “He learned it by sneaking in to Maestro’s tomb. Disregarded the note on it too, and convince us to come along- That was the opportunity that Starfall had to slip under our radar.”

A sigh came from Chessmaster. “Children. Reckless and impulsive, and don’t listen when their elders try and set ‘em right… Yet, if they hadn’t come back… a lot of us might be in quite a different spot.”

Cacophony huffed in irritation. “Stuff it! It doesn’t matter! My future is ensured! Thanks to the strand of DNA I procured from Starlight before I sent her off, I can ensure my little girl remains to exist through splicing.” A grin spread upon his face. “Perfect time loop. Just accept it. You’ve lost.” His daughter cozied up to him, letting out a giggle.

Twilight and her main friends stood up. “We’re not done yet! We’ll beat you, somehow, some way! Everyone! Join hands!” Most of them did as instructed, and their energy channeled together. Maestro hesitated, however. Would this work? He pushed the thought aside, there was no room for doubt now. He joined hands with the others in order to power up the Elements.

Starfall shook her head as Cacophony raised an eyebrow. “Do you really think that scares me? You don’t know what I’ve been upto in this short time.” He stood, and a massive mad grin came upon his face. “Allow me to introduce you to the only help I need.” He let out a yell. “ASPECTS OF DISHARMONY! PROTECT YOUR MASTER!” Six stones lifted from the ground and started to glow darker hues from those of the Elements.

Maestro gasped. “It can’t be!” He tried to call of the attack, but it was too late. The rainbow fired, and the six stones that surrounded Cacophony spun and fired back a dark rainbow. The two forces collided, and the struggle began. The heroes believed, as hard as they could, but it was not enough. The dark rainbow was winning.The heroes tried to reach out, call out to the souls of the world… but they did not respond. The dark rainbow surged with power, and broke through. It flung them against the wall.

The group fell to their knees, winded. Cacophony snarled. “As long as I have these, I am invincible! It’s over! My reign will be ETERNAL!”

Pinkie’s mane deflated, as many others became disheartened. Sarah spoke. “He’s right. What can we do now? It’s… over.”

Maestro looked upon his friends, and saw their state. He stood. “No.”

Cacophony blinked. “What? You still believe that you can beat me?” He laughed. “What a fool you are!”

The force field was gone, because the Elements had dispersed it. Maestro walked forward. “There’s one last chance. The last bastion of hope against the great evil… it actually did come true, despite it not looking as the way that I saw it. Here we are, in this moment. The moment before I destroy you.”

His friends looked upon him, all murmuring about what he had said. Alex spoke up. “What are you on about? You can’t win against him! He’s too powerful!”

Maestro nodded. “Not on my own.” he released all his magic seals, and surged with power. “Even at my best, I would fail alone.” He turned back to face them. “I’m going to need you to fire the Elements through me. I need their power to fuel this new spell. Will you help me?”

Twilight had concern in her voice. “Maestro, you do know what that might do to you? Helping to power the Elements is one thing, but… You might not survive this.”

He turned away. “I’ll probably be fine. My family will channel their magic through me. It should keep me safe from the raw power of the Elements. But if it doesn’t… Well, it’s been fun.”

Sarah ran up to him, and held him. “Don’t do this! I don’t want to lose you!”

He smiled sadly. “I can’t guarantee that I’ll be alright. If the numbers are in my favor, I’ll be fine.” He placed a hand on her face, and kissed her on the lips. He pulled away, a grin on his face. “For luck.”

He then stepped out into the open, and Cacophony shook his head. “You’re willing to go that far… I see. I’m too dangerous now… or rather, we are. If you succeed… You know what happens next.”

Maestro ignored that comment as he lit his horn. Chessmaster, Janice, Servo, and Natalie charged up their magic, and sent it his way. He called out. “Now, Twilight! It has to be now!” She nodded, and the others helped her fire the Elements through Maestro.

Cacophony yawned. “You don’t learn. Aspects! Activate!”

But as the stones spun, Maestro was not afraid this time. He closed his eyes and thought of all that he was fighting for. The world. His friends. His family. Sarah. He braced himself, and began to chant. “Gätr híva, stø vœz çåo îi hæl åƒ mãvül zhârb! Dûa åƒ vœz çåo brí¬z pærç ői glĥuvø§ çµnka! Råvœ våzt nøön décï! Hîta chå b¬åg â vfi køpir! H∑r, brí¬ ä¬ vœzvl plû vrén çåo b¬åg vaic plû oçi pá! Vô! HOPE OVERSHINE NOVA!”

A brilliant white light burst forth from Maestro’s horn as he tried to keep focus. The blast hit the beam from the aspects, and at first Cacophony smirked. But then, the dark rainbow was pushed back rapidly, and Cacophony panicked. “What? How is this happening! This can’t be right! My Aspects feed from the Deceit, Tretchury, Cruelty, Greed, Spite, and Isolationism of others! How is it failing!”

Maestro shook his head. “Darkness exist in us all. But so does light. Hope. This spell calls on all the hope inside every individual in existence, and amplifies it. I told you that I would destroy you. Good bye, Cacophony. I won’t miss you.”

Cacophony tried in vain to bolster his shield, but it cracked quickly under the force of the spell Cacophony yelled in agony. “No! My Empire! My future! My slaves! It can’t be gone! NAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGH!”

The white light encompassed the entire room for a brief moment as the girls sheided their eyes. But just as quickly, the light died down. Cacophony was nowhere in sight, and Trixie asked the question that was on everybody’s minds. "It's over... right? It’s finally over?"

Just as they were about to celebrate, they noticed Maestro collapse. They all ran to him, but Sarah got there first. “Maestro! Are you alright?”

He wasn’t responding, but he was breathing. Servo spoke. “He ran his energy dry with that spell. It’ll take about 24 hours, but he should recover by then.”

But there was something else they noticed. Starfall was still there, clutching her sides in pain. She was fading out, wisps of magic flowing off from her. “How… could… you?”

“Slighthand” shook his head as Fluttershy made to approach. “There’s nothing to be done now. She’s being unwritten. Her parents are gone. She’ll be just a memory in a short while. Her actions will remain… but she won’t.”

Trixie looked at him, that familiar feeling there. She knew him, somehow. She knew that Gearbox did too. She spoke to him. “‘Slighthand.’” He turned to face her, and she continued. “You and your friends have done enough. It’s time that you went back home, to the future.”

He and his friends nodded, and he opened the portal. He turned back to face them one last time as his friends stood by him. “You will see us again. After all… you’ve got a bright future to look forward to.” With those words, he and his friends left, and the portal closed behind them.

The others started to go their own ways, and Chessmaster stooped down to talk to Sarah. “He’ll be fine. We’ll look after him.” Sarah nodded, hoping that it truly would be alright.

THE END…?

Author's Note

Sorry that took so long. It's all up to the Epilogue to tie thing up now.

Epilogue: Bright Future

Five Years Later…

Trixie woke in her house, and looked over lovingly at her hubby. Gearbox smiled at her. “Morning, gorgeous. How did you sleep last night?”

She cozied up to him, sighing. “Wonderfully, as always.” She stretched and got up to get ready for the day. She put on a purple blouse and a pair of blue jeans. It was still somewhat awkward fitting her wings through the slots in the back of the blouse, but it was all part of adjusting.

After she put on her black sneakers, she then heard a voice of a young boy. “Mom! Sly Shuffle’s not being nice to me!”

She heard another boy pipe up. “Stuff it, Misdirio! This is betwixt only you an’ me.”

Trixie sighed. “I’ll take care of those two. You take care with your tech biz, alright Geary?”

He chuckled. “Alright, dear. I’ll see you after work.”

Trixie left the room, and went upstairs to the family room. She looked down on her twin sons, arms crossed. “Alright you two. What exactly seems to be the issue here?”

Sly huffed, crossing his light gray furred arms. “Myst is just being a big baby! I barely touched ‘im!”

Misdirio shook his head, and flailed his dark blue arms. “Liar! You were noogying my head again, mocking that I didn’t have a horn like you or mommy!”

Trixie huffed deeply, and shook her head. “You two really don’t like getting along, do you? You could have woken up you little sister!” Trixie sighed. “Besides, your father wouldn’t take kindly to you doing that. He doesn’t have a horn either.”

Sly looked away, his silver hair covering one of his maroon eyes. “Sorry, mommy. I won’t do it again.” He turned to Misdirio. “Sorry, Myst. I… wasn’t thinking.”

Misdirio grinned, his light lavender hair shimmering and his ice blue eyes gleaming. “It’s alright! ‘Lil sis has something neither of us does! Wings, like mommy!” He turned to face Trixie, a question forming on his face. “Why is that? Why do you have both, mommy?”

Trixie was about to answer when her cellphone rang. She held up a finger as she got it out of her pants pocket. She answered. “Tyra! It’s been a while. So, how are things with Clyde?” She smiled. “That’s good to hear. Hm?” She paused, then gasped. “Oh, right! That’s today! I gotta get going, then. See you there!” She hung up, and put away her phone. She then spoke to her sons. “Now, mommy’s got to meet her friends today, so you two play nice. I’ll leave you with Dopplemommy, kay?” She cast a spell, and a dopplegänger of herself was created. She was glad that she had figured out how to cast that, with help from Maestro. She waved. “I’ll be off!” She then teleported away.

At Ashley’s farm…

Trixie phased in, and looked around. All of her friends were there, and so were Twilight and the others. There were a few people missing, but they would likely show up later.

A few moments later four figures flicker in. They were a young pegasus filly tan body fur with amber tail and mane, three marked mice. The pegasus kneeled so the largest could step down and help the smaller ones down. "Thank you Indy now go inside and tell Granny Smith 'hello' and watch over your brothers.". The young pegasus nodded as her brothers climbed up her legs to sit on her shoulders. Alex then turned to face Trixie and said, "How's being one of the first to birth the first generation of anthros?"

Trixie gave an exhausted sigh. “Lots of work. Sly and Misdirio get on each other’s nerves a lot. It’s a small blessing that Swift is too young to join her brothers’ feud.” She looked at everyone there, a small frown on her face. “I thought this was supposed to get everyone here… Where is everybody else?”

Tyra approached, and laid a hand upon Trixie’s shoulder. “They’ll be here. We can’t celebrate the anniversary without everyone, after all.”

It was then that Maestro teleported in. He brushed off his vest, and looked around. “Well. Guess I’m not the only one who’s late.” He raised a hand, and smiled softly. “Hey, Trix. Ty. Lex. Cheryl. Rae. Carm. Dia.” He sighed. “Sorry that Sarah can’t make it. She’s home, taking care of Symphonia and our boys.” A chuckle escaped his mouth. “I swear, those kids of ours…”

Ashley approached, a grin on her face. “Well, at least some of ya made it on time!” She looked around, and pointed to the entrance of her farm. “Looks like Twi’s come wit’ th’ others!”

They all turned to see that Twilight had indeed arrived with Rarity, Pinkie, Micaela, Flora and Ayumi in tow. There still were a few missing from the reunion, however. Twilight went up and hugged Ashley. “It feels like ages since we all got together like this…”

Ayumi nodded. “I’ll say. Last time, we had to defeat a powerful evil... “ She shuddered. “Let’s hope that doesn’t happen again.”

Maestro gave a thumbs-up. “So far, no ill visions of the future yet. It’s all pretty rosy for now.” He then paused, and smiled. “Ah. Most of the clan is coming.”

True to his prediction, Chessmaster, Janice, Servo, and Moonmira- as Natalie had taken to calling herself now- arrived on the scene. Chessmaster looked at the crowd and whistled. “My oh my. This brings back memories.”

Janice looked around for a bit. She raised an eyebrow at the fact that anthro children were running about. “I thought that everyone would’ve left their kids home.”

It was then that Servo addressed the elephant in the room. “Speaking of… some of them look awfully familiar, don’t you think?”

Trixie nodded. “Yeah. My boys…”

Maestro sighed. “Symphonia.”

Chessmaster ruffled his wings. “My son and daughter.”

Moonmira shifted uncomfortably, her catfolk tail bristling slightly. “Same with my son and daughter. They… look like the ones that went back in time.”

A silence fell as it sank in. Rae looked uneasy. “Wait, does that mean that they’ll have to go back? Y’know, to keep our present stable or something?”

Maestro shook his head. “I’ve consulted with Excalibur, and it doesn’t look like it. Our reality is stable, possibly because the ones we saw are now from an alternate future…” He paused. “It still doesn’t explain everything, though.”

Alex chuckled then said, "At least those of you who have children don't have to worry about your kids becoming adventurers."

Servo raised an eyebrow at that, then gave a shrug. “It makes some sense as to why my daughter didn’t go back with them, though. After all, it’s not exactly like I met her dad by the point they came back in time. Heck, she might not have even existed in their future.” She did look to Alex’s kids with a perplexed look. “Though, it doesn’t fit as to why those three weren’t there…” She shook her head. “Not that it matters, anyway. It’s over and done with.”

"I know why. It's the fact my family tends to actively avoid time of we can. Indiana, Harison, & James would've either tried to talk them out of going or were on adventures of their own thanks to the family curse." Alex said.

Maestro huffed. “Part of me wants to go back in time and slap that boy…” He shook his head. “It’s one thing to go back in time. But to have a crush on his cousin? Geez.” He looked at Trixie, and gave a nod. “Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.”

She gave a grim nod. “Agreed.”

Just then, a figure approached. It was Leon, and he went over to Servo and gave her a hug. “Ey ther sweetums. Sorry tha’ I’s been away. Rough work on th’ office trip yu know…”

She gave a small chuckle as she shook her head. “What am I going to do with you…? You almost missed the celebration.”

He took a look around, and saw the strange looks he was getting. “Ah. Right. I’s gessin’ tha’ chu guyz arnt t’ keen seenin’ me ‘ere. I’s wasn’t ‘round when chu were all savin’ th’ world.” He gave a hearty chuckle. “Then agin, what diffrence would a human have made? Not much, tha’s for sure.”

Chessmaster gave him a hearty slap on the back. “Nonsense! I might not understand what my sis sees in you, but you’re family now.” He gave him a small glare. “Don’t go breaking our trust now, alright?”

Leon gave a nod and saluted. “Yuz got my word. I’s wouldn’ be doin tha’ to chu guys anyway.” He looked around for a bit. “So Phantom ain’t here, huh? I’s wuz hopin’ to have a chat wit’ him.”

Moonmira shook her head. “Phantom has been a bit busy, what with all the people asking him to help them talk with those beyond the grave. At first he wasn’t sure about it, but it also helps the spirits move on, so he’s been putting quite an effort into it now.”

Janice looked around, a bit glum. She let out a sigh. “Why is it that I’m the only one here that doesn’t have a serious relationship? Guess I just don’t have the right luck…”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Last time I checked, you were dating somebody. Did it not fall through with Lucky Dice, then?”

Janice looked away and shook her head. “I-it’s not like that. We’re… seeing other people. Taking a break.”

Carmen chuckled at that. “Ah, no harm in that little lady! I had to date quite a few guys before I found love. These things can take quite a bit of time, you know.”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah. I mean, for me and some of my friends it was a bit more awkward to date guys at first… some of us used to be them ourselves. But in time, we did find somebody that we were happy with.”

Maestro looked over to Diana. “So, how’s Eric? Has he been holding up alright?”

She gave a soft nod. “He’s fine, Maestro. I’ll let him know about your concerns.”

Just then, a light orange pegasus colt anthro bolted onto the scene, right up to Chessmaster. “Dad! Avira won’t stop chasing me!”

Not long after those maroon eyes tried pleading, a dark yellow griffon chick anthro bumped into the first, orange eyes furious. “Stratos! Give back my doll!”

A sigh came from Chess as he set one hand on Stratos’ white mane and one on Avira’s black-tipped fur. He closed his hands and grabbed, causing the two of them to squirm. He looked over to the others. “Gotta be off… discipline awaits.” With a flash of his magic, the three of them were gone.

Maestro let out an amused chuckle. “Ah, twins. Makes me glad that Symphonia doesn’t have a twin. She does have younger brothers, though. Plus a little sister on the way…”

At that, Moonmira gasped. “Sarah’s giving you two another child? How many does that make this now? Phantom and I have had our hands full with the ball of light purple furry energy that is our son and the ice blue stoic that is our daughter. We haven’t had time to… *mhm* Nevermind.”

Servo looked to Leon, and they shared a nod. She turned to the others. “It’s been great to be here and all, but we really must jet. Alyza must be bored out of her mind back home. We’ll be seeing you!” Leon grasped his wife’s hand, and she teleported the two of them away.

Maestro was about to comment when a dark indigo thestral filly barrelled into him. “Daddy! Come home. The boys are driving me nuts!”

Maestro sighed as he looked into her red-violet eyes, then he ruffled her off-white pink mane. “Alright Symphonia. Let’s get going.” He waved at the others. “See you ‘round.”

As he was about to leave, Ayumi called out. “Wait!” This caused Maestro to pause his teleport, and he motioned for her to continue. “When are you going to show us your real face? Don’t we deserve that…?”

A long pause came, and Maestro smirked and shook his head. “Old habits die hard, didn’t I say? I don’t think that I can tell you just yet. The time isn’t quite right.” He waved once more. “Eventually, huh? You’ll know… someday.” And without another word, he teleported away with his daughter.

Ashley scratched her head. “Now, why in tarnation does he have t’ be so darn cryptic? We’ve been friends fer years, yet he doesn’t tell us evrythin’.” She shook her head. “Maybe we ain’t meant to understand him…”

At this, Moonmira shook her head. “It’s not like you’ll never know. He just isn’t ready. A secret like ours… it’s hard, letting somebody in on that. I mean, he let Sarah in when he proposed to her, just as Chess let Briana in when he did the same. It even is like that for us girls, when Phantom proposed to me I let him in, and Servo did much the same when Leon proposed to her. It’s not easy letting somebody in, when you don’t intend to bring them into the family. It takes much longer for such trust to be built.”

Before anyone could think to reply, a light purple catfolk tom jumped on her shoulder. His amber eyes gleamed. “Mom! C’mon, play with me!”

An ice blue pegasus filly soared up to him, blue eyes stone cold. “Ivory. Come back home. Leave mom to her friends.”

Ivory held up his paw-like hands, exposing the yellow patches of fur. “Aw, c’mon Winter Chill. You never play with me, so it has to be mom!”

Winter pushed aside a lock of periwinkle that fell in front of her face. “Don’t be difficult. Home. Now.”

A chuckle escaped from Moonmira. “Ehe. Guess they got away from babysitter again…” She grabbed Ivory by the collar of his shirt, and lifted him off of her shoulder. “Alright, you. Let’s get you home.” She looked to her daughter. “Come on Winter. Let’s go.”

A shrug came from Winter, and she held her mom’s hand. Moonmira lit her horn, and channeled her magic through her cat-like hand. She swung her hand nails extended through the air, ripping open a portal home. She then walked through, and it closed behind her.

Trixie looked at her watch, and gasped. “Oh no. It’s already that time?” She looked up apologetically at the others. “Sorry. Swift should be getting up now, and well… I don’t think my ‘gänger will fool her too well. Didn’t work last time…” She lifted herself off the ground with her wings, and gave them a good stretch. “We’ll just have to catch up some other time. Hold on Swit! Mommy’s coming home!”

She flew off quite quickly, almost forcefully shedding leaves off of the trees from the force of her speed. She got home, and went inside. Her double merged back with her as she went upstairs. Once there, she saw her boys playing a competitive game on the TV. She passed them by to check on her daughter. She went inside, and saw that Swift had just barely stretched her tiny light gray arms. Trixie leaned down as her daughter opened her pink eyes and giggled with glee. She smiled as she ruffled her daughter’s dark purple mane. “Heya, Swift. Did you miss me?”

The baby clapped her hands, shooting up into the air with her wings. Trixie caught her expertly. “Woah there, Swift. Don’t go shooting off like a rocket on me.”

An adorable tilt of the head later, Trixie shook her head. “No, Swift. You aren’t ready to fly all over just yet. I wouldn’t want to lose track of you, you know.”

Swift blinked at that, and began to wail. Trixie winced. “Oof. They never get quieter…” Trixie sighed, and lifted her daughter up. “Alright. Let’s get you some food.” She took her crying daughter downstairs and into the kitchen. She placed Swift into her high chair and made sure to buckle. Trixie went to the fridge and grabbed the bottle of baby food that seemed to be Swift’s favorite. She grabbed a spoon from the drawer, and went over to her daughter. When Swift saw the food, she calmed down as Trixie opened the jar. Trixie smiled as she fed her daughter. “You certainly are a handful, but you’re mine.”

Elsewhere…

A figure lies in the sand, slowly stirring. He looks around. No signs of civilization anywhere. He has no idea of how long he was out, but he’s starving. He tries to get up, but can’t. Pins and needles run across his body. He winces. What was he doing before he blacked out that caused him to feel this way? He couldn’t seem to remember. Actually, now that he considered it… he couldn’t recall beyond waking up here. No name, no favorite foods, nothing. He was… “A blank slate…”

His own voice surprised him. It didn’t sound like his. He checked his ears by screaming- and his voice was back to normal. Something about that voice felt powerful and frightening. He clutched his head as he tried to push the headache away. He was so very lost… If only, he could find… He spotted a mirror. “That’s perfect!” The water behind him was no good for it, too full of muck. Exerting all the energy that he could muster, he pulled himself over to it and took a good look. His eyes widened. “Impossible…”

However, he rubbed his eyes, and the face was gone. But as he saw his own face, he couldn’t get that other face out of his head. An anthro’s face. He paused. How’d he know that, and yet not who he was? He shook his head. It didn’t matter, not if he died. He would find a way out…

To Be Continued In: Days Of The Scions Of Harmony

Author's Note

I've gone and done it now. So here we are, at the end. I must say... it's been great writing this. But now, I've made a promise of a sequel. This sequel will not be out for some time. I'll be writing it, keeping the chapters away from publishing utnil I'm at least a few ahead of the curve. Well, that's all for now.

The Offer

If one looked at me from afar, they’d never guess that I was a brony. After all, I didn’t wear it on my sleeve like other fans. My name is Darrell Evenlor. I’ve not been in the fandom long, only since recently, in fact. However, my favorite character is Trixie, hands down. Now, there are some other reasons as to why you’d never guess that I’m a member of the fandom. Such as, I’m an unrepentant bully. One of my favorite people to pick on is John Radderson. For whatever reason, picking on him gives me unbridled joy. Of course, there are others that I enjoy tormenting, but John is the most comical. He’d say: “Oh please, be merciful, Darrel!” HAH! As if I’d ever do that. It never gets old.

But the last time, some dude named Matt Dashel decided to rumble with me. That guy was a fool, even if he was displaying loyalty to his good friend. I shook my head as I remembered it. I’d never understand some people. However, a thought crossed my mind. I hadn’t seen John at school lately. Come to think of it, that other kid, Kurt Smith, was also missing. I wasn’t really sure why it’d happened, but I wasn’t worried too much. I then stopped on my way home. I’d stopped just in front of my favorite magic shop. Another thing people didn’t know about me: I loved stage magic, just like my fave pony. It made me feel dazzling to perform it. However, I knew that I’d never have a career in it. After all, despite my wishes, I was slated to become a doctor. Ugh. What was so wrong with wanting to be a stage magician? I sighed deeply. Dad probably just wanted to ensure I had a good future. Honestly, that guy worried too much, ever since Mom divorced him. After all, I had amazing grades, despite my sadistic out-lashes at the student body. I kind of had to, in order to be on the football team. I then went home.

The next day at school was crazy. It turned out that John and his friend Kurt had turned into anthrofied versions of two of the ponies regarded as the “Mane 6” by fans. I knew that I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to torment them. I then came up to them. “Well, well, well. What do we have here?” my smug voice sounded out from behind the group of friends.

Jo- I mean Twilight, rolled her eyes “Oh, this is going to be great”

“John Radderson, now a strange looking horse girl with wings and a horn. Hehe, I knew you were a freak John but now that you really are one. It’s just so much more fun to tease” I grinned from behind Twilight.

Turning around she came face to face with the intruder and returned a response “Look at that guys, its Darrell, the nicest guy in school”

I scrunched up my face “I don’t appreciate sarcasm, Radderson” I replied. Twilight scoffed at that remark.

“Funny, I thought sarcasm was your specialty. Or was it lack of intelligence…” Twilight grinned mockingly putting a finger to her chin and pretended to think “I always get it mixed up”

I had already lost my cool, came straight up to Twilight and pulled her up by the collar “You should be keeping those words between your teeth. You’ll live longer that way.” I nearly spat, dropping Twilight. I began to leave. Well Twilight thought I did, but as she dropped her guard, I came around and went for a swing.

Twilight managed to catch the swing at the right time and managed to dodge out of the way. Twilight with a slightly smug grin tutted me. “Trying to hit a girl? Well that just won’t do, you have to be punished” she (unintentionally) giggled and began to focus her magic.

I thought ‘What does she think she’s doing? What’s with that pinkish purple glow?” Twilight gained a stance as she began to channel some of her magic into her horn and slowly, despite my flailing and protests, she lifted me up with ease and started to twirl me about.

“L-Let me go Radderson! When I’m back on the ground, I will smash you through a building wall!” I shouted in anger, multiple students had gathered to watch the show and laugh at my misfortune.

Twilight began to get bored throwing him about and decided to finish me off “Okay, I think it’s time to send you home.” With a twist of her head, Twilight sent me straight into a nearby rubbish bin.

With the display finished, the crowd departed, hearing the sound of a bell Harry speaks up “I think it’s time to go Twi.”

Twilight smirked at me before turning around to respond “Okay, I’m coming”

I, the fuming bully, got out of the bin and shouts out at Twilight “I will get you back Radderson, just you wait!”

I, Darrell Evenlor, am one of Cape Navaus High’s infamous bullies. I didn’t bully one individual, I am the type to bully many people, just for the hell of it. I always think of myself as better than everyone else and I reinforce this truth by being the one of the star players for the school’s football team the “Cape Navaus Sharks”. But after being humiliated just a few hours ago by one such bullied student turned into a weird pony human hybrid, I wanted to get him...or her back somehow.

Dropping my bag inside my room and kicking my shoes off, I retired to a computer nestled next to a wall. I may of been a bad guy, but at least I didn’t search up weird things like “how to bully a certain type of individual” or something like that.

As I read through a site that was explaining hard tackle moves for football, I got a notification on my e-mail. “Hmm, I wonder who this is” I wondered, I clicked on the email, puzzled by its contents as I began to read.
It said: “I can feel your anger and hatred for that John Radderson, who now goes by the name Twilight. I can give you what you need to claim your vengeance upon her...and more!” I was a little unnerved by this unknown person saying “and more” . I felt like this was a bad idea, but my anger towards Twilight was stronger and without hesitation I replied.

“What do I have to do?” I responded to the unknown person and waited for a response. Not 2 minutes later, I got one.

“Look at the screen” it replied.

I wondered what looking at the screen would do, but since I already answered to this person I decided to obey. Staring at the screen it slowly turned pale blue, some weird magic dust appeared and I swore it came out of the screen.
As I stared blankly into the screen of the computer, my body went through a transformation. Firstly my skin started to sprout pale blue fur all over, once that was through, my feet conjoined and turned into hooves. My short black hair turned a whitish silver color and grew out all the way to my lower back, a tail also sprouted just above my backside. A horn then appeared at the top of my forehead, I could feel the pain of it forming, but payed it no attention. Lastly his body curved inwards in some places and outwards in others. A feminine gasp concluded that I was now a she and that my transformations were finished.

Seeing my reflection in the mirror, I jumped up in surprise “What happened, why does Darrell sound like a girl?....Why does Darrell talk in the third person too?!” the now anthro Darrell shouted.

The screen had turned back to normal and a new comment from the unknown person had appeared“Like your transformation?”

Darrell in a mix of panic and anger instantly typed back “What did you do to me?!”

The stranger replied “I turned you into a worthy rival to Twilight. But instead of the hassle to learn how to use magic. I have given you the knowledge to use it as you please as if you have always had the power”

‘Magic?' I thought 'I need to test this’ I began to test out her supposed magic and smiled a wicked smile as she marveled at her telekinesis. “This is cool, Darrell likes”

The stranger responded again “You have what you need to claim your revenge on Twilight, so go and prove you are worthy of those powers Darrell...or should I call you Trixie?”

Darrell wondered about the name choice ‘Trixie.’ She liked it. With a dastardly malefic grin she yelled out “Look out Twilight, because Trixie’s here to play MUAHAHAHAHA!”

Author's Note

So! Here's a new story for you all! This is part of a larger story called Lavender Heart. I'm a bit behind when coming into this story, but I've got some things written to put my own spin on things from Trixie's perspective. The next two chapters won't take very long, so be patient. As usual, constructive criticism is appreciated. I Thanks for editing go to Trixieistrumagic101. If you like/fave/dislike, I'd like to hear your thoughts below. That's all for now!

Side Story: Double Anthrofication

Maestro woke up the next morning feeling much better. He got up around 5 AM, and he combed his hair, and put on a clean set of clothes- his sleek silvery pants, an understated white T-shirt, his favorite royal blue vest, and his iconic locket. Staring in the mirror, he sighed. “Oh, what am I going to do? I’d never thought this would actually happen. Having to go up against my half-bro…” He shook his head. “Get a grip, Maestro. You said that you’d help them out, and you will. Just need a bit more time to find where he went, is all.” He then went to the table, and sat down to eat breakfast. Maestro noticed Twilight skid into the dining room, coming a bit closer to his face than he was comfortable with. The former guy may now have be a she, but he still didn’t feel very comfortable around her.

“Maestro? Why or how are you here?” Twilight questioned her fellow anthro.

Maestro was grateful that Twilight had pulled away to ask the question. He suppressed a sigh, and pulled a confused look. Finishing the food in his mouth, he explained his reason for his presence. “Did you forget? I asked you if I could stay the night so that I could regain my strength and you allowed it.”

Twilight scratched her chin for a moment, then suddenly gave a sheepish grin. “Oh yeah… hehe.” Twilight rubbed the back of her head. Twilight’s mother came up beside the lavender anthro without her knowing and grinned evilly.

“I must say, dear, you sure know how to pick a boyfriend.” Mrs. Radderson taunted.

Twilight looked toward her grinning mother and then back to Maestro, -who went back to eating his breakfast- then blushed heavily. In classic anime style, Twilight shouted back at her mother, redder than anything she could think of, “HE’S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!”

This elicited a chuckle from both Twilight’s mother and Maestro (he however, was trying not to show his revulsion on his face at the suggestion). Twilight, in turn, slumped her head and slowly entered the kitchen to acquire her own breakfast.

Maestro could almost hear Twilight mutter herself. “Why me?” she was obviously very stressed out about this whole debacle of anthrofying into the opposite gender. Internally growling, she set her bowl down at the opposite end of the table and began to eat her breakfast, emphasising her anger in each bite.

Maestro pulled a faux grin at Twilight’s fuming face. He knew how embarrassing it must have felt for a guy to not only change form but also gender. While Maestro couldn’t fathom the gender part, he felt like it was his obligation to try to comfort the mare. She did let him stay in her house, after all.

Maestro finished his cereal and got up from his seat. Twilight noticed the sound and looked towards the now standing Maestro. “I didn’t mean to laugh at you.” he said. He thought to himself this, however: Just didn’t want to feel awkward, I guess.

Twilight instantly flicked her head to the side with an annoyed look. “I know, but the fact that you did is what hurt me.”

Maestro hoped that Twilight was a bit more lenient with her reply. Unfortunately that was not to be the case. He needed to take a different approach. Recalling Twilight’s previous excited mood, he decided to poke at the idea of why she was so excited. “Why were you so excited before?”

“Hmm? Oh, well… it’s none of your business, okay?” Twilight replied, unintentionally snapping at the end.

‘Stubborn, I see.’ Maestro thought. With a grin, he continued to speak. “If I were to guess… it is actually my business. The analysts gave you a mission, didn’t they?”

The stubborn alicorn opened her eyes wide.

“How did you know?” Twilight asked.

Maestro shrugged, “I didn’t, it was just a simple guess and it seems like I was correct.”
Twilight hated to admit it, but Maestro was correct and she showed that by explaining what the Analysts had told her.

“So they tampered with Earth’s history again and placed a relic -that can help us, by the way- on this Lazarus ship that can only be seen by people like us?” Maestro evaluated.

Twilight added, “Well, they didn’t say that they placed the relic themselves, but considering that they knew of the spell… I’m sure they implied it. But anyway, yeah. You got the gist of it.”

The male anthro adjusted his glasses. He fumbled about with his phone for a brief moment and returned to Twilight. “I would be happy to come with you… but I unfortunately have important things to do. You need me to trace Chessmaster’s location, after all.”

Twilight sighed. “Sorry, I got angry before. I just lost it. I always did have a heated temper, so when I get mad… I get Mad!”

Maestro gave a genuine smile. “Don’t worry about it.” he turned his head towards the door. ”I’ve got to get going. I’ll see you around.”

Maestro gave a wave and departed for the door. Twilight returned the wave as he did. As he left, he could hear Twilight muttering. “Not one word.”

Maestro walked home, humming a tune. The sky was brilliant blue- not a single cloud to be seen, so he took his time. He sighed. Deep in his heart, he knew that his half-sisters, Laranda and Reina, would soon anthrofy- call it brother’s intuition, or some kind of sixth sense, or what-have-you, it mattered not. The fact was that it was rarely wrong. He even had an idea of who they’d become. As the birds flew overhead, he came to his home that he shared with his entire family: The Star Estate. It was the size of a small mansion, courtesy of their late father. He was always one for elegancy when he was alive. Maestro shook off that thought, and pushed open the gates. He walked up to the front door, wondering how he could possibly tell his half-sisters the news about Chessmaster. They certainly wouldn’t take it very well, even if he tried playing it down. He sighed, and entered the house. The first member of the family to greet him was his pet tiger, Amira. Maestro chuckled as the tiger smothered him with affection. “Heh. It’s good to see you too, girl.” He ruffled her fur a bit, and then stood. He went into the kitchen, and saw his half sisters at the table having bacon, eggs, and pancakes for breakfast. He washed his hands in the kitchen sink, and then joined them at the table. Looking Reina in her hazel eyes, he spoke. “So, did you feed Amira last night?”

Reina huffed, causing a strand of her white hair to fall into her face. “Yes, but she was pretty difficult about it. I swear she thinks that she can get away with messing with me just because I’m younger than you!”

Maestro chuckled. “Oh, lighten up! Amira’s just having a little fun.”

Laranda glared at Maestro with her amber eyes, and changed the subject. “So where were you last night?”

Maestro spoke nonchalantly. “At a friend’s. You know me.”

Reina piped up. “So, have you found out where Chessmaster is? Will he come home soon?”

Maestro’s expression grew dark. He sighed. “Chessmaster… He’s… working for somebody that wants revenge on Twilight. He’s our enemy, at least for the moment.”

Reina lost her cheer at this revelation, and started stammering. “Ch-chessmaster? A-against us? I-i don’t b-believe he’d do that!”

Maestro looked downward. “I wouldn’t have believed it either if I hadn’t seen it for myself.”

Laranda seemed to grow more… distant as she spoke. “I thought that we’d stand together when we’d all been anthrofied. But with this…” She pounded the table with a fist, causing some of her black hair to fall into her face. “How could he do this! If dad were still here, he’d-!

Maestro cut her off. “But that’s just it, L. He’s not. Chess is doing this for power. He’s to power hungry to even realize that he’s being used. That’s why we have to break through to him.”

Reina dried her tears. “We? How can we help?”

Maestro then looked at both of them. “You two will need to anthrofy. If we have any chance to break through to him, it will be when the two of you can use the power of your anthro forms.”

He then led them to the computer room, and logged in on two different computers. He then pulled up both of their e-mails, one on each computer. Laranda looked cross. “How do you know our passwords?”

Maestro rolled his eyes. “I’m your brother. I make it my business to know as much about you as possible.” He then scrolled through the emails until he found what he was looking for. “Bingo. Both of you have received emails from Mr. Dion, aka Discord.” He stepped away from the computers, and led his half-sisters to their respective email screens. The curiosity of his half-sisters pulled through, and they opened the emails simultaneously. The flashes of the two screens mixed, and Maestro noticed that the transformation had begun. Laranda started to grow yellow fur, and Reina grew blue fur. Both grew a horn, and had their feet morph into hooves. Reina’s eyes shifted into indigo, while Laranda’s became yellow-orange. Laranda’s hair grew longer, and became a distinct indigo, and a tail of the same color sprouted. Reina’s hair shifted to a cyan and lavender coloring, and a tail of the same colors grew. Their ears morfed into pony-like ones as they migrated up their heads. And, as if from nowhere, a platinum locket appeared around each of their necks. Reina’s bore an etched in shooting star with gems scattered through its tail, while Laranda’s bore an etched in circuit board. Maestro grinned. He then led them to the bathroom, and had them stand in front of the full body mirrors. “So? What do you think of your new selves?”

Laranda nodded, and gave a calculating smile. “It’s good. I think Servo Star fits me better than my old name.”

Reina seemed to glow in admiration of her new self. “I look so striking! I believe Janice Dazzle Star is a better name for my new self.”

Maestro nodded. “Alright. Servo and Janice, let’s introduce you to the others!”

After turning off the computers they then left the house. However, they didn’t notice that a certain tiger had begun to… change.

Author's Note

Here's the side story that sets up for chapter 7! I made it a side story because it doesn't involve the main character of this fic- Trixie. That's going to be the general rule of thumb for me from now on. If a chapter in one of my fics doesn't involve said fic's main character(s), it becomes a side story. Enough on that, though. Leave your thoughts on this Side Story down below. Thanks for editing go to Trixieistruemagic101. And in case you didn't notice, I changed janice's hair color to coincide with the hair colors she has in the rest of the Eclipse multiverse: cyan and lavender.

The Principal, New Friends, The Artist Thestral, and The Gearhead

It’d been a few days since her mother had come back into her life. It was still a bit awkward, but Trixie believed that she’d get used to it eventually. She knew one thing though- she’d been working hard fixing up the school over the past few days, even apologizing to those she’d harmed that day. She knew that the Principal had called her to his office today. She wasn’t certain what he wanted, but she knew that it would be best to get it over with as soon as possible. She found her way there easily enough (lord knows how many times she’d seen this door, and the room beyond it) and braced herself as she entered the room. It was just as organized as she had always seen it- Principal Barwell was a stickler for order. The file cabinet in the corner was most likely full to the brim, not that anyone could tell. His floor was lightly waxed, just enough that one could see their reflection in it. His oaken desk was sparsely decorated, just with his laptop, a “Best Principal” coffee mug, and his name tag which read: Principal Lawrence G. Barwell. One might want to laugh at that name, but Principal Barwell was somebody you really didn’t want to get on the bad side of. It had been known that the one student that had laughed at his name had been severely punished- to a degree that one might think extreme. But, after that, nobody on campus had wanted to earn his ire. Trixie took in the look of the Principal. He was a man in his early 50s, but he didn’t look it. Some say that he hadn’t aged in 30 years, and she could certainly see why. However, she reminded herself the Principal wouldn’t lighten a punishment just because of flattery. She had heard some who’d tried, and it didn’t end well for them. Principal Barwell then addressed the matter at hand. “Dar- er, Trixie Evenlor. I suppose I don’t have to tell you why you’re here, do I?”

Trixie shook her head. “No, Principal Barwell. I’m well aware of why I’m here. This is about my restitution to the school, correct?” She was proud that she knew how to purposefully break third-person speech. Principal Barwell certainly didn’t seem like one to have patience for such things.

Barwell nodded. “Correct. I’m quite pleased with how hard you’ve been working over the past few days, but I cannot help but notice that you seem a bit distracted. Is there some trouble at home?”

Trixie inwardly winced. Man, he’s good. She gathered herself, and continued. “Well, my mother’s come back into my life after a long absence, so I’m having a bit of trouble adapting. But I can assure you, it’s getting better.”

Barwell went into deep thought for a while, and this sent Trixie on edge. However, her anticipation was abated almost as quickly as it had started as Barwell spoke. “I can see a change in you, one for the better. I know you regret what you’ve done, and that you’ve helped repair the damage. So here’s what I’m going to do.” He clasped his hands together as he laid his elbows on his desk, and leaned forward. “I’m going to give you a little break for a while. This will give you the opportunity to earn back the trust of your fellow students. If by the end of two weeks from now you have significantly changed the opinion of the student body about you, I’ll let you off easy. If not, I’ll put you back to work. Do we have an understanding?”

Trixie nodded. “I understand completely.”

Barwell had the hint of a smile. “Good. You are dismissed for the day, Miss Evenlor. I expect you to have at least some progress when we meet next.”

Trixie left the Principal’s office, and sighed. That was a tad unexpected, but It’s a good idea. Let’s start with some of the others I wronged in the past.

As Trixie went around, helping the other students with a few things, they at first thought it was some kind of trick. This was still Darrel Evenlor, right? He was the terror of the school! No way he would actually be doing this sort of thing, right? But, as it continued, they noticed her sincerity, and this threw them for a loop. They had never seen Darrel be willing to help anyone but himself. Had he really changed after the time that he’d become Trixie and attacked the school? Some of the students wanted to find out, especially a certain four, plus a teacher. Regina Falls, the toughest girl in the Martial Arts Club who had somewhat of a famous temper, Tonira Elbach, the deliverer of the school newspaper, Ginger Johnson, the “school alchemist” and apt carrot farmer, Helen Lee, the teacher of many topics (seriously, how did she do it?), and Tyler Heartfield, the lover of bard music. They decided that over the next few days, they would be the ones to see if she had really changed. As she finished up helping somebody else, she turned to see those very five before her. She raised an eyebrow. She want to be on good terms with as much of the school as possible, so she didn’t mind seeing them here. She cleared her throat, and spoke. “How can I help you?”

Regina crossed her arms, and looked at Trixie with a judging look. “She seems sincere enough, but what if it’s an act?”

Helen tsked, and reprimanded her. “Now Miss Falls, we talked about this. We should at least give her a chance, should we not?”

Tonira nodded, her eyes going askew as they tended to. “Yeah, we should try and be nice. Who knows? We might become good friends!”

Regina grumbled about something, but otherwise voiced no opposition. Ginger then seemed to realize something. “Say, do you think if we hang around her and become friends we’ll become anthros later like John’s friends did?”

Tyler seemed excited. “Oh, that’d be cool! Then two thirds of us would be guaranteed to be mythical creatures!”

Trixie seemed stunned. Would that happen if she became friends with these girls and one guy? She had no idea, but the thought did seem tempting. So, with her signature smug grin, she smiled. “Trixie thinks it is a brilliant idea! She’d love to try being friends with you all.” She then stole a look at Regina. “If that’s okay, of course.”

Regina sighed. “Fine. But if you turn out to be using us, I’ll knock you into next week!”

Trixie didn’t seem to mind the threat. She knew that she would deserve it if she did, so she would try her best. She smiled a little less smugly, and a bit more genuinely. “So where should we go to get to know each other?”

Helen smiled when she saw Trixie’s change. She knew that this was the right thing to do. “Where else but the best restaurant nearby? Let’s go!”

Trixie could hardly believe how much she was enjoying herself. Even Regina had warmed up to her, if only a little. As they were enjoying chatting, a new but familiar voice could be heard. “Trixie? What’re you doing here?” They turned their heads to see Jozhir at the table nearest theirs. Sitting next to him was his sister, Mari. she seemed completely absorbed in her laptop, however. Sitting across from them was Maestro, who was enjoying a piece of steak.

Trixie raised an eyebrow. Anthros could still eat meat? That was a tad surprising to her. She shook it off, and decided to answer Jozhir’s question. “Well, I’m enjoying some quality time with a few new friends, is all.”

Jozhir nodded in understanding. “It’s always good to expand one’s horizons. Good to see you getting back to your old self from before your mother left.”

Trixie almost choked on her water. He was paying attention to me back then? What could this mean? She composed herself, filing that thought away for later. “Well, I can’t help but think that mom coming back had something to do with it. Sure things are a tad awkward at home right now, but things are certainly looking up.”

Jozhir nodded, and then turned his attention to Maestro. “Say Maestro, you never talk about your dad any more. You used to talk about him all the time! What happened?” He’d noticed in the corner of his eye how Trixie had been shaking her head, implying that he shouldn’t bring that topic up. He took a look at Maestro, and noticed why.

Maestro looked a smidge darker. He had set down his food, no longer feeling hungry. His fist was clenched so hard around the fork that the metal bent. He then sighed. “I figured you might ask eventually. He’s… gone. Has been for years. He died just before I anthrofied four years ago.” His tone seemed normal, but Trixie could tell that there was a hidden level of regret and anger beneath it. None of it directed at Jozhir, obviously, but he was in pain. She looked, and saw that Mari’d noticed it too. She knew that she would, seeing as she’d been around Maestro quite a bit for the past few days. Maestro let go of the fork that was his victim, and straightened it out with magic.

Jozhir was silent for some time. He then sighed. “I’m sorry I brought it up. I didn’t know.”

Maestro shook his head. “You were going to find out soon anyway.”

Then, their attention was drawn to Mari as she placed her laptop in front of Jozhir. “Hey look! It’s one of those e-mails from that Mr. Dion guy! I’m going to open it!”

What happened next surprised most of them. As she clicked on the e-mail, a bright indigo light lit the room. Jozhir couldn’t get out of the way in time. Then, it happened. Mari’s skin started to turn indigo, like the light that had flashed. But, then they heard Jozhir shout in panic. They turned their heads to see his skin start to change color as well, turning slate gray. Fur of their respective colors soon rushed to coat their bodies, and soon covered it all. Mari’s eyes had their pupils change to slits, and her eyes became green. Jozhir’s eyes had become dark purple, and seemed to gain an almost manic glint. Mari’s hair became sky blue, and a tail of the same color grew. Jozhir’s hair became chartreuse, and an off-white orange tail grew. Then, the final touch was added- As their feet became hooves, a pair of bat wings sprouted from Mari’s back, along with fangs sharpening within her mouth. No such change occurred in Jozhir, leaving him an Earth Pony. Mari squealed in excitement. “This is so cool! Sarah Von Solero, ready for action!” She turned to Jozhir, grinning. “Hey Jozhir, what d’you-” the rest of what she was about to say caught in her throat. Jozhir wasn’t responding. She saw that he’d anthrofied as well, and was unsure as to what he would say. She tried something. “Uhm, earth to Jozhir? Anybody in there?”

His head turned slowly. His gaze swept the room. Then, a manic grin graced his features, to match the manic look in his eye. He then chuckled. “Oh, this is… so… intriguing. Oh so very enlightening.” He turned his manic look towards Maestro. He guffawed, like a mad scientist. “I just had the best idea!” He locked eyes with Maestro. “And you’re going to help me with it!” Quick as a bullet, He zipped toward Maestro. He didn’t notice that Maestro had lit his horn until it was too late. He looked up to Maestro, and tried to back away.

Maestro uttered one word as he released his magic. “Sleep.” And with that, the hyper scientist collapsed into his friend’s arms. Maestro sighed, turning to Trixie. “Sorry you had to see him like this. He was probably a bit addled because he was anthrofied by the wrong e-mail. I didn’t even think it possible, and yet we’ve the proof right here.” He turned to Sarah. “We’d best get him home.” As Sarah fell into step next to him, Maestro paused, and turned back one last time. “Take good care of each other, okay? Friendship must be cherished, and given tender care in the beginning. If it breaks because of lack of trust or respect, that means your friendship wasn’t very strong. Good luck.” And with that, he left.

Author's Note

Ah, set up for future ideas is always satisfying. This chapter is unedited.

Xavier Breakthrough Project, Day 14: Lightness of Heart

Saturday dawned, and Trixie and her friends wasted no time in getting to the park. When they arrived, Xavier was having a pleasant chat with Natalie- they seemed to get along quite well after having reminisced for a while. Chessmaster and Brianna were there as well, and were having a nice picnic. Seemed things had worked out between the two since the last time they’d been seen together. Onto the scene came Pinkie and Amanda, who seemed ready to get things underway. Xavier turned to everyone, breaking off his chat with Natalie. He would have to continue this later. But first… “Hey, you! You just going to leer at us from up there?”

Their attention was drawn to the ruffling of feathers from the trees. A dark yellow griffon anthro lept out, her black-tipped tail flicking behind her. She was silent for a moment, gauging their reactions. She then shrugged as she leaned up against the tree she’d lept from. “Doesn’t matter where I watch from, I suppose. Sky said you’re chill, so I’ll be chill.” Her light orange eyes glistened as she smiled. “You can call me ‘Hawk-blood’. It’s a pleasure.”

The reasoning behind this designation was readily apparent by the more hawk-like features of her head, beak and wings in comparison to other griffons they’d seen in the show. Chessmaster and Brianna were the most surprised by this newcomer, seeing as they had been largely elsewhere for a long while. With a bit of trepidation, Chessmaster broached the subject. “Just who are you? Why are you here? Maestro’s told me a bit of your comrades, but…”

Turning to him, “Hawk-blood” deliberated for a bit. Sky hadn’t told them much, which is what “Slighthand” had implored they stick with. But would a tiny hint be so wrong? She sighed, looking at the two of them. “Well, I can’t tell you the full reason- ‘Slighthand’ wouldn’t be very happy about that if I did. But I’ll give you a little hint. Y’see, we’ve come an awful long way to get here- and we’re here to help, albeit in our own fashion. But it’s not just you guys that we’re trying to help. Our friends that couldn’t quite make it here, they’re a part of this too. We’re helping them too, by helping you. It’s… otherwise complicated.”

Though it cleared up a few things, what “Hawk-blood” had said raised quite a few questions. But by the look on her face, she was unwilling to answer any of them. The group as a whole seemed a bit wary, but Chessmaster and Brianna were calm, much like Maestro was back when the group first met “Skyreach”. Something bigger was at play, but as to what it was, all were unsure. For now, they decided to leave it be, and instead focus on what they had come here for.

Deciding to shake things up, Natalie approached the subject first. “To truly understand how to cheer up others, you need to understand that not everyone will be overly cheery about what you try and do for them. Sometimes, you need to accept that some people just have a quiet or subdued response, and that’s all right.”

Xavier understood that perfectly. It was a reasonable thing to expect, after all. He nodded slightly. “I think I understand a bit better what you guys were trying to get at last time, as well. If you don’t know the right time to approach somebody, it could blow up in your face quite badly.”

Pleased that Xavier was starting to understand, Cheryl opened up a new point. “Being like the Bearer of Laughter is more than just jokes and gags- there's a certain.... nuance to it. You have to know that there are no universal ways to cheer everyone up at a given moment- everyone has different things that bring them a smile, and those things may not work if they’re in the wrong kind of mood. Sometimes, you may have to leave them be for a bit before trying to cheer them up- you just have to assess it based on the situation.”

This was an angle that Xavier hadn’t quite considered before, and now that he thought about it, it did make quite a bit of sense. “I never considered that so much thought went into it… Yet, for some it seems so… natural. How do you do it?”

Considering for a moment, Amanda let Pinkie answer that one. “Well, one might believe that I might not be the best to talk about this seeing as it seems to come me naturally, but they couldn’t be more wrong. The thing is, I have an easier time assessing others because of how long I’ve been doing this. But my advice, if you’re starting out? Pay attention to the body language- that often speaks more volumes than words.”

Experience, huh? That certainly explained why Pinkie was so confident in what she did. As for Xavier, however, he didn’t know how long it would take him to reach the same or similar kind of level. There was probably something else he was missing. “While all of this is well and good, I don’t think that’s all there is to it. I feel like I’m missing something…”

Feeling confident, Amanda took the stage. “Cheering others up is hard when you yourself aren’t feeling it. If you don’t have the right demeanor, it won’t be quite the same. If you force yourself, people will be able to tell, and well… I think that you can figure out the rest from there.”

It made sense now. Xavier’d dismissed such thoughts in the past, but he was willing to entertain them now. He smiled, and nodded his head. However, just as he was about to thank them… “Well now, look who it is.” The group was a bit surprised, and turned to see a group of humans, all wearing biker gang attire. Among them was a familiar face, that of Leon. However, it was clear that he wasn’t the one who’d addressed them, as the voice they heard had been female- and there was only one among the gang. She was a tall black woman, with piercing green eyes and dyed pink hair. She commanded quite the presence, inferring that she was the leader. “At first, I wasn’t sure that I could believe the lummox, but It seems Leon was right, for once.” She sneered. “If it isn’t The Reaper, and his little astral girlfriend! I never thought I’d see the day!”

Abashed, Natalie looked away. “I’m not his girlfriend, Ramona! Unless…” She shakes her head. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

One of her goons stepped forward, glaring with his amber eyes accenting his light brown hair. “That's none of your business, sheila! The boss don't answer to you!”

However, Ramona seemed amused that Natalie had asked. “Reel it in, Markus. I choose for myself what to answer. If she's so curious as to why we're here, I see no harm in telling her. Though, before I consider it, tell me…” She stood tall, to her full height of 6'6”. She leered at Natalie, full of disappointment. “Why? You were far closer to normalcy than the reaper over there. You could've had it all, if you'd stuck with us. We would've even let the whole astral stuff slide! You could have been somebody!”

Natalie sighed as she crossed her arms. “Look, I don’t know if you could understand. I highly regretted siding with you against Xavier. That’s why I bailed. I had to make things right. Somebody like you, who considers people to be tools- I don’t know if you could ever hope to understand.”

Irritated at the accusation against his boss, a goon with dyed green hair spoke out. “Ya take that back! All 'o us are important to 'er! The boss'd never toss us out!” He glared intensely with his pale blue eyes, practically daring her to refute him.

Sighing, Remona spoke up. “I appreciate the thought Arnold, but I can defend myself, thank you very much. I’ll address her accusations head-on.” She laid a hand on one of her hips. “While it is true that many of the people that I’ve surrounded myself with over the years have left, It’s often due to issues with their acclamation into the gang. There has been the odd person that left because of me, something I will not deny. But even then, they left because of a disagreement- not because they outlived their usefulness.” She shook her head dismissively. “I know that you don’t have the best opinion of me, but don’t go jumping to conclusions just because some old faces aren’t here to greet you.” She then smiled, pushing aside her earlier exasperation. “You answered my question, and I suppose fair is fair. We aren’t here for much, honestly. Just a small group trip to celebrate graduation. Finding you and Xavier was just an added bonus. We didn’t intend to come pester you, it just worked out that way.” Her grin grew wide. “And what a treat it is.”

Just as things looked like they might get violent, Maestro stepped onto the scene. “I think that’s quite enough. No need for any bruises today.” He sauntered over to Natalie, and glared at Ramona. “I’d also appreciate if you backed off of my cousin, thank you very much.” For a split second, his eyes became heterochromatic, but soon shifted back. “If you don’t, I’ll have to teach you a lesson.”

The last of her goons that they hadn’t met yet scoffed, and tried to get a rise out of Maestro. “Oooh, I’m sooo scared! What are ya gonna do to us, lift us in the air? Bet that’s all you can do to us, you freak!”

However, Maestro remained calm. “I’ll make you wish that I let you get hurt after I’m done with you. That is, unless you apologize to Natalie and Xavier. That’s all you need do. A simple thing, to be sure. However, I will know if you’re insincere.”

Mary also came onto the scene, as if from nowhere. “You should be scared.” she grinned with malice, ready to terrorize them.

Scoffing audibly, Ramona stepped forward. “Ichabod may be thick sometimes, but he’s got a point. I don’t see why we should listen to you. We’re the Raging Bulls! We don’t appease anyone aside from ourselves!” She crossed her arms. “I highly doubt you’ll really do anything- all of you anthros are too concerned with ‘looking like good people’ to do anything that would tarnish that façade.”

Maestro was unsure of what Mary had in mind. He had this covered, but maybe she could help. The two shared a look, full of deliberation. Maestro didn’t trust her, but if she wanted to help, who was he to refuse her? Whatever she had planned might not work on its own, so he decided to roll with it. “Listen up. You have a choice here. We can do this the easy way, the harder way, or I can let Mary deal with you. I’d rather you just apologize, but something tells me that you won’t.” His horn and hand glowed with Nightmare Magic, as he started to construct the spell. “I’m giving you one last warning- Apologize, or I will use my magic on you.”

A little antsy, Leon spoke up. “Y’know boss, maybe it won’ be so bad t’pologize t’ them. I mean, they’z lookin’ awful serious about this…”

Ramona would have none of it, however. “Grow a spine, Leon! They’re just talking big! And right when I thought you’d gotten a lick of sense in you, too…” She stood defiantly. “We won’t back down! The Raging Bulls won’t be intimidated!” Her goons cheered, but Leon seemed half-hearted about it.

Maestro’s eyes glowed full of power, a firm frown on his face. “So be it.” His palm opened as he cast the spell. “Nightmare Illusion!” Dark fog spread rapidly from his hand, seeking out the members of Ramona’s gang and coiling around them. They all had various reactions of shock before the fog entered their bodies, causing them to fall unconscious. Dissipating the magic, Maestro sighed. “Maybe that will teach at least a few of them some humility, maybe even empathy and compassion.”

As his spell tossed their minds into a nightmare, He noticed that Mary was using a spell of her own, now. She made exact duplicates of their forms, but if one looked close enough, they could tell that they were dolls. The originals vanished from sight, and Maestro looked at Mary, quirking an eyebrow. Just what was she up to?

Smiling, Mary cooed. “Aww, you’re being too nice to them. I think that they need to learn that if you’re going to try and mess with someone else’s feelings, then she should feel what it’s like on the receiving end of it. So-”

But before she could do anything, Maestro intervened. “What do you think my Nightmare Magic did to them? I sent their minds to a place where the roles are reversed- In essence, I applied the Golden Rule to them. I don’t see what you’re trying to accomplish, but I think I made a grave error in allowing you to do anything.” He tapped into some Chaos Magic, and then snapped his fingers to cause the dolls to dissipate, and bring back the unconscious forms of the gang members. “There shall be no violence today, fake or otherwise.” He glared at Mary. She was troublesome, to be sure. Was she trying to goad him into breaking his promise? He refused to take the bait, if that was the case. He sighed, and shook his head. “If you think that you can reel it in on the violence factor, I’ll let you proceed- but as soon as I see you trying to hurt somebody, I will intervene again. Are we clear?”

Mary sighed in disappointment, but nodded anyway. “Fine by me. Now, as I was saying- without further ado…” (not noticing that her dolls are gone) “Let the show begin! ‘Puppeteer play!’” the gang members get up and start beating each other up.

However, it soon became apparent that these were not her dolls, as the members of the gang started to come to during the brawl. They were astonished that they had no control over their bodies, and their faces were set with panic. Many of the gang members were desperate to gain control of their bodies, and they voiced this handedly.

“Hey now, I’m a reasonable bloke! I’ll apologize, if it means that much to you!”

“Ya stop doin’ that freaky magic! First the dream, now this! Let me go!”

“I’z don’ wan’ this no more! I’z sorry, I’z sorry!”

“I’m really freaking out! Why can’t I control my body?! Somebody, make it stop!”

Gritting her teeth, Ramona weighed her options. She knew that some of her gang would take the way out provided. Heck, she saw that Maestro character use his magic to release Markus and Leon after they swore up and down that they would never do this again, and she saw even Arnold and Ichabod considering doing the same out of desperation. She was not one to back down, however. Gathering her will, she tried to force her way out. As she tried to force her body to break free, she saw Arnold and Ichabod apologize to Natalie and Xavier, and promise that they’d try to be better. They were set free by Maestro, and he then turned his attention to her. But she only saw red. They had tossed aside their pride! The Raging Bulls were supposed to be better than this! She erupted with primal emotion, shattering the spell controlling her body by sheer force of will. This caused Maestro and the others to step back in surprise- nobody had thought it possible for a human to shake off magic like that. Mary tried to bring her back under her control, but Ramona now seemed completely unaffected. She snorted in rage as she regarded her former gang members. “You spineless, snivelling pieces of trash! I don’t need you! I don’t anyone! You will all regret this day!” She stormed off in a huff, too quickly for any of them to catch up.

Her former gang members looked to each other, uncertain of how to process that. Their boss had… tossed them aside? They didn’t know what to think about that. Ramona had always been their guide, their reliable leader. But now… the four of them didn’t know where to go from here. Sure, they’d all apologized to Natalie and Xavier, but they’d half-expected Ramona to have followed suit. They looked disheartened as they realized that it was foolish to think that she would ever follow the lead of anyone but herself.

After that little detour, “Hawk-blood” looked apprehensively towards the direction that Ramona had went. “Well, this is troublesome… I’ll see what ‘Slighthand’ has to say about this development…” She shot off into the sky, and was out of sight in seconds.

Maestro shook his head. “I’ve got to get back to my studio. I’ll be seeing you guys later.” With that, he teleported away.

Chessmaster and Brianna had long since left- probably once Mary showed up. Trixie looked at a message from Gearbox on her phone, and smiled. “It’ll be nice to have a little downtime today, after how hectic it was earlier. Sorry I can’t stick around, I’ve got a date to prepare for.” However, she did notice Natalie take aside Xavier before she left. She smirked. I think I know what’s going to happen between those two… She shook her head, and left for home.

She didn’t know how it could’ve gone so wrong. Mary ran as fast as she could, hoping to find Maestro’s shop. After what felt like ages, she found it. It was certainly a colorful building, so she could hardly miss it. She went up to the door, and noticed that the sign on the door said “Open for business!” So, she went inside. She saw Maestro at the counter, arguing with a customer. “For the last time, ma’am. Monopoly Money is not legal tender! I cannot accept it as payment for my work! If you don’t leave right now, I will call the police on you.” The woman left in a huff, claiming that she would tell on him, or some such. Maestro sighed, and massaged his head. “Some people.” He then took notice of Mary in his shop. He looked at her, and shook his head. “It’s not your fault that Ramona stormed off like that earlier. I partially blame myself, I should’ve told you that I’d dispersed your dolls.” He shook his head, then clasped his hands together. “So, can I get you anything, or…?”

Mary was slightly taken aback. Maestro felt partial responsibility for what had happened earlier? She was going to press him on it, but it was clear from his demeanor that he didn’t want to talk about it. So, she decided to let Serine ask what she came here to. With a deep breath, she was Serine again, and she approached Maestro with her question. “Yeah, I’m planning a circus. I was wondering if you could help. Anything you can spare is appreciated.”

Maestro blinked at that. A circus? He thought about it for a moment. Would they have time for something so frivolous with what was to come? His visions may now be unable to see the future as clearly, but what he had garnered showed that more altercations were still to come. He did see the appeal of it, though. Something to ease everyone’s nerves for a bit. However, he was rather busy already… He glanced to his workshop in the back. He still had yet to finish his special work, not to mention some newer pieces that would furnish the walls of the shop soon. He looked back to Serine. She was the one this was most for, he supposed. She’d had a long and difficult life, with no chance for things like these when she was younger, or so he had heard. He still wondered sometimes about the one on this side that had been her analog. That person was supposed to be long gone, yet… the very fact that Serine was here made him somehow doubt that. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He then smiled. “Spare? Please. I may be generous, but I can’t give you what you need for free. Let’s talk payment.” They discussed the topic for a while, until Serine left, satisfied. Maestro sighed. Finally, he could get back to work. He quickly changed the sign on his door as he locked it shut. He then went into the back, and brought out his special project. He made a few doppelgängers, which he used to tackle some of the other work he was doing. He then focused in on this one-of-a-kind work. He worked carefully for hours, making the final adjustments. Carefully, he adjusted the size to be just right. The gemstone was fine tuned, whittled into the correct shape. And finally, the inscription was made, marking its completion. He took the piece, and smiled at his work. It was finished at last. He took out a black unassuming box of small size, and opened it. He then carefully inserted his masterpiece into the slot, and closed the box shut. He held it for a moment. Was he really going to do this? He deliberated a moment, then took out his phone to call. After a few rings, he got through. “Hey, Sarah. I was wondering… you got some time tomorrow? I’ve got something for you. Yeah, after Xavier’s lesson. I’ll be seeing you, then. Ciao!” He hung up, and closed his phone. He exhaled. Tomorrow. It seemed like an eternity away. But, he could wait. He’d waited this long, after all. He then decided to get to work with Serine’s odd request.

Author's Note

Alright, I'm curious. Any guesses as to my plans involving the new characters? Any guesses as to what Maestro made? Sorry I didn't write anything about Trixie's date with Gearbox, I just wasn't feeling it. I'll cover how it went in the next chapter.