A Tricky Love Interest

It’s been a few weeks since you revealed your secret to Trixie and Twilight. It’s been difficult to talk to the locals in Ponyville, due to your quiet and reserved personality but with Starlight and Trixie’s help, you were slowly coming out of your shell.

To earn money you would occasionally visit the farm called Sweet Apple Acres and use your power to help pick the apples. Applejack, the owner of the farm, and her husband, who she called Bucky were very appreciative of your help, including their son, Apple Slice, who’s also taking a liking to you.

Also thanks to a fashionista named Rarity, you finally threw away those filthy lab clothes since she made you new ones. Her generosity confused you, as neither she nor her husband, Silver asked you for any money. Rarity said to think of your new clothes as gifts. Silver explained that his wife was willing to make a new wardrobe for any new friends that become permanent residents in Ponyville.

At the moment, you were sitting on a bench reading one of the many books you got from the library in Twilight’s castle. Due to being neglected of books for many years, you’ve developed an interest for reading. Twilight even gave you a few reading lessons and showed you how to pronounce some of the advance words in the books. If she had things to do, her husband Beau would do the tutoring, not at all disturbed by your quiet behavior.

‘Why are the humans here such good people?’ you wondered, putting a bookmark as you finished the chapter on the book you were reading. That was a question not even your powers could help you figure out.

And so, the weekends came by and Trixie was about to set up her stage for another show. You gave her a helping hand so she wouldn’t strain herself. As you both were setting up, you both heard two voices you were unfamiliar with.

“I take it you two must be magicians?” a female voice asked.

You and Trixie turned around and saw a mare, probably a unicorn, judging by her broken horn. She also had a scar on one of her eyes and her red mane was styled like a mohawk. She wasn’t alone either, as wrapping his arm around her shoulder was yet another human. What’s more is that the unicorn was holding something wrapped in a blanket.

“It’s been a while Tempest,” Trixie said with a smile. You quirked an eyebrow at Trixie, unaware that she knows this mare. For that matter, you’ve never seen or heard of the man accompanying her.

“Same to you, Trixie,” Tempest replied before revealing what she was holding. It appeared to be a human, only it looked to have the same colored skin as Tempest.

Trixie looked down at the baby with a smile as she began to stroke her tiny head with a finger. “Aww, Tempest, she looks so beautiful!” Trixie said, giving into Tempest’s adorable baby girl.

The man finally got his chance to speak. “It was a bit of a difficult decision, but we decided to name her Swizzle Berry,” he said looking at Tempest with a teasing smile. She giggled and started blushing.

“You can be mean at times, Ventus,” she replied before kissing his cheek. Tempest then turns her attention towards you with curiosity. “Oh, hello there. Who might you be?”

You were denied of many things back in that lab, but you never forgot your name. You stare at them with your usual blank expression, causing Tempest to chuckle.

“A quiet one, aren’t you? Reminds me of someone else I know,” she said looking at her husband with a smirk. Ventus avoided eye contact with a smile and his cheeks turned red while scratched the back of his neck.

Tempest and Ventus were so distracted that they failed to notice that your eyes began to glow. You looked into Ventus’ mind and discovered that he too used to shut others out, as well as display little emotion.

Deactivating your ability, you finally decided to speak. Getting their attention, you told them your name. “Also... no, I’m not a magician,” you added.

“Oh okay, so are you Trixie’s assistant?” Tempest asked. Her eyes widened when she thought she knew what was up. “Or are you perhaps her special somepony?” she asked, slyly.

“I don’t know what that means,” you said blankly.

“Uhh, let’s just say he’s been living in a cave for a few years back home,” Trixie said.

“That’s a lie,” you said as blankly as before. Trixie slightly glared daggers at you while you just shrugged like it was no big deal.

Trixie went up to you and whispered in your ear. “Look, I’m not in the mood for you to embarrass me like that, buster. And would you please show a little more emotions towards other ponies?”

“I’m just being honest,” you said blanky, again. Trixie facepalmed herself and looked back at Tempest and Ventus. Both of them were giving you and Trixie confused looks.

“Sorry about that. He’s still pretty new to the whole “friendship” thing. Plus, I’m not sure if he and I are interested in starting that sort of relationship so soon.”

Tempest raised an eyebrow. “Okay then, so how are Twilight and her friends, are they all still doing okay?” she asked.

“Most definitely. Why, are you looking to visit Twilight?” Trixie asked.

“Yeah, she invited us over for a little visit and so she could see Swizzle,” Ventus explained.

“Oh okay. I’m sure you know where to find her. The castle’s not that hard to miss.” Trixie said, pointing to the giant crystal castle in the distance.

“Thanks, and good luck with your show, Trixie,” Tempest said before she and Ventus walked down the road.

“Thank you, and see you later, Swizzle Berry!” Trixie cooed adorably to the baby. Swizzle just yawned softly and snuggled into her mother’s arms.

You waited until Ventus and Tempest were completely out of sight before turning away to finish the stage. Just as you were about to finish, Trixie placed her hand on your shoulder, turning your blank expression towards her. Even though she wasn’t glaring at you, she did look disappointed. Probably upset about how you were so emotionless towards Tempest and Ventus.

“Listen, Trixie understands you’ve had a rough childhood and Trixie’s even willing to give you a chance to start over, but you’re acting like you don’t want to. All you do is speak like one of Pinkie Pie’s sisters.”

Your expression was the same as usual. “Easier said than done. All that time I spent in the lab has turned me into a narcissist and you and I both know it wasn’t pleasant. Not even my powers can help. I really do want to feel other emotions, Trixie.”

Trixie’s expression softened and suddenly without warning, she placed a kiss on your forehead. “Then perhaps Trixie might have another solution that could help you. Have you ever heard about Princess Celestia and Princess Luna?” she asked. You shook your head in response. “Well, both of these princesses rule over the entire kingdom of Equestria. They can even look into other ponies and humans hearts and help cleanse and heal any wounds that are lingering.”

‘Why did she kiss me?’ you wondered staying silent. However, you were also curious of whether or not these “princesses” could help you heal the aching wounds in your heart or not. “I don’t want anyone messing with my mind,” you said somewhat sharply.

Trixie was somewhat shocked by the change in your tone. “They’re going to do anything wrong with you. The princesses are kind and caring, nothing like those scientists who abused you.”

You stared at her, “I said no.” This time, you said it a little more seriously, barely managing to keep yourself from yelling.

“Why are you so against the idea of healing your wounds?”

“My mind is a private place, I barely managed to keep the scientists from looking into my thoughts during their experiments.”

“Then how come you used your powers to prob other ponies minds?” Trixie grew irritated.

You looked up at the sky. “Because it’s been a long time since I’ve last trusted someone.”

“Fine, how about this: Trixie’ll invite only Princess Celestia over and just talk with you about the hardships you faced growing up. And if you feel like it’s going nowhere, then Trixie is not going to force Celestia to go anywhere near your mind. But if you choose to go through with it, Trixie will be there for you, no matter what. Trixie’s only doing this for you so you can bury your cold dark past and look to the future. That’s what friends do,” she explains.

You thought for a moment, looking back at the sky as you did so. Returning your gaze to Trixie after a few seconds, you gave a nod.

“Why did you kiss me?” you asked.

Trixie blushed when you asked this. “T-Trixie was just showing you a little sympathy to show that Trixie cares,” she stuttered. “A-Anyway we should get back to work.”

You were curious of why she was so nervous, but overthinking this wasn’t going to do anything to get the show started tomorrow. You got back to setting up the stage, specifically, setting up the smoke bombs for when Trixie makes her grand entrance.

“You know, Trixie was thinking, would you like to perform with her?” she asked. “It’s been a few weeks now and Trixie wants to at least give you a fresh start at making a name for yourself. You’ve got talent and it wouldn’t be fair for Trixie to leave you out of her act.”

The thought of being a part of Trixie’s act got you thinking. The last time you got called up on stage, you nearly panicked at the thought of the audience learning what you could do.

“You and I both know, the thought of someone learning my secret scares me more than anything else,” you reminded. Even though you had the power to do so, you refused to look into the future out of fear of what you would see.

Trixie nodded. “Precisely, but it’s only gonna get worse if you keep your powers a secret. And if the princess finds out, you can rest easy that she’ll be more understanding than those scientists. Princess Celestia will never let any harm come to you.”

You still weren’t convinced. “I’ve had enough of your lectures for one day,” you responded coldly before walking off the completed stage. You then used your power to teleport back to the wagon before she could say anything else to you.

Trixie sighed, but she could tell her words were getting through to you. “He’ll come around,” she said with a reassured smile.

Back at the wagon you were laying down, considering what Trixie had said. You didn’t care much for her lectures, but to be fair, she did have a point. You’ve been keeping your powers secret for the past few weeks. True, her lectures bored you, but she was only trying to be a good friend to you and you hated yourself now for snapping at her like that.

You levitate a glass of water which was sitting on the nightstand beside you. You sat up a bit and took a few sip of your water before putting it back on your nightstand and laying back down. It was at that moment that you sensed a familiar presence at the door.

Trixie walked in with concern in her eyes, obviously not mad for what you said to her. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

“I was a bit thirsty earlier, but I took care of that,” you replied. Trixie walked over to the bed you were laying on and sat down on the edge.

“Trixie’s sorry for-” you cut her off before she could say anymore with a raised hand.

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. After I thought about it, I realized you were just trying to help me. And you’re right, Trixie, I can’t keep my powers a secret forever.

“Does that mean... you’ll be my partner?” she asked carefully. You turned and looked at her. After several long minutes of silence, you finally nodded, but you still didn’t smile. Trixie, on the other hand, gave you a warm, pleasant smile and a big hug.

“Thank you. Trixie appreciates it.” With that, she leaned up and gave you another kiss on the forehead. You didn’t know how to feel about her acting this way with you, but whenever she hugs you, it just felt so nice. The soft texture of her lips was also a pleasant feeling.

“Are we friends?” you asked as she pulled away from your forehead. She raised an eyebrow and soon giggled.

“Of course we are, silly. Trixie even considers you one of her best friends. Of course, when Trixie starts the show tomorrow, Trixie will make sure not to use the sawing in half trick again. You looked really really scared when I was about to perform that trick,” she said, concerned.

You sighed and took your shirt off revealing your many scars. Trixie gasped and almost gagged at the horrific sight. Still, she took it all in and started putting a few pieces together on why you were so scared of that trick that day. Yet, you explained to her anyways.

“Take a good long look, Trixie. This is the result of so many cuts and battering bruises I took in that horrible place. Anytime I see a sharp object, my body grows cold and shakes violently. I’m sorry I didn’t explain why I left the stage that day, but now you know that sharp objects scare me.”

After explaining, you put your shirt back on so she didn’t have to bare witness to your scars any longer than she should. Tears began to appear in her eyes. You could tell she wanted to hug you again. You leaned in and wrapped your arms around her at the same time she wrapped her arms around you.

‘Why do I feel this comfortable around Trixie?’ you thought as you rubbed her back. As you were hugging her, your heart started to beat a little faster than usual and it felt good for some reason. But all that mattered right now was giving Trixie some comfort. You felt a little guilty for showing her your scars, but you made up for it with this hug.

The next day came by and already, there was a huge crowd waiting with food and drinks. They wondered what kind of show Trixie would be presenting to them this time.

Trixie peeked from behind the stage curtains with a big smile. The crowd was so much bigger than the last time she performed. You were sitting on a crate with your hands locked together.

“What are we going to do?” you asked as blankly as usual.

“Patience, my friend. The Great and Powerful Trixie will work her magic sooner than you think.”

You raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything else as Trixie prepared to exit through the curtains.

“Greetings mares and gentlecolts. And welcome to another performance of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” she announced. The audience clapped and cheered, anxious to see what Trixie has planned for them. Trixie could feel the excitement and felt proud and confident that she’ll put on a good show.

Twilight and her friends were amongst those in the crowd. Her husband, Beau was quite confused why his wife convinced him to come here.

“I must be honest, I don’t understand why you made me come here,” he said turning to the lavender alicorn.

“Trust me, Beau, you’re in for quite a treat,” Twilight assured as Trixie had told her that you would be performing in this show. Everyone was just about to see what it is that you were capable of.

“And now, will you all please give a round of applause for my new assistant!” she announces. She takes a step to the side and watches one of the smoke bombs go off and in that instant, you teleported onto the stage. This time, your stage fright wasn’t as severe as the last time.

When the smoke finally cleared up, everyone clapped for you while you took a bow. Trixie also clapped for you for summing up the courage to appear.

Once the applause died down, Trixie nodded to you and you realized it was time to reveal your power to the audience. You took a deep breath and concentrated really hard, closing your eyes. When you opened them back up, they started to glow and your feet started levitating off the stage, making everyone gasp.

“For all of you who think this is my doing, take a good look at Trixie’s horn.” The audience did as she instructed and soon gasped in amazement. To make things more interesting, your eyes darted at a few fallen tree leaves on the ground and levitated them towards you, moving them around you in a horizontal figure-8 motion.

‘What is this excitement?’ you thought to yourself as the audience began to cheer. That was your cue to lay the leaves down onto the grass and bring yourself back down to the ground. You stopped making your eyes glow and took a bow. “Thank you, everyone,” you said.

“Very well done!” Trixie said. “Now, for my next trick, the Great and Powerful Trixie shall perform a teleportation spell, not on herself, but on a creature that I’m sure you’re all familiar of!”

With that she lit her horn and you watched as she summoned what appeared to be a lion with a scorpion tail. No doubt it’s a manticore. You’ve learned about these creatures from the books Twilight gave you, but this is your first time actually seeing one. Seeing how it had no mane, you learned it’s a she.

“My assistant here is capable of so much more than mere levitation and Trixie is going to prove it,” she said as she sent the manticore to charge towards you. Feeling calm despite the danger in front of you, your eyes glowed again and you merely teleported out of the way.

You reappeared next to the beast and placed a hand on her head. ‘Stand down,’ you told it through telepathy. The beast understood your command and sat down on the stage, leaving the audience speechless.

‘How strange. I’ve never felt anything like this before. My whole body feels like it’s trembling, but in a good way. This freedom... This excitement...’ you thought.

“Behold, everypony! Not only is he skilled in levitation, but also in teleportation and telepathy!” Trixie said. Almost on cue, the audience rose from their seats and clapped for the amazing performance. None of the humans in their world have been shown to perform these abilities.

You instantly bowed to the applause and petted the manticore. ‘You’re not too upset, are you?’ you asked through telepathy. She merely gave you a lick on the face and nuzzled you. The audience couldn’t help but laugh a little, but you didn’t feel offended.

“Aww, look everypony, our newest star has made himself a friend,” Trixie said. She couldn’t stop thinking how adorable it looked to see the manticore warming up to you. Your telepathy allows you to communicate with the minds of all creatures, not just ponies and humans.

The show continued all the way until midnight, however, the hours didn’t stop the ponies’ admiration for your psychokinetic power. You watched from the stage, as everyone stood from their seats preparing to go home while the manticore, who you named Nala, was laying on your lap.

As you stroked her soft fur, you still couldn’t figure out what it was that you felt during your performance.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, the Great and Powerful Trixie would like to thank you all for coming to tonight’s show, but first, before we say our goodbyes,” Trixie paused and looked said to the audience with a sad look “My assistant would like to say something to you concerning his special abilities.”

Right after she said that, you moved Nala off your lap and got up on your feet, moving to the front of the stage. You cleared your throat and began your sad story. “Now you’re all probably wondering how I, out of all the humans, have these psychic powers. The truth is, a very small percentage of humans in my world are born with psychokinesis.”

Tears began to fall down your eyes by this point, confusing the crowd. “Because of this, I was taken away from my parents and was held captive in a laboratory. The things they did to me scarred me for life. I was only a child, but they saw me as nothing more than a science experiment, a lab rat. They showed no mercy on me. I was in a living hell. All I wanted to do was get out of there and see my parents, but I was always denied that request.”

The crowd got all shocked as you went on. Nala moved to your arm nuzzling it and you put your hand on her head. “Eventually, one day, I decided that I had enough and wanted the suffering to end. I let my anger take control of me and I escaped into this chemical lab where... I... I did what needed to be done. I caused an explosion that took me away from their cruel world and eventually, I ended up here in what I now call home.”

You paused for a moment and looked over at Trixie, who was wiping her tears away. “But it was all thanks to Trixie for helping me turn my life around. If it wasn’t for Trixie’s help, I would’ve been a sad, isolated man with these powers I thought were a curse in my life,” and from that point on, you felt your sorrow slowly leave you and for the first time in years, a warm, happy smile appeared on your face.

“And now I just want to say... thank you, Trixie, for being such a great friend,” you then turned to the audience, where some of the ponies were crying from that touching story. “And thank you all for being such a great audience and accepting me as one of your own,” you finished.

Right after that, the audience cheered for you and clapped. Trixie walked up next to you and grabbed your hand. Nala grabbed your other hand and the three of you took a bow on another great performance.

Soon, after the applause died down and everyone went back their homes, you helped Trixie clean up the stage and revert it back into a wagon. Afterwards, you and Trixie went inside the wagon while Nala stay outside and laid herself down in front of the wagon.

“Trixie, you got any spare blankets?” you asked.

“Sure, what for?” she asked back.

“Well, I don’t want Nala to freeze out there.”

Trixie gasped in surprise. “Could it be that Trixie’s assistant is beginning to care?” she asked with a smile.

You nodded. Trixie didn’t say another word and got under the bed, pulling out a purple checkered blanket. She gives it to you and starts hanging up her hat and cape while you went outside. You went to the front of the wagon where Nala was laying and covered her up with the blanket. Though, she was very big, she still felt comfortable and gave you another lick.

“Good night, Nala,” you whispered to the manticore, petting her and making her purr. You walked back into the wagon and saw Trixie wearing pajamas that looked exactly like her cape and hat.

She climbed into bed and laid on the far side, giving you enough room. You yawned and walked over to her and laid down next to her with your backs facing each other.

“Good night, Trixie,” you whispered.

“Good night, my #1 assistant,” she whispered back.

Not long after, the two of you felt your eyes growing heavy and fell fast asleep.