Moving On For The Better Life

Tracker sat on the couch in Sunset’s living room as he waited for the group to come back downstairs. At first he had thought nothing of being on his own due to his need to use the bathroom. Now however he found it odd everyone in the group had gone upstairs and couldn’t help but wonder if they were talking about him.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard footsteps coming down the stars. He looked up to see everyone back downstairs.

“Sorry we took so long,” said Twilight.

Tracker smiled and shook his head. “It’s no problem.”.

Sunset looked at her phone. “Oh my, it’s almost nine o’clock PM. We should get to bed,” she said, and winked at Twilight and the girls.

“Right,” said Applejack, playing along. “ We should get some sleep so we can do more for the weekend.” Applejack said.

Pinkie nodded. “Yeah, as much as I really want to stay up, your right Applejack we really need energy for tomorrow.”

Tracker found it a bit odd the girls were going to bed so early on a weekend but figured it was simply the custom in this world.

The group all took out their sleeping bags as arrangements were made. Sunset and Flash would sleep in Sunset’s bed, with Rainbow and Tim in sleeping bags on her floor. Applejack, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Goo, Wiz, and Pumpkin would share the living room.

“Um, where are we going to sleep?” Tracker asked.

“You and Twilight are going to sleep in the basement.” Sunset answered, winking at Twilight. She then lead the two to through the kitchen to the stairway that lead to the basement.

She opened the door while also turning on the light in the stairway.

Tracker looked down stairway lit by only a single bulb into the dark emptiness of the basement. “It looks cold down there.”

“Don’t worry there is a heater down there. I use it as a study room and sometimes I stay down there late so i just put a queen size mattress down there to sleep on when I don’t feel like dragging myself up to my bedroom.”

“Wait! I have to share a bed with Twilight?” said Tracker as she blushed.

“Is there something wrong with that Tracker?” asked Twilight.

Tracker’s eyes went wide, realizing he had just offended the Princess. “What? No. Of course it’s not bad. It’s great to be able to sleep with you.” Tracker’s eyes went even wider as the realization of the statement hit him. “I mean sleep with you, not, sleep, with you, I mean sleep in the same bed next to you. Not that I would try to touch you or anything. I mean not to say you aren’t beautiful and I wouldn’t want to touch you..I mean....”

Sunset and Twilight both couldn’t hold it in as the two doubled over and burst out laughing at Tracker’s flustering. The two laughed at the now bright red human for a good minute before Twilight finally managed to calm down enough to speak. “It’s...it’s ok Tracker….I know what you mean.”

Tracker felt more embarrassed in that moment then he had in his whole life. He had just humiliated himself in front of the mare he secretly loved. At that moment all he wanted was for the ground to open up beneath him and swallow him whole.

Saying nothing he quickly made his way down the stairs.

“Watch out for the last step!” shouted Sunset. Her call came too late as there was load crash that made both girls flinch.

Sunset flipped on the basement light as she and Twilight rushed down the stairs to see if tracker was injured. At the bottom of the stairs they found Tracker lying on his stomach with his back legs in the air.

Are you ok Tracker?” said Twilight.

Tracker groaned and lifted himself off the floor and into a sitting position. “Ya, I think I’m fine. It wasn’t that bad of a fall.”

“Nothing feels broken does it?” asked Sunset. Tracker shook his head.

Wanting to be sure Twilight held up a finger. “Follow my finger.” Twilight moved her finger in various different directions and watched as Tracker followed with his eyes. Checking him for possible brain injury.

Once they were sure Tracker was ok Twilight and Tracker looked at the room that would be there sleeping area. The basement was not what Twilight had expected. The walls were lined with wood laminate giving the basement an almost rustic charm. The mattress Sunset spoke of was located at the back of the room and seemed to actually be in good condition. It had a wooden base around it and some very soft and fluffy looking red and black pillows and blankets on it.

Across from the bed was a long table that looks like it could hold two open books and paper side to side. Finally north of the table in the left hand corner was a door to what Twilight assumed to be the basement baseroom.

“Wow Sunset. This looks better then by lab at my old tree library.”

“Ya. It actually looks livable,” said Tracker.

Sunset smiled. “Thank. Like I said I use it to study a lot. Anyway have fun,” she said and winked to Twilight again before ascending the stairs and the two heard the door shut..

“I guess someone made a mistake when they made this place.” Twilight said.

While Tracker went over to look at the bathroom Twilight went over to the mattress and sat down. The mattress was far softer than she expected. The the point she sank into it and and fell backward.

“Man the bathroom is amazing,” said Tracker who noticed Twilight struggling to get up out of the He said as he gets out of the bathroom, he also notice that Twilight was struggling to get out of the pit of a mattress, and rushed over to her, and offered his hand.

“Twilight took Tracker’s hand and tried to pull herself out but only ended up pulling him forward. Causing Tracker to fall on top of her.

The two found themselves lying down and forced to stare deep into each other’s eyes. Twilight stared deep into Tracker’s blue eyes which reminded her so much of Flash’s. His shoulder length blonde hair and abundance of freckles gave him a cute, almost, dorky appearance.

Tracker found himself hypnotized by Twilight’s violet eyes. Though it wasn’t the color that had him spell bound, but their sparkle. Deep in Twilight eyes were small outline of her cutie mark. Making it like he was staring deep into the night sky.

“I need to use the bathroom!” Shouted Twilight pushing Tracker off her and forcing herself up and out of the soft mattress before heading to the bathroom and slamming the door.

Tracker pushed himself up into a sitting potion as he stared at the door in bewilderment. “Was it something I said?”

In the bathroom Twilight stood in front of the mirror as she splashed cold water on her face. She grabbed a towel and dried her face, then glared at herself in the mirror. “Come on Twilight. Get it together.

She couldn’t believe what had just happened. The reminder of Flash’s eyes, the cute dorky look, and the feeling of being held, even if unintentionally, had sent her hormones out of control. For those brief few seconds her brain had screamed at her push Tracker down and have her way with him. Even now the thought of it was making her body heat up. ‘Ugh. I’m supposed to be a princess, and a scientist, yet all I can think about is getting laid. Maybe Sunset was right. Maybe if I just give in my hormones will stop and I can think about this rationally.’’

Twilight reached into her pocket and felt the vile of magic along with something else. She pulled both out and realized the second were birth control pills.

Confusion crossed her face until she remembered Flash had given them to her after their one night together and explained what they were for. She had put them in her skirt pocket when she went through the mirror back to Equestria. Apparently they had stayed in whatever magic limbo her clothes came from.

Twilight put the pills back and uncorked the vile of magic. She brought it up to her face as she stared at the strange liquid that swirled inside as it gave off tiny sparks. ‘Sunset said this heightens one’s sexual experience. For that to be true it would also have to affect one’s senses on some level. Possibly even numbing them. If I’m going to go through with this I might need that.’

Twilight popped the top off and smelled the inside. It had an earthy scent to it. After hesitating for a moment she tilted her chin back and drank the entire bottle in one gulp. At first she felt nothing, and wondered if perhaps the concoction didn’t work on humans who were really ponies. Before she could debate that thought she felt the potion beginning to take effect.

Her body suddenly felt warmer and full of energy. The sensation was similar to when she would loss control of her magic on her world but on a much smaller and controllable scale. Suddenly it became clear to her. It wasn’t the case that the potions did anything to pull the scenes. Rather the feel of magic flowing through you made you seem powerful, confident, and full of life.

It wasn’t the effect she had been expecting. But it did make her more willing to go through with what she had been planning. She exited the bathroom with a new air of confidence in herself and her future actions.

Tracker turned his head when he head the door open and watched as Twilight walked over to him. There was something different about the way she walked but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He said nothing as Twilight came over and sat next to him. Her back straight as he sat hunched over. “Soo, umm…” Tracker tried to clear the air after what had happened but fumbled.

“Do you love me?” asked Twilight.

“I, what?” asked Tracker. Eyes wide in shook.

Twilight blushed and looked away. New confidence or not, this was still a hard subject to broach for her. “I know you like me. And that you are fan. But do you love me like. Like, really love me.”

Tracker’s mouth hung open as she gasped like a fish for air. He couldn’t believe the princess of friendship was asking him these question. ‘This is your chance you idiot.’ His brain screamed. “I, yes. Yes of course. I love you. I’ve loved you since I first set eyes on you. I’ve always loved you and I’ve always wanted to be able to meet you and see you and be with you and, and…”

Tracker began rambling. The question was so unexpected all he could do was babel like a fanboy.

“What do you love about me?” asked Twilight.

“Huu?”

“You said you love me. I want to know what it is you love about me.”

Tracker blinked. Trying to understand what Twilight was asking him. Her questions seemed random and out of nowhere, catching him off guard. Still the princess, his idol, was asking him deep questions and he wasn’t going to flub now. “Well, your beautiful, and smart, and um...royal.”

“Do you know why my friends brought me here?”

“To hang out with them?”

“Yes. But they also brought me here to try and set me up.”

“Set you up.”

Twilight nodded. “The yellow human upstairs is named Flash Sentry. When I came to his world the first time we became a couple. Things didn’t exactly work out. Keeping a cross-dimensional relationship working simply isn’t practical. Since then I’ve been trying to find a new coltfriend but it’s been complicated.”

Tracker raised an eyebrow. “Complicated. You’re a princess. You could have any colt you wanted. You could tap your hoof and probably have Prince Blueblood kissing it.”

Twilight shivered at the thought of the uppity pompous prince trying to woo her. “That’s just it. I don’t want a pony who’s my colt friend because i tell them to be. I want them to want to be my colt friend. And I want to them to want to be my colt friend for the right reasons.”

Tracker considered Twilight’s words as things finally began to fall into place for him. “I think I understand what you are saying.”

“You do?” said Twilight. Skeptical of if Tracker had actually gotten the hint.

Tracker nodded. “Of course. “I’m a paparazzi after all. I fallow and write articles about all famous ponies. Not just you. I’ve seen myself how many celebrity romances end up falling apart because one of them is only in it for money, or fame, or status.”

“Finally!” shouted Twilight as she raised her arms in emphasis. “Somepony gets it.”

All at once a light bulb went off in Tracker’s head as she realized the reasoning behind Twilight’s odd questions earlier. “That’s why you asked me what I love about you isn’t it?”

Twilight nodded. “I know you are a fan. But I don’t want a fan who only sees Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship like everyone else.”

Tracker couldn’t help but chuckle. “You need to learn a lot about fans Twilight. Most ponies who consider themselves fans are total fanatics. And that means they don’t just like the thing they are fans off. They are obsessed with it. They learn everything they can about it and keep track of what’s going on. I probably know more about you then some of your friends.”

“That sounds really creepy.”

Tracker blushed. “Ya. I guess it does. The point I was trying to make was I became a fan of your friendship journal. Your lessons about how everypony has something they can do well and fit in. Or not obsessing about the future. I’ve always been kind of an odd pony who had trouble fitting in and making friends and I tend to worry and obsess about stuff I shouldn’t. So all of your lessons really spoke to me and helped be thing about my own problems. After i read them I wanted to know everything about you I could. About the real Twilight. About the nerdy scientific bookworm one who worries about the future, and goes overboard due to an overdue report, tries to do more things then she can handle, and was so against friendship she didn’t even want to go to Ponyville in the first place. That’s the Twilight I want to know more about. Because that’s the Twilight I’ve grown to like.”

Twilight wasn’t sure what to say. When she had published her journal every pony had gone nuts over it. Obsessing over which pony was better and who was the worst and completely ignoring the message of the book. All except a few filled, and now it seemed Tracker. She felt an overwhelming sense of happiness to know her book had reached and actually truly helped sompony.

It was also so nice to finally meet a pony who saw her as more then a princess. A pony who looked at her flaws and liked them instead of criticizing them, and wanted to know more about her despite them.

She stared at Tracker. Once again looking deep into his eyes as she moved closer to him. The two close their eyes as their lips touch. Twilight felt a spark of magic run down her spine and her body began to heat up.

Whatever doubt she had before was evaporating quickly and she knew she only had a few second left before there was no going back. “Tracker. If we do this you can’t EVER tell anypony back home. Understand. Not until I tell you can at least. If word of this got out it would be devastating for both of us.”

Tracker placed his hand on Twilight’s cheek and brought her close to him. “I swear on my life Princess. Terik himself couldn’t drag the information out of me if he tried.”

Twilight leaned forward and the two embraced in another magic fueled kiss as they fell back on the bed.