"Moon." You pace with your phone. "Time for a new meeting, not about an emergency, but about getting ourselves together for a change."

"That is the definition of a meeting, yes," she retorted with a nice slab of dry humor. "Girl, what are you up to?"

"Ponies can be more. Put out the word, please."

"Yeah..." She doesn't sound convinced. "You saw them, very uninterested. Can't even get them to... What is your idea?"

"That's past a phone chat. Can you?" You settle on the couch and flop over. Nick doesn't complain as you prop your legs over him without asking. "If it goes well, we'll all be in a better place, and it isn't a physical thing, like getting random people to learn kung fu."

"Thank all the gods for that." She chuckles into the line. "Alright... I trust you, more the fool I am."

"Thank you. See you there." You click the phone to hang up. "I did my part."

Nick nods and casually pets your belly since it's available. "I called up a few. Now they have to play phone to get the others moving. You're being hush, which doesn't help this happen fast. Big events get ponies charging."

"A change of philosophy." You raise a finger. "That isn't what you advertise as a 'big event' like that. But, since we're on topic, do you know any other loyalty tricks? We need to stop hoarding them like dragons."

"You going to show me your tricks then?" He taps you on your belly.

"I showed you one."

"True." He sits up a little. "Mine is a little rougher. It's for when times get tough, but you know people are relying on you. You can keep fighting, even when you should be out of the fight."

You imagine that a moment. "That does go with the warrior slant you have. How does it work?"

"You really want to know?"

You frown up at him. "Look, when I went too far, I passed out and left it up to other people to finish, and some of them didn't make it. Yes, I'd rather stay ready, to help, to avoid that."

"Loyalty just got kindnessed," Nick laughs out. "Okay! If you really want it." So he goes over what he envisions, the manic rush, the desperate need to not let someone else down. "You can sleep when they're safe." That was the basic motto of the gift. "Get it?"

As he goes over it, something begins to make sense. "I can see how this would just not click with some. Moon would probably laugh this right off. This isn't her style, or the way she thinks."

"Laughing things off is her thing." Nick did not look sorry for his poor joke. "But, yeah, doubt it. What about you?"

"I understand it." You flex a hand powerfully. "Next time, I'm staying awake, and maybe less people have to leave us."

His hand finds yours, grasping gently. "I hope there isn't a next time. But, if there is, you'll be ready."

"Thanks for that." You bottle up that trick for later.

"So, which is it?"

"Hm?

He squeezes your hand. "Boy, girl, which?"

You go quiet a moment. "Well... If I'm honest with myself, I'm pretty comfortable how I am. Part of me feels like I'm just not either really, but more girl than not, for sure... Ponies knocked my man card in the trash and gave me a bedazzled lady card." You flex your fingers as if holding such a card. "And I like it."

"Good." He strokes your belly in one slow motion. "Will you be mad if I say I'm kinda glad you went that way?"

"A little?" You sit up, bringing your legs down off him. "You said it doesn't matter."

"I said I'd deal with it either way." He taps at your shoulder. "Because I'm not a jerk, and we're in it. I don't give up easily. That doesn't mean I have no preferences. But that also doesn't they mean much compared to you being happy in your own body. So, that first."

You have a loyal, and reasonable, boyfriend. "Alright, so, the meeting is pending... About Magic."

"What about it?"

"I want it." No mincing words there. "The virtue, not just another spell. Any idea who I can talk to about that?"

"The one that aught you magic in the first place, doesn't he know some?"

You think of Eager, bottled up in his little house. "I remember him. Steady Step. Worth a try." You stand up. "Can I have his address again? I didn't memorize it."

"Right now?!" Nick is watching you with amazement. "Seriously?"

"Is there a better time?" You get the address and head out to the car. "Be back soon, I think." He has your number, so you're never too far away. You drive off towards Eager Step's house. On a whim, you flick dreaming vision on.

"Hi!" Bright Spark is seated behind you with a big dragon grin. "Don't you already know magic?"

"I know magic, lowercase m. I want to know Magic, uppercase M, maybe with a k at the end? The real stuff." You adjust lanes smoothly. "There's a difference."

"Sounds fun." He leans against the back of your seat. "I don't know magic, with a capital or not... Maybe without an m? Agic? How's that?"

"You're the agicest dragon I know." He seems to enjoy your compliment. "Sorry I haven't had a lot of time to play."

"Are you kidding?" He hugs you from around the chair. "We've had way more time to play and talk than we used to! This is great! Besides, I want to help, not be in the way." He flicked his tongue out, like a snake tasting the air. "So you keep going. If I can help, let me know."

"Aw." Bright Spark was a good dragon, you're sure of that. "Time to visit the friend who showed me how to see you."

"Ooo. I'd thank them, but they can't see me." He leans in past your seat. "Can you show him how?"

Well... "I think I could... But it may upset the others if I go spreading that secret. That is their world."

"Poopy." He crosses his arms, shot down, but not raising a big fuss aside that.

You pull in in front of Eager Step's house. "See you later, Bright." He waves as your vision slides back into normality, removing him from your sight. You climb out of the car and head over to the house, knocking on the door. "You in there, Eager?"

It is quiet a moment, but you can hear steps not long after, coming closer. "If that's the pizza, put it down," comes muffledly through the door.

"It's me." You wave at yourself, though you aren't sure if he can see it. "Remember me?"

The door cracks open. "What are you doing here?" he asks through the small opening. "You know the basics."

"I want more than that, sorry. Got a moment to chat?"

The door closes. You can hear the rattle of locks and chains. The door opens. "Come in." He waves you inside and closes the door behind you, getting the locks and things in place.

"This is about Magic, capital M."

He turns and falls forward, hitting the ground on four hooves. "Really? Really?! I told you how dangerous it is... I don't want you to get hurt. You seem like a nice pony..."

You join him on hooves. Both of you have and enjoy the trick of having your clothes come with you. "Thank you for that, but I'm not doing this for drunken power."

"What are you doing it for then?" He looks you over curiously. "You feel... different. Getting comfortable with the pony life?"

"Yes, and more beside that." You offer a forehoof. "I've embraced Laughter, Kindness, Loyalty, Honest, and Generosity."

His eyes go uncomfortably wide. "You didn't... How long ago was that?! This isn't a speed run!" He stomps in place, caught somewhere between a delirious laugh and snorts of annoyance. "And now you want to finish the set?"

"That's the idea." You smile awkwardly as he closes, sniffing at you. "What?"

"You don't smell as crazy as most who ask this." He sits on his haunches. "Tell me, and be honest, why?"

"Why..." You cycle a hoof in the air. "Why do I want it?" He nods. "Because someone has to. Ponies are lost. Ponies are scared. Ponies are not being very good ponies. It's hurting us and the whole world while we're at it."

"Big talk." He points past you. "Where's Nick? Figured he'd be glued to your side. Figured you wouldn't want to leave him. It's hard to peel a kindness away from their 'thing'."

"One." You tap your hooves. "He's not a thing. Two, we're not kids. I can be away from him a moment." Even if a nice hug from him sounded kinda nice. "And he'd die of boredom watching two unicorns talk about magic."

"True..." He coiled away, glancing at his television before looking back. "Magic is a way of thinking. It's about reaching past your limits, as far as your will lets you go, and not being happy until there isn't anymore to reach."

"That sounds exceptionally dangerous..." You frown with the thought. "So, like the human wizards?"

"Exactly." He nods slowly. "Exactly... Look, I put a hoof in there, once." He reaches forward as if taking a step, but doesn't finish. "I saw it, and I backed away. Most sane unicorns do that. Still..." He deflated with a sigh. "If you're serious?" You nod quickly. "Then the best place to learn the root of magic would be the ones I told you to stay the hell away from."

"The human wizards?"

"The human wizards," he repeats flatly. "They can show you, or kill you, or make you wish for it or forget where it starts and ends." He shrugs with a nervous chuckle. "You really can't be sure... Look... I don't want you to be hurt."

You close with him, touching snout to snout. "I will be careful. I don't want to be hurt either."

"But you won't give up either?" You shook your head. "Figured... Figures..." He presses his hooves to the sides of his head, rubbing in slow motions. "You are the best and worst girlfriend I ever met. I don't know if Nick is blessed or cursed. Okay, look, I'm friends with two of them. Friends is in quotes." He makes quotes with his hooves. "I try not to be around them much, to avoid what comes with it... So, I present a choice. Take one." With a glowing horn, he pulled out two cards.

"Steve. Nice guy, loves his Playstation. Spends most of his days delving into the depths of the Internet and trying to change the world, one meme posting at a time."

Steady lifted the other card higher. "Pauline. Witch. I'm not even joking, she's a witch. Card-carrying wiccan that means it. She will sacrifice her period blood to old gods under a full moon. She will put hexes on people that cross her and she has a damn familiar." He lowered the card level with the first. "Those are your choices. Which are you going to entrust your mind, body, and quite literally your soul to? I'd love to say which is the 'best' option, but the best option is for you to turn around and go back where you came from. Kiss Nick and forget this whole thing."

He isn't making either option sound great. Still, if you wanted to get Magic, capital M, those are sounding like the most immediate options. Which to go with...?

Author's Note

Excitement can breed uncertainty. All the options looked good! Send up the pony signal, be ready with a snazzy speech, and look for magic, especially that last part. Let's do it!

Okay, time for a question that isn't multiple choice. Select your destiny.

Time to vote! Change, now they note, where applicable, what traits, if any, are sure to come up. Click here 👉https://forms.gle/c2uDAE7gaBCPoFnU6

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