The great and powerful confession spell
Magic is supposed to be helpful or so I thought. This was far from helpful. I was trapped in a room with a swarm of ponies trying to break in to see me. Of course it should be expected, as one who is as great and powerful as I am. But most ponies don't acknowledge it this much. Or at all really. This was the worst Hearth’s Warming I could think of.
This was going to be the best Hearth’s Warming ever. I should have thought of doing this years ago. Though years ago I didn’t have the feelings I felt. I was sure Starlight felt the same way. It was just a matter of getting her to confess.
Starlight showed all the signs of being in love with me. She brought me flowers once.
“Awww for me?” I said, taking them with gusto. The gusto was supposed to mean that you secretly like them a lot.
“Sure I guess,” she said, not looking up from her papers. She was probably too red- faced to look at me. “They were given to me by a student but if you like them that much…”
She glanced at me like a shy filly hoping a secret plan goes right. I pretended not to notice it.
“What a coincidence,” I said, “They just happen to be Trixie’s favorite color.”
“Well then you can take them,” she said it as cool as she could, but, as a trained performer, I could tell the difference.
I waited a little longer hoping she’d confess her feelings right then and there. But for whatever reason she didn’t. She must have chickened out. I kept the flowers in a special place inside my caravan.
Then there was Hearts and Hooves day. Starlight was up to something for sure. She looked like she was hiding something from me all day. Every time I tried to see what it was she turned quickly away and told me she had something to do.
Eventually I snuck into her office when she was away dealing with some crisis that couldn’t have anything to do with me. Sometimes smoke bombs do go off in the hallways without me throwing them.
But it gave me enough time to look for whatever she had hidden in the desk drawers. Most of them were filled with boring desk things, like pens and paper. But one drawer had a sack of chocolate covered cinnamon nuts. I could smell their sweet aroma filling my nose. I didn’t even know they were dipped in chocolate. This had to be my gift.
I decided to just taste one or two. I mean, who could resist chocolate and cinnamon? Definitely not me. A few hooffuls of spicy sweet goodness, and the bag was empty. At first I panicked. Starlight would definitely notice the next time she tried to give them to me. But then I remembered it was supposed to be mine anyway so there was no harm done.
Of course when she found the empty bag she’d probably freak out. But being a good friend I decided to write a little note so she knew I got them.
“Dear Starlight, This gift was delicious. Thank you for thinking of me.”
I waited for her to thank me for saving her from her own nerves but she never said anything. She never confessed her true feelings either. For a few moments I got the horrible feeling that they might have been for somepony else, but then remembered who would be better for her than the most powerful and greatest pony in all Equestria.
Since then I waited every day, dropping hints. She either never picked them up or got too nervous. It was beginning to get frustrating. But this holiday I pulled out all the stops.
I placed mistletoe in my wagon but she never came in the caravan. I kept hinting about a very special present I wanted her to have, which was me, she just needed to ask for it. But so far nothing.
It was time to use a tactic Starlight taught me herself. It was time to try magic.
Now I wasn’t as gifted as Starlight, Twilight or even Rarity’s little sister. But I did know a few things. Magic was like a recipe, all you needed to do was follow the steps right and bam it happened.
So naturally I found myself in Twilight’s castle looking for the right spell that would calm Starlight down and help her confess. That is until Twilight found me.
“Trixie!” she cried as if I was some pest. “What are you doing here?!”
“The great and powerful Trixie is working on a new act and needs a powerful spell to show her greatness once more.” It was the perfect cover.
“Why are you in the emotional spells section then?” Twilight’s eyes got really squinty. She started to trot towards me like a bull about to ram.
“Well Trixie knows the crowd will feel the real fear that this act produces. But she’s worried that some ponies can’t handle it so she’s looking for a spell to help those that struggle to still enjoy it.” It was a stretch but a very agile stretch.
“I don’t think you have the training to pull off something that complicated. It takes a lot of effort and time to cast a spell that subtle. If you lose control of it it could have the reverse effect and scare your crowd into a panic. Let me find you something at your skill level. ” She began looking through various spell books. Most of them had little colored tabs on their pages.
I backed away while she searched. Hopefully I could find something like what I needed quickly, before she noticed. That’s when I saw it. A book lying open on a pedestal with the spell, “Lover’s Courage.” That was it! Or at least it sounded like it.
I quickly took the book with my magic and placed it in my saddle bag. I was about to leave quietly when a hoof touched my shoulder. Did Twilight have eyes in the back of her head?
“Here’s one I think you could manage. It helps reduce anxiety a little but it only works on really small foals. If you can cast this then you can work your way up to the more powerful spells.” She pressed the book into my hooves.
“Subtle spells made simple?” I said, reading the title. It looked like it was written for foals. It had bright colors and each spell step was carefully laid out with pictures. The great and powerful Trixie didn’t need a foal book.
“Everypony starts somewhere. I know you haven’t had the same training with magic as most of us, but you can still learn. Practice this and I’ll have the next volume ready for you.” She actually sounded sincere. For a brief moment I wondered if she was actually trying to help me rather than mock my lack of skill.
“Thanks …” I took the book anyway. I doubted I’d use it but the thought behind it made me feel guilty just tossing her help aside.
I left with a few curious questions in my head about what Twilight truly thought of me. Perhaps she wasn’t as harsh a rival as I thought. I filed the thoughts in the back of my mind as I left the castle, I needed all my concentration for the real magic.
The spell was a complicated one. It had components, words and strange horn movements to perform all at the same time. But the wording clearly said it wasn’t some sort of love spell. It didn’t cause love in those that didn’t actually feel it. I didn’t want that. All it did was help those around feel that today was the best time to tell me their true feelings. It was like it was made for me.
I needed some time and practice but as a performer I could get the words and movements down easily. Mere hours of work was nothing to Trixie and the components seemed readily available.
I took a small moment to hope to the Hearth’s Warming spirits that I didn’t blow myself up somehow or hurt Starlight in some way. Then it was spell time! Holly in hooves I danced around, singing the incantation. It probably wasn’t exactly how the spell worked, but it was so catchy that singing made it easier. The horn movements matched the dance I came up with like the many steps I used to display my magical greatness in my shows.
The spell ended with the crushing of mistletoe onto my body. The magically enhanced smell would entice any pony with feelings for me to confess. I made sure it thoroughly coated me just to be sure. No way Starlight could avoid me this time. Any part of me she was near would help her feelings come to the surface.
I whirled around, letting the smell of mistletoe fill the air. Then I got ready for tonight’s big event, Twilight’s Hearth’s Warming festival. With any luck I could get Starlight to confess then sneak Twilight’s book back before she knew it.
Twilight’s hall was crowded as usual. It was going to be hard, getting close to Starlight this way. I made my way in with the rest of the herd, baring my special present for Starlight on my back. I got a few strange looks until I shifted away. They were probably intimidated by my power.
“You know,” a voice behind me said, “I think you look great in that hat, but your voice is really annoying.”
“Whaaa?” I whirled around to see the famous Big Mac standing behind me. Had he just called me annoying? He hardly ever spoke, why would say anything like that to me?
“You’re voice is fine ya just need to improve yer attitude. All that Trixie this an Trixie that.” Grannie Smith just said as if it was a fact. Were the Apples conspiring against me? What did I ever do to them? Was this another annoyance spell from Starlight?
“Actually I think yer quite attractive,” Applejack said, “Ain’t nothing a little work won’t fix. Get that lazy streak cured and we could definitely date.”
“You-you want to date Trixie?!”
“Sure ifin ya don’t mind some farm work and giving up living in a caravan.” Applejack winked and I backed away from the new suitor. I didn’t know what to think.
“Tr-Trixie will think about it,” I assured the tough farm mare. I had no idea Applejack would want somepony like me.. oh no… What if I did something wrong? Was the spell too strong?
“Meh, not really my type but I wouldn’t throw her out of bed,” Rainbow said offhandedly. I blinked in surprise. This wasn’t ponies confessing, well not all of them, this was ponies telling me how they felt about me. Did I misread the book?
“She got a young, scared, Ursa Major upset with her actions and boasts. She never apologized to it. It makes me so angry that she’s so indifferent to wildlife. ” Fluttershy stared at me as if I was a lowly roach. No, she would like roaches, less than a roach. Her eyes were cold and unforgiving. “I mean… I I could teach her to appreciate wildlife more. Heh heh, why did I say that…?”
I had to leave, I didn’t want to hear what everypony thought of me. I needed to find Starlight. The group followed, shouting various impressions of me. It was a nightmare. This wasn’t the Hearth’s Warming I wanted. I just wanted the pony I liked to confess.
I nearly ran over Twilight on my way out. She was blocking my way with a strange expression on her face. I couldn’t tell if she was angry at me or determined.
“Trixie,” she said, the vein on her head popping slightly. “I don’t know what you did, but you managed to mess things up again.”
“I don’t need a Twilight Sparkle lecture! I need to get out!” I was about to push past her but she placed her wings on me. It was a hug?!
“It’s not a lecture Trixie, I just needed to tell you. Something I should’ve told you long ago. I-I always found you attractive, frustrating but irresistible. I-I have to act annoyed and bothered because if I didn’t… I would want to kiss you and hold you. But I know you’re not into me…” Twilight’s hug loosened and her ears drooped. “I have a room you can hide in.”
She began to lead me with her wings while my mind froze in confusion. Twilight Sparkle liked me! What in Equestria?! I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. She led me to a room right off the great hall.
“Hide in here, and if things don’t go the way you hoped please consider me…” She opened the door and started pushing me inside.
“But everypony saw me go in!” The crowd had followed us the entire time. Twilight didn’t look phased but instead a little sad. It made the amulet incident feel so much worse.
She wordlessly shut the door and locked it. The crowd surged around, shouting out things I didn’t ever want to know. Especially the things Derpy thought of me. Who knew she thought like that?
I looked around the room. There was no escape except through the windows. It was nicely furnished with a few chairs and a large couch. The fireplace was lit and the room was filled with the same decor as the rest of the castle. It was cozy but the Hearth’s Warming cheer was lost on me.
I slumped on the couch while my many admirers or haters banged and shouted at the door. The worst part was Starlight wasn’t among them. All that work and I didn’t even find out how she felt. Maybe it was time to ask her myself.
I laid down on the couch and felt the cushions start to shift. “Yaaaa!” I cried as I hopped off. Was this Twilight’s idea of a joke? It looked like somepony was hiding in it.
“Trixie is that you?” the couch asked. I wasn’t sure I wanted to answer. Were couches and furniture going to tell me how they felt too?
“Uhh this night is just getting worse…”
“Trixie! It’s me!” The couch insisted, then I recognized the voice.
“Starlight? How did you end up a couch?!” What sort of magic was she trying now? And what part of her was I just sitting on?
“I’m not a couch! I’m hiding in the couch. Hold on.” The cushions flipped open like double doors and Starlight hopped out.
“Twilight told me to hide in here, guess she had it built in case of trouble.” She shook the lint off her coat and mane.
“Why were you hiding in the first place?” I helped pull some loose string from her ear.
“A spell didn’t work the way I expected. It was a disaster! I was hoping to wait for the effects to wear off.” I was kind of intimidated when I noticed how well she was dressed. It looked like she was ready for a date.
“What kind of spell?” Then I remembered my own plight. “Uhh you don’t happen to have anything you feel you need to tell me, do you?”
I started to back away, not certain I wanted to hear exactly how she felt. She looked at me with a strange look then burst out laughing. I couldn’t help but join her though I had no idea what was so funny. The relief of laughter was a gift that was best shared and it helped the fear I was holding on to.
“What’s so funny?” I asked as we wound down.
“I-I just realized you smell like mistletoe.” She chuckled.
“So? I happen to like the smell of mistletoe.” I crossed my forehooves. This was not the response she was supposed to give.
“Trix, I know that spell,” she looked at me with amusement in her eyes. Of course she would, she’s a magical genius.
“It didn’t work like you hoped, did it?” She sat on the couch she came out of. “Everypony started shouting all their feelings at you. Maybe a few ponies you didn’t expect confessed?”
“Did you watch the whole thing?! You didn’t try to help me at all?!” I would have never left Starlight in the middle of a crowd that was that honest. I haven’t seen one that honest before but if she was caught in the middle of it I would have tried to save her.
“No, I was hiding in the couch because that’s what they did to me after I cast the spell.” She looked a little red.
“You had a pony you wanted to confess to you too?!” I wondered who it could be. Was it Twilight? The thought of her made me cringe a little.
“I was hoping she would. I’ve kind of known her interest in me for a while.” She was getting redder by the minute. Who was this pony that loved Starlight so much? Did that mean I had no chance at all?
“Me too.” I said, trying to bluster myself up as usual.
“Was she as obvious as mine?”
“Well she did buy me chocolate covered cinnamon nuts…” I stood a little closer, pressing my claim.
“So it was you! You didn’t even let me give you them!” Starlight said with a laugh.
“Because I had to make sure you were on the same page as me! Also they were delicious.” I moved even closer. She didn’t back away.
“So you thought I would confess my feelings to you?” The unicorn stood lit by the firelight, making her look very warm and cozy.
“And you thought I would confess to you. Ha! Trixie needs to be sought!” She smirked when I said that. Hopefully it was a happy smirk and not an annoyed one.
“Of course you do, I should have known. It makes it hard to seek you if you eat the gifts I get before I can give them.” She moved a little closer, inches from my snout.
“Have to hide them better next time…” She was so close and so inviting looking. Maybe it was the spell or just something we’ve both been waiting for a long time.
Our lips met finally. It was all I hoped for. The warmth of the fireplace was nothing compared to the warmth of the love we felt. All that heat filled my body as we kissed. I thought for a moment I was going to explode. But if I did I would have died at one of the happiest moments I’ve ever known.
We returned to the couch, snuggling with each other in Hearth’s Warming bliss by the fire. The door would shake as potential suitors or haters had to shout their feelings for us but we barely noticed. Until the spell wore off and we escaped as stealthily as we could, finding a much more cramped Hearth’s Warming eve in the safety of my caravan.
