Lessons with the CMC had been going on for a while now. They insisted that they were on the verge of a breakthrough, but Gregory was beginning to worry that his humanity might be standing in the way. After all, he’d never demonstrated anything he’d perceived as true talent in his old life, as such things were seen as rare amongst humans. The queens assured him that such notions were absurd, as all humans had gotten their marks at some point, with some even having them immediately after transforming. Work was going well and he and Maud had been having a lot of fun. At Blueblood’s insistence, Gregory had been attending more local functions so he could interact with more ponies outside his inner circle. All in all, everything seemed to be going quite well, which made now the perfect time for a shakeup.

After a trip to Gregory’s room to tidy up one last time, the mare and her stallion departed for the city, chatting idly about this and that as they went while Gregory’s guard, Strong Hoof, followed silently behind. They perused various shops of interest, but never deviated from their course.

Gregory didn’t say anything, but he was slowly working himself into a small nervous wreck as they walked. His mind raced with uncertainty about this new mare and whether he and she would get along just because Maud seemed dead set on making a connection happen. Sensing his anxiety, Maud had to brush against his side several times to calm him down. It helped, but only a little. She also added that this date was meant to be all about him and this new mare, so he shouldn’t get too upset if she stayed quieter than usual.

Eventually they arrived at the outdoor café where Maud had made reservations. It was a quaint little restaurant with plenty of ponies wearing business casual attire, presumably to talk business. Strong Hoof was told to wait off to the side, where she could be vigilant and not kill the mood.

“So you have a lot of movies in the human world?” asked Maud, hoping to jumpstart the conversation.

“More than here,” Gregory replied. “Think the small household screens like Luna has for gaming, but they can also show films.”

“That’s pretty clever,” Maud noted. “I suppose you had one of these film screens.”

“We call it television, or TV for short, but yes. Just about every home in my country has at least one.”

“Why would you need more than one?” Maud asked skeptically.

“So that if people want to watch different things, they don’t necessarily have to fight over the one TV.”

“Sounds expensive.”

“It can be,” Gregory said with a shrug. “My house only had two. One in the game room, which was hooked up to all my games, and another in the living room, where the family would watch stuff together.” He went on to describe how television was also useful for news, historical documentaries, education, and so on. However, as he went on, he could tell that Maud was not pleased by the idea of a family just sitting around a screen all day and not talking to each other.

“Screens for films sounds interesting, but I don’t think I’ll want more than one in my house,” Maud deadpanned.

“Fair enough.” Gregory shrugged noncommittally. It wasn’t like household televisions were something they’d have to deal with any time soon. “By the way, how are things going with Canterlot U?”

“They’re going good,” Maud answered evenly. “So far everypony’s impressed with my credentials. While it’s near the end of the semester, I’m going to be shadowing one of the other professors to get a feel for the job.”

“I never doubted,” Gregory beamed. He was rewarded as Maud began playing hoovesies with him under the table, all while her trademark deadpan never wavered. “Ya know, the first time we met, I’d have never pegged you for the playful type.”

“Most don’t.” Maud scooted her chair around the table to have easier reach. “It’s kind of fun surprising ponies.”

“I’ll bet,” Gregory chuckled as he brought his unattended hoof into the mix. Things quickly escalated and their hidden war threatened to spill out from beneath the table cloth. Eventually the pair remembered that they were, in fact, adults, and decided to end their game on a tie and hold a tie breaker later. “On an unrelated note, you plan on telling me more about this mystery mare before we meet?” Gregory inquired.

“Probably not. I’d like you to be surprised. Why?”

“Oh, no reason,” Gregory said with a shrug. “You find this nice girl, date her for a little while, and suddenly learn that she’s seeing this other lady behind your back.”

“I’m not seeing her behind your back,” Maud protested flatly. “I told you that I wasn't sure and that I needed to do a bit more checking before I could get her ready. Even Luna backed me up that that’s a perfectly normal thing to do.”

Gregory scowled skeptically, not fond of how overly insistent Maud sounded. “Even so, why haven’t you told me more about her?”

“Because I already have,” Maud countered. “She’s a unicorn, works as a performer, is highly proficient in magic, has savory flanks, and while she might seem a little full of herself sometimes, she’s really fun to talk to. Also, I’m getting a strong feeling from her, the same that I got from you.”

Gregory frowned skeptically. “Fun how?”

“You’ll see when she arrives.”

“And you’re sure this is appropriate?” he asked, indicating his blue vest and dress slacks.

“Yes, plus you combed your mane. That’s more than enough for a first meeting,” she reassured. “And that’s all this is, a first meeting for you two to get a feel for one another. I’d much rather you see each other in your natural states, anyway. Besides, I told her about your clothing fetish and she said she’d wear something just to make you more comfortable.”

“It’s not a fetish!” Gregory argued for what felt like the hundredth time before sagging in his seat. He knew Maud was just trying to rile him up. “I just… This is important to you. I get that. I want to make a good first impression and not embarrass myself.” Especially not in front of a potential new wife.

“You’ll do fine,” she grabbed his hoof and stroked it reassuringly. “You two are going to love each other. I promise.” Maud assured, only to start waving someone over.

“Maud!” a mare greeted eagerly.

Gregory turned to face this new mare, unsure of what to expect from his possible new herd mate. She immediately stuck out of the crowd with her star spackled wizard’s hat and cape. Her fur was blue, her mane was silvery white, and her eyes were a dark violet. She galloped forward with an eager grin on her face, only to remember herself and slowed to a proud trot.

After standing and staring at the café for far too long, Trixie had finally worked up the nerve to just dive in. She’d quieted the voices in her head speculating about everything that could possibly go wrong and chose instead to focus on Maud and her words of encouragement. He won’t hate me, she repeated internally as she stepped forward, feeling the dampness in her pits.

Maud hugged the new mare tightly. “Hello, Trixie. How have you been?”

“Trixie must confess that she has been in a dire fluster all day,” Trixie bemoaned dramatically, grateful that Maud had either not noticed or had chosen to ignore the nervousness dampening her fur, and looked past Maud, meeting the eyes of the stallion beside her. Her heart was a flutter with anxiety. She’d been stressing about this meeting all day, but took another calming breath to maintain her composure. The last thing she wanted was to make a bad impression.

He approached beside Maud, offering his hoof as he appraised this new mare. From what he knew of the pony sense of aesthetics, she was definitely a looker. Her eyes were a dark violet that seemed to shimmer in the sun. He couldn’t make any judgments regarding her other facial features, but in terms of body she definitely seemed to have curves in all the right places. “Hello there. Trixie, was it?”

“The Gr-” Trixie began, only to think better of it as she offered her own hoof. “Er, yes. Trixie is the name; finest show mare in all Equestria. And you must be Gregory. Maud has told Trixie much about you.”

“That makes one of us,” Gregory said with a half-smile as he glanced at Maud. “She’s barely said a thing about you.”

“Do not fret, for it seems dearest has also been holding out on Trixie,” she said as her eyes crawled over Gregory’s form. “She failed to mention just how handsome you are.” While Trixie knew no stallion was immune to flattery, it was the truth that she liked what she saw. His curved horn looked especially enticing and exotic, causing her imagination to briefly drift to all manner of lewd scenarios before she reined her dirty in. And while his flanks were covered, she judged them to be at least adequate for getting the job done.

Gregory felt his cheeks turn hot at the mare’s compliment. “Well, she did have a few things to say about you.”

“Pray tell, what was it?” Trixie asked with subdued eagerness as they retook their seats.

Gregory leaned forward and whispered quietly. “I believe the words ‘flank’ and ‘savory’ were used.” He chuckled as his eyes went back to appraising. “Seems she wasn’t exaggerating.”

Maud’s face was as still as a stone, but on the inside she was smiling at Gregory’s forthrightness.

Now it was Trixie’s turn to blush. So far so good, she thought. “Speaking of which, Trixie just noticed that we three are the only ones to not have our flanks on full display.” She gestured to the surrounding ponies before pointing at her cape. “This is Trixie’s stage outfit, for bedazzling her audience with her marvelous magic.”

“Old family tradition,” Maud said flatly as she touched the collar of her frock.

“Old custom from back home,” Gregory added with a shrug.

“Ah yes. Trixie recalls that you are the infamous human all the nobility is talking about.”

“Infamous?” Gregory asked. “What makes me so infamous?”

“Impatient nobles, mostly.” Trixie rolled her eyes. “Trixie has heard rumors that they may soon prepare a formal petition to the crown demanding you ‘do your duty’,” she said using her hooves for air quotes, “or some such nonsense.”

“Oh,” Gregory groaned at the thought, only for Maud to rub his side gently.

“Truly a disgrace if true,” Trixie continued, watching his reactions carefully. “One would think the upper class would have class enough to not go around forcing themselves on stallions like that. But,” she sighed, “that is simply how their world works.”

Gregory grinned at the mare’s outlook. “You spend a lot of time with nobles?”

“Trixie should think so, as she used to be one,” she stated bitterly. “But one scandal too many and Trixie’s family was more or less ostracized after we had to sell the estate to pay off our debts.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Gregory offered. “That must have been hard.”

Trixie turned her nose up indignantly, but was unable to hide the blush on her face. The attention of a stallion was always something to be treasured. “It was… but Trixie does not want to ruin the mood. What’s past is past and Trixie would much rather talk of the future. For instance: can Trixie expect to see you both at her show tonight?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Maud stated certainly.

“What kind of show?” Gregory asked, hoping to bring up Trixie’s mood. “Maud’s told me a little, but I’m still curious.”

“It’s amazing,” Maud replied. “I’ve always thought that magic was beautiful, but most unicorns only use it as a tool. But Trixie,” she pointed, “has taken the mundane and turned it into a wonder.”

“Oh stop,” Trixie giggled. “You’re embarrassing me.”

“Me?” Gregory asked.

“Er… her. Trixie meant to say ‘her’.”

Maud leaned close to Gregory’s ear. “She breaks character when she gets excited.”

“Hmph!” Trixie huffed. “The Great and Powerful Trixie would kindly appreciate her secrets not being blabbed about so willy nilly.”

“Yes?” A crimson unicorn stallion asked.

“Pardon?” Trixie tilted her head in confusion at the intruding stallion.

“I’m Willy Nilly. Did you want something?”

“Oh,” Trixie blushed as Gregory chuckled and Maud gave a soft snort. “Trixie apologizes for the misunderstanding, but she was not referring to you.”

Willy scowled and flicked his head around in annoyance, likely having dealt with this particular misunderstanding before.

“Anyway,” Gregory resumed. “Anyone want to finally tell me about when Maud started seeing this new mare behind my back?”

“You didn’t tell him?” Trixie asked.

“I’ve been giving previews, but I figured you could tell the story better,” Maud deadpanned.

Trixie nodded, seemingly satisfied with this explanation and cleared her throat. “It all began a few years ago when Trixie was in a… rather poor state,” she admitted hesitantly. “She and her show were scorned by the masses and were driven out of most townships. Trixie had to take up work on a rock farm just to get by.” Her dower expression suddenly brightened as she looked to Maud. “That’s when Trixie first saw her.”

“I remember,” Maud added. “It was about midday and the sunlight reflected nicely off your sweaty body.” Involuntarily, or perhaps very deliberately, the earth mare licked her lips. “It was truly a sight to behold.”

Trixie shifted in her seat, growing rather bothered from the earth mare’s insinuations. It felt like fireflies had spontaneously teleported within her stomach, filling her with warm tingles. “In any case, a certain mare decided to sneak up on Trixie later that day. However, Trixie is quite accustomed to fans seeking autographs and wasn’t at all startled,” she boasted.

“Is that why you literally jumped out of your hat and cape?” Maud deadpanned while Gregory hid his chuckling muzzle behind his hoof.

Trixie coughed before continuing. “Anyway, Trixie had readied herself to answer what, at the time, she’d assumed were questions of an eager fan, only to be further surprised when her knees began to quake at what she beheld.” She gazed at Maud with a soft smile for a moment. “I don’t know if it was the fading light of the setting sun, or some other trick, but Trixie found herself thinking this earth mare to be oddly enchanting.”

“I remember,” Maud said with a nod. “You had your mouth hanging open, so I had to close it for you. Didn’t want birds making a nest in there.” The corner of her mouth twitched, threatening to turn up into a smile. “After that…” she trailed off.

“After that…” Gregory repeated after a prolonged silence of the mares just staring at one another. The look they shared spoke of some deep history and he almost felt bad for interrupting. Even so, he was curious to hear the rest of the story.

A waiter came by to take their orders.

“After that,” Maud continued, “I asked her to dinner the next day.”

“This mare of yours is quite the charmer. After a hard day’s work, we would spend hours just talking and reveling in one another’s company.” Trixie giggled at the memory, only to resume frowning. “If only Trixie had been in a better state of mind at the time, she might not have been so…” She waved her hoof in search of the right words.

“Obsessed,” Maud finished.

Trixie flinched. This subject was exactly the sort of thing she’d been hoping to avoid. Thankfully Maud was keeping her word to let the unicorn tell her story in her own time. “A fair enough explanation. You see, Trixie simply couldn’t stop thinking about this one mare she’d been blaming for Trixie’s predicament and, well, it really brought down the mood.”

“I wish I’d stuck with you, though,” Maud said. “I could have helped you with your problem.”

Trixie brightened at the mare’s words. “Trixie appreciates the sentiment, but your parents were right. That was something Trixie needed to work through on her own. Now she’s made amends with this mare, all is forgiven, and Trixie’s show is back and better than ever. And as an added bonus, three weeks ago Trixie spotted a certain familiar mare in her audience.” She wagged her eyebrows at Maud.

“I couldn’t take my eyes off her,” Maud interjected. “We’d talked about it before, but seeing her show was something else. Never in all my years had I seen magic used for such spectacle.”

Trixie giggled a bit. “Yes, well, Trixie was beginning to have her suspicions as the show went on. Each time there was a pause to allow the audience to announce their approval, Trixie would inevitably find herself staring at this entrancing gray mare. It proved terribly distracting as Trixie repeatedly caught herself thinking about this mare instead of focusing on her act.”

“Sorry again,” Maud said. “I didn’t mean to.”

“Lier,” Gregory accused with a smirk and turned to Trixie. “Trust me when I say this mare is never sorry to be a distraction.”

“Well that explains a lot,” Trixie said as she and Gregory shared a laugh. “In any event, the show concluded and Trixie managed to meet up with this mare once more. This time it was Trixie who asked her out, for old time’s sake. We must have spent half the night catching up,” she sighed in fond remembrance. “After that, we just sort of picked up where we left off.”

“I’d say we didn’t actually pick up until a week later,” Maud corrected flatly, earning an extra flustered look from Trixie.

Gregory glanced between the two mares until it clicked in his head. “You didn’t…”

“Didn’t what?” Trixie asked.

“Have sex,” Maud answered flatly, fixing her gaze on Gregory. “And yes we did.”

Trixie tilted her head in confusion. “Of course we did,” she stated matter-of-factly. “We’re two mares courting. Why wouldn’t we?”

Maud raised a hoof. “This is a culture gap issue,” she explained to Trixie. “Humans are monogamous, so they spend a lot more time courting to make sure they’re compatible with their lovers. Also,” she turned to Gregory, “I thought we already discussed that part.”

Gregory pursed his lips at Maud. “We did, but I guess I’m still coming to terms with my lady having a thing for other ladies. That’s just not the sort of thing that’d happen on earth.”

“Oh,” Trixie nodded in understanding. “Well, in Equestria, we understand that everypony has needs, and so are much more open about fulfilling those needs,” she lectured like a professor to her students, only to break character and succumb to a fit of giggles. “To surmise for a public audience,” she glanced around, “let us say that it was a highly satisfying experience all around.”

“Agreed,” Maud said flatly, though her tail had a slight wag to it.

Dinner was delivered. Gregory had a shrimp quesadilla, because fish was part of the pegasi’s diet and deemed socially acceptable for general consumption. Maud had something impronounceably French sounding which just looked like a simple brown soup that she dropped a moderately sized rock into… for flavor. Trixie had a simple carrot soup. The trio began eating as conversation continued.

“Speaking of which, Trixie is most intrigued to learn more of humans.”

Gregory had been waiting for this. “Why don’t you tell me what you’ve already heard and we can go from there.”

“Very well. Forgive Trixie if she sounds ignorant, for she knows she’s relying primarily on rumor.” She cleared her throat. “Humans hail from the world of Earth, which holds a striking similarity to Gaia, where we are now, in terms of geography. You have continents, deserts, oceans, and all the same biomes. However, your lands are terribly wild, with nature tending to itself and having a terrible tendency of being harsh with those who trespass.”

“All good so far,” Gregory agreed.

Trixie puffed out her chest proudly. “As for humanity, you are a race of contradictions. Your history is layered with many great pacifists and just as many warriors. You still had slavery until not too long ago, just as the tribes of old before the Exodus. At the same time, so many of you champion the notions of freedom and self-determination. You are also frightfully aggressive with your ideals, willing to kill in the name of peace.”

Gregory scowled and Maud rubbed his hoof beneath the table. She knew this was going somewhere uncomfortable, but wanted to see how these two dealt with it on their own.

“Not that Trixie has any intent of passing judgement for such things,” the mare insisted. “Humans are without magic, so it would be most unfair of Trixie to pass judgment for how your race had to struggle in such a harsh environment. Carrying such prejudices, especially judging an individual for the deeds of their distant ancestors, is the sort of backwards thinking that led to the Exodus in the first place. Given Trixie’s own past,” she murmured, “she especially is in no position to pass judgment on the handsome stallion before her.” She finished, meeting Gregory’s eyes with a hopeful look.

Gregory sighed in relief. “Not to pass judgement of my own, but you, my dear,” Gregory gestured to Trixie, “just exemplified what makes ponies so awesome.”

Trixie’s cheeks colored darkly. “T-truly?”

Gregory nodded. “So I think I’ll follow your example and not judge the pretty blue unicorn for whatever might have happened in the past. If Maud says your past it, then Gregory believes her.” Maud gave a subtle smile. “Besides,” he sniffed, “Gregory likes the smell of Trixie’s perfume.”

Blinking, Trixie snapped her head to face Maud. “Your stallion certainly has a way with words,” she tittered.

“He has his moments,” Maud sighed appreciatively, glad that these two were getting along. A semi comfortable silence followed as the trio ate until Maud remembered something Trixie had once mentioned. “Trixie. Didn’t you once tell me that you liked video games?”

“A bit of a guilty pleasure,” Trixie admitted. “Trixie travels a lot, but she always makes time for the local arcade if the town has one.”

“I actually haven’t been to any arcades,” Gregory said with a smile, happy at the common ground. “But I have a friend with her own Neigh Station. We game almost every day.”

“Only almost?” Maud asked with a hint of judgement in her tone.

“Really?” Trixie leaned forward excitedly. “What games?”

“Human games, actually,” Gregory said proudly. “I played a lot back on earth, so I gave the descriptions to Neigh Station and they’ve been sending us the betas to test. I’m honestly impressed with how close they are to the originals. What are your thoughts on war games?”

“Pathetic,” Trixie said with a roll of her eyes. “Many have interesting concepts, like the queens disappearing and Equestria descending into civil war, but the executions are just weak. It’s like the game makers have never so much as been in a scuffle, or read a book on war.”

“Not a problem for us,” Gregory snorted. “This one game we’ve been playing a lot is set in the distant future where humans have colonies on many distant worlds. However, they’re under attack by a religious alliance of aliens bent on our extermination. The first game starts with a lone human ship, space ship,” he emphasized to Trixie’s wonder, “discovering an ancient alien artifact, an artificial ring world called Halo.”

Trixie had to shake herself back to full consciousness. “Now that’s a game, at least in theory. How does it play?”

“As one of the most successful and popular franchises of all time. You’ve got a variety of weapons and vehicles you can use. The different species of alien all behave differently, requiring different strategies for each. The environments are beautiful and dynamic, the characters are really interesting, and the plot has this twist about half way through which I once read was what elevated the game to its current status because of how compelling it was.”

“A plot twist?” Trixie asked eagerly.

“Want me to spill?”

“I… no,” she relented. “She shouldn’t. Trixie will play the game and discover this twist on her own time.”

“Not in an arcade you won’t,” Gregory added. “This kind of game is really best for a home console.”

“Foey!” Trixie pouted. “Those are just too expensive.”

“If you like, while you’re in town, I could ask my friend to let you play with us?”

Trixie’s ears perked up. “Really? That would be wonderful!”

Maud gave a soft groan, despondent that her new date was just as much a gamer as the old one. She hoped to have better luck with the next one, but begrudgingly counted this as a win. At least they’d found common ground.

The remainder of lunch was largely taken up with Gregory and Trixie talking about games, with the latter enthralled by what Gregory described. Maud tolerated it, glad for the bonding, though she wished they could talk about something else. Eventually she got her wish when Trixie started talking about the different kinds of crystals that went into making a Neigh Station console or an arcade game. Maud was all too happy to contribute her geological expertise to the conversation.

After dinner, Trixie led her dates to a large cart in one of the city forums. She welcomed them in where Gregory was impressed to find that the inside was noticeably larger than the outside. Trixie, pleased to impress, explained that it was a fairly common - if advanced - pocket dimension spell. It was a gift from Trixie’s youth that, after her family’s fall from grace, she had repurposed for her needs as a performer. The stallion was pulled from his fascination with the many gears and levers by Maud. Instead she had him join her and Trixie in the dressing room, where the blue mare went to great lengths to give her VIP guests an entertaining pre-show, mostly involving strip teases and rump shakes.

After finishing with last minute adjustments, Trixie’s cart opened up into a full stage with a considerable audience assembled out front. They cheered and nickered when Trixie appeared in a burst of smoke, followed by a flurry of fireworks. After a brief disclaimer that her show was strictly for entertainment purposes, Trixie began wowing the audience with tales of her fictional exploits, complete with intricate illusions to bedazzle and awe.

Maud and Gregory were no less enthralled from their spots in the front row.

“This part’s new,” Maud whispered and pointed at the illusion.

Trixie had just come to the part where she, the daring hero, had ventured into the cave of the ursa major to save a pair of kidnapped ponies. The illusion of the kidnapped earth mare struck what Gregory assumed to be a sexy pose at the sight of her savior, proclaiming her undying love as her ridiculously large teats bounced all over the place. The kidnapped unicorn stallion, his mane flowing with the same ethereal magic as the queens’ and a jaw that looked more chiseled than Blueblood’s, stood tall and valiant by the earth mare’s side as he offered words of encouragement; mostly regarding how sexy their savior was.

“Self-insert fanfiction,” Gregory whispered back at Maud. Even so, he couldn’t deny he liked the way Trixie made them look.

The battle with the ursa major was, admittedly, a little anti-climactic as hero Trixie vanquished it with a single spell. Gregory would have commented as much, had the illusions not pounced on one another in a flurry of cartoonish flailing body parts. While difficult to make out exactly what was happening, the sound effects left no doubt.

“Is this appropriate to show in public?” Gregory asked, gesturing to a little colt sitting atop a large stallion’s shoulders, as well as the fact that the stallion was starting to poke from his sheathe.

“Don’t worry,” Maud reassured, not tearing her eyes from the show for too long. “Everypony knows it’s just a show. Nothing’s happening, so there’s no harm.”

Concluding that Equestria, with its culture of clothing optional ponies, had never known the corrupting influence of anything like the Puritans or FCC, decided to roll with the punches and just enjoy the show.

The show wrapped up and satisfied customers filed in an orderly manner up to the stage where they deposited their payment. Apparently Trixie’s show was free and the audience was encouraged to pay only if she gave a satisfying performance. After the last happy customer offered her donations, Trixie was met with embraces from her dates, congratulating her for a fine performance. In the end, they parted ways in silent agreement that the date had gone well.

Author's Notes:

And so we are introduced to the Great and Powerful Trixie as a potential addition to the herd. She has a past she’s not proud of; one Maud is aware of but willing to forgive. Gregory is happy to meet another mare willing to talk games with him, and is quite taken with her charms. Good start so far.

Oh, and wow. Seems I finished the first draft of this baby all the way back in 2016. Really been neglecting this one, huh. Sorry for the immense delay, folks. I'll try to do better next year.