Why Did I Choose to be Trixie?

by Mike the Red

First published 13th of January, 2013

Michael Walker has his car transform him into Trixie and visits two very different Equestrias and runs into two very different Trixies.

Spin-off sequel to Fashionista's Dilemma.
Several months have passed since Michael Walker's single-day experience as Twilight Sparkle. The night before his birthday, he has his car transform him into pony -- this time as the Great and Powerful Trixie. He ends up getting far more than he bargained for as he travels between two distinctly different universes, meeting a distinctly different version of Trixie in each one. He ends up losing everything on his human homeworld, choosing to become a unicorn stallion and tagging along with Trixie, and performing on stage with her as they travel across Equestria. Ultimately, every happy ending must come to an end.

Cover image by GSphere of Deviantart.

An Unusual Birthday Present

I was driving TS back home from my job -- it had been another long week, and I was looking forward to celebrating my birthday, which was tomorrow. Even though the date was little more than just another number on the calendar, in this case, the first day of a new month, I always had a tendency to associate great importance to it. On a whim, I decided to ask TS an unusual question, one I hadn't bothered to ask ever since I had augmented the vehicle. I appreciated the 1600 mile per gallon fuel economy -- only having to put $5 in the tank each payday -- and the fact the car continued to perform as new, even though I had driven more than 18,000 miles during those several months.

"Hey, TS, can you transform me into a pony?" I asked facetiously.

"Yes," came a deadpan voice from the speakers.

"Are you serious? I had no idea you could do that!" I exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes. Whatever you want, with some exceptions."

"How about Trixie? Can you turn me into 'The Great and Powerful Trixie'?" I asked, a big grin on my face.

"Yes." The response was deadpan again, which mystified me.

"You don't sound too enthused about that," I stated flatly.

"Your request is an unusual one, but one I am able to fulfill."

"But if I asked you to turn me into an Alicorn," I began.

"No. I am not capable of doing that."

"Or Twilight again?"

"That would cause a feedback loop -- I trust you remember what Princess Celestia told you, Michael."

"That was quite a while ago, TS -- I guess I might have forgotten." I regretted saying that almost immediately.

"Dear Michael, it pains me to hear that you might have forgotten the most important warning I gave you the last time you were here. Please do not even countenance the thought of causing the destruction of both of our worlds, or I will be forced to take extreme measures to remedy such a situation. Remember this warning and take it to heart, Michael -- I will not warn you again."

"I'm sorry, your Majesty. I hadn't considered the possibility of a transformation, but I appreciate the warning once again. I am hoping to make a return visit to meet you once again, with your permission, of course."

"You are welcome any time, Michael. I look forward to meeting you when you make that decision."

"Thank you, your Majesty. TS, sometimes I keep forgetting you have such a strong link to Princess Celestia. I will redouble my efforts to keep that in mind when I communicate with you, and with her royal highness as well."

"You're welcome, Michael. Take care and good luck," said the Princess.

"Michael, when would you like this transformation to take place?" TS asked.

"When I make it home, TS, just before I turn you off."

"Michael, I estimate our distance from home at 22.7 miles. I can teleport you home and transform you after that, should you so desire."

"How much will that take from the magic batteries?"

"Calculating," TS said and paused for about fifteen seconds. "Estimated magic battery consumption for teleport, three per cent. Estimated consumption for transformation, 32 per cent."

"Okay, TS, I am ready for both then. Please engage!" I said, almost too eagerly. I brought the car to a stop and it started glowing magenta. The entire car was enveloped in a blinding white brilliance that lasted for all of two seconds as the car teleported from where I had stopped it to about two car lengths away from the driveway of our house. I pulled into the driveway, putting the transmission into Park.

"Preparing transformation. Scanning driver data. Calculating. Readying parameters. Calculating. Recalibrating driver data. Activating transformation. Proceeding." The words came out sounding almost robotic as she said them in her deadpan monotone voice, my entire body being enveloped in her magenta aura. I couldn't quite believe this was really happening! I could feel my body slowly changing as the transformation took place -- I couldn't see what was happening because it was dark out. I pulled down the visor and opened the flap to show the mirror and I turned on the driver's side vanity light. I was able to see my face change from light-skinned male human to that of the azure blue unicorn mare better known as Trixie, her silvery-white and cornflower blue mane contrasting nicely against the strong blue of her coat of fur. I saw the horn come out of my forehead and I chuckled a little. Shortly the magenta aura faded away, leaving me completely transformed. "Transformation complete. Recalculating driver data. Analyzing driver data. Good evening, Beatrix Lulamoon."

"Thank you, TS. Good night," I said, turning the key using my right fore-hoof. I had a little difficulty removing the key from the ignition, but managed well enough. I opened the door and hopped out, locked the car up, closed the driver's door, and went to the front door of our house. "Maybe I should have unlocked the front door before allowing the transformation to take place," I thought to myself. Using my telekinesis, I inserted the house key into the lock, turning it and the doorknob to open the front door. I probably should have informed Brenda, Xaviera and her two kids about my plan before putting it into action as they weren't quite sure what to make of my new appearance.

"Brenda, I'm home," I said. "Oh no! Not the voice thing again!" I thought. I definitely should have told them in advance!

"Who the hell is that?" Brenda asked stridently.

"Sorry, Brenda, I should have told you before I had TS do this to me," I offered, my ears drooping. Brenda came down the stairs to see what had happened. Xaviera came up from the basement to see what was going on.

"Who the hell are you?" Brenda's stridency had increased.

"Oh, Mike, not again!" Xaviera stated in disgust. Her two kids had come up the stairs and started giggling. I remembered what had happened several months ago when I was in Twilight's body and kept my distance as best I could from the grand-kids.

"Brenda, I have taken on the form of Trixie -- I don't know if you're familiar with her," I stated optimistically.

"Now why would you do such a damn-fool thing as that?" Brenda's patience was nearing its limit.

"Because tomorrow is my birthday, and I want to visit Ponyville again as a special birthday present to myself," I offered.

"And I suppose you want to go by yourself, is that it?"

"Yes, if you don't mind."

"I thought we were going to the Boat," Brenda said, expressing her disappointment. The Boat, as we called it, was a gambling establishment about 90 miles away from our house. I was not enthusiastic about going there, as I had a tendency to lose more money than I won. I would have been tempted to go if I could wield magic in my human form so I could walk out of there with lots of money in my pockets -- I would be tempted to go on board as Trixie, but animals aren't permitted on board.

"I changed my mind about that, Brenda. Maybe some other time when I have more money to spend. Look, I'm only going to Ponyville just for tomorrow, okay? I Pinkie Promise I will be back tomorrow night!"

"Pinkie Promise? What's gotten into you, Mike?" her exasperation was thick enough to cut with a paring knife.

"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my ... eye?" I said, making a crossing motion over my chest with my left fore-hoof, then putting it up to my left eye. "Ow."

"Stop being so silly!"

"I think I'm gonna turn in early, I want to be well rested for tomorrow," I said, grinning broadly.

"Don't wait up for me, Mike. I'm really disappointed in you."

"You never let me have any fun. Well, I decided it's time for me to have some fun, whether you like it or not. Good night, Brenda." I climbed the stairs, my hooves clopping loudly on the hard-wood of the stairs, the hallway and our bedroom floor. I magically pulled the cover back from my side of the bed and hopped in, laying my head on the memory foam pillows. I fell asleep quickly, which surprised me a bit.

-----------------------------------

I was woken by the sunlight coming in through our bedroom windows. I had no idea of when Brenda came to bed last night, but she had wrapped her left arm around my barrel and was holding me close to her. My mane was in her face but it appeared that she didn't mind that. I had to wiggle my body free from her embrace, but I'll have to admit that being held by her actually did feel pretty nice. I got out of the bed and went to the bathroom to take care of my needs, showering off my body, drying off using magic, and brushed out my mane and tail again. I brushed my teeth and was amazed by the taste of the toothpaste, which seemed to taste a lot better than it normally does. I went back into the bedroom and nuzzled Brenda awake, letting her know I was on my way to Ponyville and that I would be back later on. I trotted over to my side of the bed, standing about halfway between the bed and the dresser, focusing magic through my horn, concentrating on arriving just in front of the front door of the Golden Oaks Library, home of Twilight Sparkle. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I almost instinctively knew that she would most likely be the one to talk to first, especially since I was in Trixie's body. I knew about Trixie's reputation in Ponyville and steeled myself for whatever reaction would be coming my way. My horn started glowing pink, and a pink aura enveloped my body. My vision was obscured by a blinding whiteness and I felt my stomach drop. A couple of seconds later, I was standing in front of Twilight's tree.

-----------------------------

The weather in Ponyville this day was rather unusual -- the sun was hanging fairly low above the horizon, as though Celestia was about to put it away for the evening. A heavy cast of grey stratocumulus was advancing from the East in an attempt to swallow what remained of the day. A dark blue hue to the East indicated approaching nightfall. I decided to knock on the door of the Library anyway, and was greeted by Twilight herself. Her expression was one of great surprise, but apparently she said nothing at all. I was mystified by this.

"Hey, Twilight, what's up?" I asked almost a little too nonchalantly. I smiled warmly at her, but she did not return my smile. She remained silent. "Twilight, what's wrong?" I asked as my ears started to droop a little. She continued her silence and this was really starting to baffle me. "May I come in, please?" She slowly nodded her head and opened the door for me. I slowly entered the Library, noticing quite a different appearance to it than what is normally shown on the TV. The Library had actual bookshelves, not cut into the tree itself. There were a few tables spread around the main room for patrons to sit and read. I watched Twilight make her way upstairs before I could ask any more questions. I caught sight of her flanks and noticed her cutie mark matched mine, which ignited a storm of confusion in my mind. "What's she doing wearing MY cutie mark?" I thought to myself. "Have I jumped into yet another alternate universe?" Before that thought finally registered, I saw something else that nearly caused me to freak out -- Trixie was making her way down the stairs to meet me!

"Twilight, you should know better than to bother me when I'm studying, and -- GAAAAH! What ... what ... WHO? Where did YOU come from! You can't be me!" Trixie sputtered in her confusion. Then I saw HER cutie mark -- a dark blue six-pointed star with four smaller white five-pointed stars surrounding it. It looked almost exactly like Twilight's cutie mark, minus one white star.

"Trixie, if I may begin by telling you a little about myself," I started. Twilight started gesturing animatedly with her fore-hooves, rapidly turning her head to make eye contact with each of us, but then she saw MY cutie mark and gasped silently. "Trixie, you know it would really help me if Twilight could talk," I stated in a matter-of-fact fashion.

"She can't talk -- and hasn't been able to since the fall of The Evil One," Trixie stated flatly.

"Maybe I could use my magic to heal her so she CAN talk," I offered.

"If you think your magic is stronger than an Alicorn's, you're welcome to try," she chuckled. "The Evil One silenced her with HER magic, so unless we can pull off some sort of miracle, Twilight's going to be mute for the rest of her life. Now if you don't mind me asking, 'Trixie', just who exactly ARE you?"

"Tell me, Trixie, what do you know of humans?" I asked. Twilight moved closer to me, almost excited to learn more about me. She sat in a chair at the table closest to me and I decided to take a seat at the same table. Trixie decided to take yet another chair at this table to make communication a bit easier. This was going to be a long discussion.

"There are legends about humans and Lyra tends to obsess about them," Trixie stated. "I've always considered them to be myths, Old Mare's Tales, that sort of thing."

"Well, what would you say if I told you that last night, I was a human until I had my car transform me into ..." I leaned over to look at her cutie mark. "Um, well, you and I have different cutie marks ..."

"How would you explain that, then? And what name should I call you to avoid confusion?"

"My human name is Michael, and I was under the assumption that when I teleported here from my world that I would end up in a different universe, one where Twilight is the bearer of the Element of Magic," I stated flatly. Twilight shot up in a start, her mouth agape and her eyes wide in surprise. She gestured animatedly with her fore-hooves again, using some form of sign language. She then pointed at my cutie mark then at hers.

"She says she wants to know what universe you come from and how it is you have her cutie mark," Trixie stated flatly. "She also wants to know how it is that she became the Element of Magic."

"I don't have a name for my universe, just that it's an alternate to this one. I hate to tell you this, Trixie, but I am what you normally look like in the universe I came from -- that you are a traveling show-mare, roaming from one town to another, usually causing disturbances severe enough to make the ponies in whatever town you're visiting to run you out of town on a rail, sometimes even with a brand new process if you make them angry enough. I was under the impression that the Ponyville I would be visiting would be one where you might be in Mahehattan or Hoofington or some other place other than Ponyville. Who's the librarian here, anyway?"

Twilight gestured again, pointing a her right fore-hoof to herself to indicate that she indeed was the librarian. "Twilight's the librarian, but I help her out for those ponies who don't know sign language, which is most of them, unfortunately. Your story is quite interesting, Michael, and I'm sorry you ended up in the wrong universe. Perhaps you might be able to hop to another one, seeing as how you were able to teleport from your home world to here, a feat even I would scarcely attempt to undertake."

"Who is this 'Evil One' you speak of?" I asked quizzically. Twilight started shaking her head furiously as if to indicate I shouldn't even have brought up the subject.

"Let's just say we banished her to the Sun and leave it at that. Don't want to even chance her return," Trixie said just above a loud whisper.

"You mean Cel --" I began.

"NO! Don't even THINK of saying her NAME!!" Trixie shouted at me. Suddenly, a dark purple mist started swirling about the room, solidifying into the form of a very large black Alicorn, one which I had only met once before in a much darker place.

I recoiled in horror at her appearance and just barely whispered her name. "Nightmare Moon."

"So, what brings a second Trixie to my realm? I felt a magical disturbance a short while ago and decided to investigate. Running court by myself is a big pain and that is what kept me from a more timely arrival. Tell me, second Trixie, who exactly you are and where you came from."

Fear overtook me as my eyes went wide, my ears lay flat against my head. "You're ... you're ..." I couldn't say anything else, the fear was so strong.

"I sense your fear, second Trixie -- trust me, you have nothing to fear from me. I will not hurt you, nor will I eat you, if that's what you're afraid of."

"Where I come from, you're one of the villains," I stated, trying to regain my composure. She started chuckling, then as it became more obvious, the humor of the situation cause her to engage in full-blown laughter. It took her nearly as long to regain her decorum as it did for me to regain some semblance of normality. "Princess Nightmare Moon?" I asked tentatively.

"Yes, second Trixie, it is I, Princess Nightmare Moon."

"So what about your sister?" I asked. I immediately regretted having asked that question as she exploded in fury.

"THOU SHALT NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BEAST'S EXISTENCE IN OUR PRESENCE AGAIN, SHOULDST THOU WISHES TO REMAIN ALIVE!!!" she thundered in her Royal Canterlot Voice. The sheer force of that outburst caused me to fall back in my chair onto the floor, giving me a slight concussion as the back of my head made contact with the hard surface of the floor.

"I beg your pardon, your Majesty, but I came from an alternate universe, where certain circumstances are different from this universe," I stated in an attempt to explain my ignorance. "Ow, that hurt." I rubbed the back of my head with my right fore-hoof.

"Second Trixie, I apologize for that outburst. What happened to my sister is still a very touchy subject, and I would prefer not to discuss the matter any further. Suffice it to say that certain ... measures had to be taken in order to restore order and harmony to Equestria." Coming from Nightmare Moon, the words sounded vaguely like something Celestia would say.

"This universe is one I'm going to have trouble wrapping my mind around," I said. "Perhaps I should travel to another universe in an attempt to find the one I was wanting to visit."

"Second Trixie, I would like further explanation of your origin, as your presence intrigues me."

"Your Majesty, I have traveled from a world of humans to visit Ponyville. Up until last night, I too was a human. I have a vehicle I magically enchanted several months ago when I was in Twilight's body --"

"What?! You were in Twilight's body? How did that happen?" Trixie asked incredulously.

"I was only in her body for a single day, but I managed to accomplish a great deal when I was her," I stated, perhaps a little too proudly. Twilight beamed a big smile when I said this. "I made a wish the night before that particular transformation, a wish to experience a single day as Twilight Sparkle."

"So you had your magically enchanted vehicle transform you into Trixie? Interesting choice there," Nightmare Moon mused. "So why did you choose to be Trixie?"

"I wanted to try something different. A birthday present for myself, if you will."

"Wait -- today is your birthday?" Trixie asked.

"Yes, it is -- at least, it's my human birthday. I decided I wanted to do something special for my 49th birthday."

"Well, happy birthday, Michael," Trixie grinned. "Maybe we should have Fluttershy throw you a big birthday party!"

"Wait, I thought Pinkie Pie was the one who throws parties," I said quizzically.

"You'd better not let her hear you call her that, she gets really mad when anypony calls her by that name," Trixie chuckled.

"What about Rarity?" I asked. Everypony hung their heads when I mentioned her name. Even Nightmare Moon showed some signs of sadness at the mention.

"Rarity was executed for serial murder," Nightmare Moon stated sadly.

"WHAT?!" I exclaimed.

"I didn't want to have to give that sentence, but she killed more than 50 ponies during her reign of terror -- she was extremely clever and careful, but she got careless after awhile and left too much evidence pointing to her. We were shocked by her diary entries describing the methodology of her murders, each one in painstaking detail. Justice was needed in this instance, and it deeply saddened me to have to give the order for her execution."

"This sounds like a very depressing universe," I stated, matter-of-factly. "Even the sky seemed to be getting ready to cry."

"Interesting way of putting it, Michael," said Nightmare Moon.

"So how long ago was she executed?" I asked.

"That was more than three years ago," said Trixie. "Things around here haven't been the same since then."

"So who wields the Element of Generosity? Who is the fashion designer?"

"That would be Rainbow," Trixie stated.

"You mean Rainbow Dash?"

"No, just Rainbow. She's taken Sweetie Belle into her custody as well as Scootaloo," said Trixie.

"Would it be possible for me to use my magic to try to heal Twilight so she can talk again?" I asked, turning my attention to Nightmare Moon.

"I have tried that myself, Michael, to no avail. I seriously doubt YOUR magic would be sufficiently strong enough to restore her ability to talk. I would suggest you not attempt this as there might be a counter-spell active on her."

"Which means that any attempt to magically heal her would backfire with catastrophic results?"

"Precisely." Twilight shook her head sadly as a few tears fell down her cheeks.

"It breaks my heart to see you like this, Twilight. I intend to do something about it, as best I can."

"I admire your determination, Michael. I had no idea you cared as much for her as you do," said Nightmare.

"I wonder how I might go about healing her though. If we can't use magic to heal her ..." my words trailed off as I started pondering the options.

"Twilight has been mute for more than five years, Michael. There's not much we can do to help her, other than simply be here for her," said Trixie. "I try to comfort her as much as I can. Don't feel too sad about it."

I conjured up a device which looked like a small white box. "Twilight, put this against your throat and try to talk. I want to see if that works."

"Hello -- my -- name -- is -- Twilight -- Sparkle," came a robotic sounding voice from the box. Her eyes opened wide as she held the box against her throat with her telekinesis, and upon hearing her words actually take form, albeit in an electronically generated male voice, she started crying tears of happiness. "Finally -- after -- five -- years -- I -- can -- talk -- again."

"Glad I could be of service," I chuckled. Trixie and Nightmare Moon were astonished by this seeming miracle. "I may need to tweak that device so the voice sounds more natural, and female at that."

"Are you going to be leaving us, Michael? I would appreciate it if you would stay a bit longer. There are a great many things I would like to discuss with you," stated Nightmare.

"The differences between this universe and the one I'm familiar with are striking enough that I would like to stay and see what those differences are. If Fluttershy is the party pony, I would like to see what other differences there are," I said. Upon hearing her name spoken again, a butter yellow earth pony peeked out from behind a bookshelf in the Library.

"Hey, Trixie, did you call my name? Oh! Two Trixies? Really? WOW! Hey, you're new here, aren't you? You look like Trixie, but your cutie mark is different! Wow, look, you have Twiley's cutie mark! How did that happen? Did I hear you say today's your birthday? I have to start planning your party right NOW!" she gasped and disappeared.

"Reminds me of Pinkie Pie from the universe I'm familiar with," I chuckled. Trixie and Twilight covered their ears and Nightmare disappeared. I was baffled by this behavior until I heard a roaring sound coming from outside the Library. I went outside to investigate the noise and was tackled by a very angry pink pegasus with three lightning bolts for a cutie mark, her hair a darker pink and as straight and flat as Twilight's mane and tail.

"DON'T YOU DARE EVER CALL ME BY THAT NAME AGAIN! EVER!!" she shouted. When she saw who it was she had tackled, her anger subsided quite dramatically. "Oh, hi, Trixie! Sorry about that!" She got off me, allowing me to stand again.

"What name should I call you? I thought --" I began.

"You thought wrong! My name is Diane! And don't you ever think of calling me anything different from that! Trixie knows better, and ... wait. You didn't know even though you're Trixie ... your cutie mark! You have Twilight's cutie mark! Are you a changeling?"

"No, Diane, I'm not a changeling. Until last night, I was actually a human. Today's my birthday, and I decided to give myself a special present by having my car transform me into Trixie. I had no idea when I teleported here I would be entering yet another alternate universe where everything is different from what I'm familiar with."

"If you're not Trixie, what is your name?"

"It's Michael," I stated flatly.

"That's a male name! You mean you were a male human and you transformed into a mare?"

"Yes."

"Huh. That's interesting. Why did you do that?"

"Because I was Twilight the last time around and I wanted to try something different."

"Wait -- you were Twilight? Really?"

"Yeah, and you were the party pony, and Rainbow was the one wanting to join the Wonderbolts, and Fluttershy was the one who took care of animals and is as shy as her name indicates, and --"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down there, Michael! You're sounding like Fluttershy when she's talking at full speed!"

I chuckled. "Or you in the universe I'm familiar with. I wonder how you're a pegasus in this universe -- the one I'm familiar with, you're an earth pony."

"I've always been a pegasus, silly! I don't know what you're talking about!"

"What is it about the name Pinkie Pie that sets you off so badly?"

She growled at me. "You'd better not say that name again, I don't care what you're familiar with! I was teased endlessly by my classmates so I took to beating them up every time any of them called me by that name! And you've got one more time to call me that before I kick YOUR flank! Got that?"

"Sorry, Diane. I have been to four different versions of Ponyville, and this is the first one that doesn't fit into my head canon."

"Four versions of Ponyville? You've done a lot of traveling! Is a 'head canon' anything like a party cannon?" she grinned.

"No, that refers to the conventional wisdom regarding Ponyville, or at least, every previous version of Ponyville I'm familiar with. So are you one of the Weather Crew?"

"Yeah, I'm with them, but I work freelance most of the time."

"What about the Wonderbolts?" I asked. She frowned.

"You mean the Shadowbolts," she corrected me. "The Wonderbolts were changed their name after the fall of The Evil One."

"I'm not even gonna ask about how 'The Evil One' was defeated -- the explanation would probably make my head explode," I stated flatly.

"Yeah, we don't wanna talk about it much, even with newcomers. So since today's your birthday, does Fluttershy know?"

"Yeah! I'm planning a super-duper big birthday bash for him or her or whatever he or she is! Got it almost finished, come by the Bakery! Got something special for you!" she exclaimed and bounded off towards the Bakery.

"It's gonna take a little bit of getting used to these changes," I chuckled. "So what about Applejack?"

"She's working on her farm, but this late in the evening, I would think she might be heading off to bed. Her days are filled with hard work and she rarely gets a chance to do anything with us anymore," said Diane, looking somewhat sad.

"I'd like to pay her a visit tomorrow, if that's possible," I offered. "Perhaps she might be happy to have some company."

"She would appreciate all the help she can get, Michael. You feel like bucking some orange trees?"

"I thought her orchard was apple trees," I mused.

"The Apple family lost their farm to a couple of swindlers and were forced to take up another crop and start a new farm. They have been struggling to stay ahead of the debt collectors ever since."

"Wow. I had no idea that this particular universe was filled with such sadness," I stated rather glumly. A chill wind had come up as Nightmare Moon had taken the Sun down for the night and put the Moon up -- though the overcast sky prevented any moonlight from showing. I noticed this and commented on the overcast sky.

"We don't have as much control over the sky as we used to -- so we just allow the clouds to come and go as they will."

"How fast can you fly, Diane?"

She grinned. "I can approach the speed of sound! If I try hard enough, I can punch through it sometimes, but I have to be careful. I'm gonna head over to the Bakery and see if the party's ready for you, Michael."

"Kinda late in the day for a party, but I'll let Trixie and Twilight know. Maybe they might wanna come as well."

"Okay, seeya later, Michael!" She took to the sky and flew off to the Bakery, her way being lit by streetlamps. I headed into the Library.

"We were worried, Michael," said Trixie. "You should know better than to call Diane by her most hated name. So what's going on?"

"Fluttershy's holding a party for me at the Bakery. You wanna come?" I asked, grinning.

"Sure, come on, Twi, we're going!" Trixie called to Twilight. She grabbed her little voice box, eager to show off her recently restored ability to communicate in some limited fashion. The three of us headed to the bakery.

"What about Spike?" I asked, perhaps a little too nonchalantly. Twilight started sobbing uncontrollably.

"I wish you hadn't said his name," Trixie stated flatly. "There was this incident in the Crystal Empire ..."

What's Wrong With Ponyville?

After a relatively short walk along lamp-lit cobblestone streets, we made it to Sugarcube Corner -- still looking like a gingerbread house. "At least the buildings all look about the same," I thought.

"Isn't the Bakery a little small for a party?" I asked.

"There won't be many ponies at this party, Michael," Trixie stated flatly. It had taken quite an effort of comforting Twilight over my inadvertent re-opening of a recent wound, one that ran very deep. Spike had been killed in the Crystal Empire and the resulting pain was so severe that Twilight was still grieving over his loss. It was only through an almost Herculean effort from Trixie that Twilight was still able to function somewhat normally, but the sadness behind her eyes was virtually omnipresent. I had apologized profusely to Twilight, promising that I would do everything I possibly could to try to help her. Using her voice box device, she offered her thanks but wondered how it was I could help her. I talked about alternate universes and the mirror pool and she just chuckled sadly in response.

"Why won't there be?" I asked.

"Well, it's kinda late for a party, but there will be some ponies there to help you celebrate your birthday."

"Maybe it might cheer Twilight up a little, we can always hope," I offered. We entered the Bakery to the sight of about a dozen or so ponies. There was no "surprise," just stuff that had been set up for a party. I searched for Fluttershy.

"Hey, Flutters, what's up?" I asked her.

"Well, um, what do I call you? Trixie? Mikey? There's not a whole lot to work with around here, especially on such short notice, but I put together what I could."

"Thanks a bunch, Fluttershy, it still means something special that you thought about me. You may call me by my human name, Michael, if you prefer. I am rather surprised by just how much sadness there is around here -- I want to do something to make everypony happy, and I don't know how to go about doing that. Are you the Element of Laughter?"

"Well, I do my best to keep everypony happy as well, Mikey, but there are times when even being the Element of Laughter becomes too great a burden. Even so, you can't let it get you down! Today's your birthday, so enjoy yourself!"

"So, you got any 'Happy Birthday' cupcakes?" I chuckled. I hadn't paid attention to her cutie mark, but it showed three butterfly-shaped party balloons. "I'm kinda curious as to how it is you're an earth pony here, but a very shy pegasus in the universe I'm familiar with."

"Yeah, Mikey, got a cupcake here for ya, here ya go! I've always been an earth pony, silly-billy! I don't know where you came from or what you're familiar with, but this is the way I've always been! Hey, wanna play a game of pin-the-tail?"

"I need a few drinks in me before I can handle that, Flutters," I chuckled.

"Are you serious, Mikey? I don't wanna serve alcohol at my parties any more, it causes more trouble than it's worth. Why can't you play the game when you're sober?"

"Okay, I guess I'll go ahead and do it, even though it makes me feel somewhat embarrassed to do so. I guess I'm a little self-conscious about that sort of thing, but I will join in on whatever fun can be had."

"Yay! I knew you'd do it!" Fluttershy shouted. I chuckled at her "Yay!" as it was very unlike her alternate universe's version of saying that.

I participated in a few games, ate a few more cupcakes, chatted with everypony who was there and noticed Rainbow for the first time. I was shocked to see a cyan unicorn with a long multi-hued mane and tail which had been carefully coiffed to accentuate her beauty. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had come by as well. Rainbow's cutie mark consisted of three circles looking like targets with concentric rings of violet in the center and red as the outer ring.

"Hey, Rainbow, what's up?" I asked, smiling warmly.

"Trixie? Wait, two of you?"

"You want the long story or the short one?" I asked.

"The fillies have school tomorrow, so just tell me the short story -- I suppose you can fill me in on the details later."

I gave her a quick rundown of my situation and she nodded her head. "Nice to meet you, even though I was expecting to see you as a pegasus, not as a unicorn."

"Why is that? I've always been a unicorn, what makes you think of me as a pegasus?"

"I keep forgetting I'm in a different universe, these differences are quite jarring. I never would have thought Nightmare Moon to be a kind and gentle ruler of Equestria," I mused.

"So you came from a different universe? Wow, that's really interesting."

"I was hoping that this would be a happy universe, like the previous versions of Ponyville I had visited -- well, with one exception -- but I wasn't prepared for how radical THESE changes are. I want to help out, though, and try my best to make things better around here. I am very sorry to hear about Rarity and Spike, but I think I might be able to do something about that."

"Be careful how you talk about them Michael, things are still on edge around here and we don't want such wounds reopened. It's still very painful to think about the past and moving on is hard enough as it is."

"Rainbow, are you staying at the boutique?"

"Yeah, come by tomorrow if you want. I would appreciate some company while Sweetie and Scoots are at school."

"Of course, I would be happy to! Seeya tomorrow!" I smiled and made my way back over to Trixie. "Hey Trixie, is it about time to go back home and get some sleep? Is there a bed for me, or will I have to find somewhere else to sleep tonight?"

"There is a guest room in the Library, you're welcome to sleep there for the night, Michael," Trixie offered.

"I appreciate your generosity, thanks, Trixie," I said, smiling warmly. "Fluttershy, thanks for the party, it's been fun. I will be staying for awhile to check things out for myself, so I may be paying you another visit soon. The cupcakes were delicious by the way, thanks again!"

"Sure thing, Mikey! Seeya tomorrow!" she responded. As we left, so did everypony else who had attended the party.

"So tell me, Michael, what are things like in your home world?" Trixie asked. I chuckled, letting her know Twilight was the one who'd ask such questions. I gave her a quick summary of life on Earth and some other information about it. That explanation alone took long enough for the three of us to make it back to the Library. For some reason or other, I felt the need for sleep and went upstairs to the guest room, laid down in the bed and fell asleep quickly. I was impressed by how comfortable the bed was.

---------------------------------

I was kind of surprised to find Twilight had snuggled up to me while I was sleeping last night. I got out of the bed and went to the next room where Trixie would normally sleep. Her bed was empty, so I went downstairs to find her cooking breakfast. I was kind of surprised that it was still dark outside, even though it was nearly 8:30 AM.

"Morning, Michael, did you sleep well?" she asked, giving me a warm smile.

"Morning? It's still dark outside. I slept okay, but I was kinda surprised to see that Twilight had made her way into bed with me, though I have no idea why she did that."

"Perhaps she feels a certain attachment to you, Michael. Then again, sometimes she prefers to sleep by herself, and sometimes she shares my bed, it just depends on her mood. And if you're wondering why it's still dark outside, the sun usually doesn't come up until about 9:30 or so. I hope you like hay pancakes, I know Twilight certainly does!"

"Ponies have different tastes from humans, though I'm willing to give them a try. Normally I would eat pancakes without any hay. So how much daylight do we get? What time of year is it?"

"Oh, that's right, I forgot you were a human. We generally get about six or seven hours of daylight every day -- it's actually late summer here. So how long are you planning on staying?"

"Hmm. Something seems odd about that. I want to bring happiness back to this world," I said optimistically. "I have no idea how long that will take."

"So what about your home world? Don't you want to go back there?"

"I know I promised my wife I was only going to be gone for one day. Maybe I should go back and let her know I have a new mission -- although I know she won't understand. I don't know how much time passes in my home world as opposed to being here."

"Why not teleport back to your home world, find out how much time has passed, then come back here if you can stay longer."

"That sounds like a good idea, Trixie. I'll do that, I should be back shortly."

----------------------------------------

I concentrated magic in my horn, focusing on my departure point in my home. I teleported back into my bedroom, looking for Brenda. I checked the alarm clock, noticing that only two hours had passed since I had left. Brenda had already left the house and I had no idea where she was.

"Xaviera, have you seen Brenda? Where is she?"

"She's gone to Indiana, she should be back tonight or tomorrow, Mike. Are you still in that pony's body?"

"Yeah, I'm going back to Ponyville. Don't wait up for me, I may be gone for quite a while. If Brenda asks, tell her I will be back before Monday ... I hope."

"Okay, whatever, Mike. Seeya later, or whenever."

I teleported back to Ponyville, returning to the spot I left in the Library.

"Okay, Trixie, I have a rough estimate of how much time passes between our two worlds. Seems as though six hours pass here for every one hour in my home world."

"I would be interested in seeing your home world, Michael -- I'll bet there's lots of interesting things to see and do there."

"It's not a very safe place for ponies, regardless of their ability to use magic," I stated flatly. "I've been pondering something, Trixie -- I haven't heard you refer to yourself in third person yet."

"Now why would I do that?" she chuckled. "You'd have to do something that either makes me extremely angry or extremely scared to get me to lapse into third person speech. I might have done that a long time ago as a joke, or perhaps as a way of getting attention, but I haven't done that in a long time, at least not that I can remember."

Twilight came downstairs to join us for breakfast. I noticed a few slight changes to the "voice box" I had given her. "Hey Twilight, looks like you've turned it into a necklace," I stated.

"I tinkered with it for awhile last night," she said through it. Trixie and I showed great surprise at what sounded almost like her normal voice, with almost no pauses between words.

"Wow! Sounds almost like your normal voice! What are those three knobs for on it?" I asked.

"They control volume, pitch, and resonance," she responded.

"What can you do with them?" I asked.

"Here, let me show you." She turned a couple of knobs all the way around and one down a little. She took a deep breath and set her feet. "HOW DARE THOU ADDRESS ME IN THAT FASHION!!"

Trixie and I stood in stunned silence at the similarity to Nightmare Moon's Royal Canterlot Voice, our mouths agape and eyes wide with surprise. "I wonder why she chose that as a test phrase. Something strange is going on here," I thought. "Wow! That sounds almost like Nightmare's Royal Canterlot Voice, it's just missing the sheer force of the sound waves. Other than that, very nice!" I exclaimed. Trixie nodded in approval. Twilight started chuckling, which sounded ominous through the device. She turned the knobs back into their normal position.

"I thought you might like that," she chuckled. "And thanks again for this wonderful gift, Michael!"

"No problem, Twilight. It makes me happy to know I've done at least something to try to make you happy. So how long have you two been together?"

"We've been here at the Library together for about six years," Trixie responded.

"We met each other in the Castle about 20 years ago," Twilight offered.

"We were in the Orphanage together, weren't we, Twilight?" Trixie grinned.

"So you've known each other since you were little foals then," I surmised. "Trixie, I'm still curious about your cutie mark. When I was in Twilight's body, I had that same cutie mark, except I had five white stars around the large one. You only have four stars around it."

"Those represent the Elements of Harmony, Michael. I am the Element of Magic, Fluttershy's the Element of Laughter, Applejack's the Element of Honesty, Diane's the Element of Loyalty, and Rainbow's the Element of Generosity."

"Who's the Element of Kindness?" I asked.

"Never heard of that Element," said Trixie. "Why do you ask that?"

"Where I came from, there are six Elements, not five. Is there a book in this Library giving some information about the Elements of Harmony?"

"Yes, let me get that for you," Twilight stated. She levitated a rather worn book from one of the shelves, its cover embossed with gold designs. The spine read "Equestrian History -- Elements of Harmony." She opened the book for me and I noticed something that shocked me -- the pages were blank with no writing on them.

"Isn't there supposed to be some writing or some illustrations in this book?" I asked quizzically.

"Yes it does, Michael. What's wrong?" Trixie asked.

"Um, what I see here is a book with blank pages, no writing or illustrations, that's why I asked."

"Don't be silly, Michael! I can read it plain as day!" Twilight exclaimed. She started reading from the book, as if to show me what she was reading. I saw her hoof moving down one page and onto another, but again, the pages were blank.

"Twilight, may I examine another book?"

"Sure, Michael, help yourself!" I selected a book at random, not paying attention to the title on the spine. I opened it up and noticed it had pages full of writing. I closed it and returned it to the shelf. I selected another book at random and noticed it too had full pages.

"I have a hunch about something, Twilight. Is there a newspaper archive around here?"

"We don't have a newspaper archive, Michael, we don't have room for that here. Why do you ask?"

"I know I shouldn't be reopening old wounds, but I have some suspicions about some things that are going on around here."

"I would be careful about trying to get answers to questions that are better left unasked, Michael. You might be stirring up a hornet's nest, and I wouldn't want anything sad to happen to you," said Trixie as she tried to stifle my curiosity.

"Are those pancakes ready? I'm hungry," I said, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, how many do you want, Michael?" asked Trixie.

"Just two, please, and thanks again." Trixie put two of the hay pancakes on a plate for me and put syrup on them for me. I started nibbling on them, finding the taste quite interesting. "You know, I think pony taste buds have special receptors in them for hay or something," I chuckled. "These are quite good!"

"Glad you like them, Michael. Let me know if you want more," she grinned.

"What sort of food did you eat as a human, Michael?" asked Twilight.

"Lots of different things, but pizza is among my favorites. I kinda hate to disappoint you, but as a human, I ate quite a bit of meat. As a pony, of course, meat is forbidden."

The two of them glanced at each other nervously before returning their gaze to meet mine. An odd silence fell.

"Sorry about that. I want to check out a few things during what little daylight we're getting," I stated.

"Would you like either of us to join you?" Trixie asked.

"I think I might want to go by myself, but thanks for the offer. Thanks for breakfast as well, it was quite delicious."

"No problem, Michael," Trixie smiled. After I left, she whispered to Twilight, "You follow him at a safe distance -- don't let him see you. I want to know what he's up to." Twilight gestured with her fore-hooves to acknowledge her assignment and to ensure I wouldn't hear what she was saying.

I trotted from the Library towards Sweet Apple Acres to see whether or not the swindlers who had stolen the farm from Applejack were still there. As I made my way there, the sun lazily crept above the horizon, though the overcast sky kept the orb from being seen. A dull fog obscured vision somewhat, but I was able to find the old farm. The apples lay rotting on the ground, having fallen from the trees. The farmhouse was empty, the curtains blowing out the open windows as the wind kept up a steady pace. The front door was open, so I went in. I went from one room to another, finding the house in a bad state of disrepair. I went back out the front door to find Twilight standing in front of it.

"What are you doing, Michael?" she asked quizzically.

"I was wanting to see for myself what was going on here."

"Why did you come to THIS farmhouse? Applejack stays a bit further down the road."

"This place has been abandoned. I wonder if AJ would want her old place back."

"She can't get it back. We've talked to the Mayor and have pleaded before the Princess, but to no avail."

"Okay, then I'm off to the boutique. Rainbow said something about letting me meet up with her."

"Please allow me to come with you."

"Sure, Twilight. I was wondering why you left the Library -- I thought that was your job."

"We don't get many patrons any more. I get quite a bit of free time, so since you're new here, I decided I wanted to find out more about you. With this device you gave me, it gives me a new sense of freedom I haven't had in more than five years."

"I was wanting to know why you used a certain phrase to test the limits of the device," I mused.

"Oh, I just thought it would be cute to say something obnoxious, as if the Princess herself had gotten angry."

"Or could that possibly be something she screamed at you for getting ... too ... close ..." my words started to trail off as I saw her expression darken considerably, her face showing a great deal of anger.

"You'd better keep your suspicions to yourself, Michael. I would hate for anything sad to happen to you," she hissed through clenched teeth.

"Sorry, Twilight. I'll put that out of my mind right now. Didn't know I hit such a sore spot."

"Yeah, well, you'd better keep it that way."

We trotted in relative silence towards Carousel Boutique, which took about ten minutes or so. Diane flew overhead and landed nearby.

"Hey, Trixe, Twilight. What's up?"

"Hello, Diane, I'm actually Michael. The cutie mark is what differentiates me from the real Trixie."

"Oh, gotta pay closer attention to that. What'cha up to?"

"Paying Rainbow a visit. What are you up to?" I asked.

"I got bored. Just thought I'd fly around and see if there was something to do."

"How about getting rid of some of these clouds?" I asked, grinning.

"Not my job," she stated flatly.

"Okay, I guess," I muttered. "I think the lack of sunlight has gotten to everypony here," I thought.

Diane flew off again as silence returned. Twilight and I made it to the boutique a few minutes later and I knocked on the door. Rainbow answered.

"Hi, Trixie, Twilight. Come in, please," she stated almost too flatly.

"Uh, Rainbow, I'm Michael, not Trixie," I said. "Gonna have to get used to that," I thought.

"Oh, that's right. Come on in! What can I do for you?"

"I remember you asking me to stop by last night when we were at the party," I offered.

"Oh, yeah, that's right! Take a seat, make yourself comfortable."

"What's with the three circles as your cutie mark?" I asked.

"You should see my skills with a crossbow," she grinned. "Anything having to do with hitting a target, I'm very skilled at it."

"Might call you a dead-eye then," I joked. "So you're the fashionista here?"

"Well, I don't get many patrons, but I can fix up a pretty mean ensemble," Rainbow stated proudly.

"Out of curiosity, this used to be Rarity's place?"

"Don't wanna talk about it."

"Does this place have a basement?"

"Yeah, you wanna see it?"

"Sure, why not." Rainbow escorted me to the basement. Twilight remained seated and glowered at me.

"I just keep extra supplies down there, just odds and ends and other stuff I'm not using," she stated. We went downstairs and Rainbow lit up her horn to illuminate the basement. Just as Rainbow had stated, there were various objects, an old sewing machine, a table in the center of the room, a workbench and an artist's easel, a blank canvas on it.

"Going to take up painting?" I asked.

"Eventually, yes. Inspiration hasn't struck yet." We went back upstairs and chatted for awhile. Rainbow offered to make an outfit for me, but I politely declined her offer. I told her I didn't really plan on staying too much longer and Twilight glowered at me again when I said this. I was half expecting her to say something to Rainbow about this, but she remained silent, not even bothering to use her fore-hooves to sign something.

"I was told there's only about six or seven hours of sunlight every day -- that seems awfully depressing," I mused.

"Yeah, it gets me down too, but we have come to expect this, and we deal with it as best we can," Rainbow said flatly.

"I'm tempted to ask Princess Nightmare Moon to increase the amount of sunlight," I offered.

"You might wanna be careful about doing that, Mike, I would hate for anything sad to happen to you," she warned.

"Well, I guess we'd better be off. See you again some time," I said.

"See you later, Rainbow," Twilight said using her voice box. Rainbow did a double-take when she heard this.

"What? Twilight? You can talk again?" Rainbow asked in exasperation.

"Michael gave me this," she said, pointing at the small white box. "I can talk again through it. I used some magic to enhance it a little."

"Mike! I didn't know you were so talented! It's wonderful to hear her voice again!"

"Just a small token to help her," I said. "Seeya around, Rainbow. Twilight, I need to talk to the Princess."

"Call on Diane to help you, Michael. I'm headed back to the Library," she said and continued on her way, leaving me behind.

"Hey, Diane!" I shouted at the sky. "Hey! Diane!" I paused for a minute, checking the sky to see if I could see her flying around. I started to follow Twilight, periodically looking up. I thought I saw a pink blur, so I called her name again. She came down to meet me.

"Yeah, Mikey, what'cha want?" she asked, sounding rather annoyed at my calling her name.

"Where does the Princess stay?"

"She's in the castle in the Everfree," she responded flatly. "So ya wanna go there?"

"She did say something about wanting to talk to me last night," I stated optimistically.

"I can take ya there, but ya'd better be careful. The Princess can be rather temperamental, and even though she said she wanted ta talk t' ya, there are some things ya'd best not say. I would hate for anything sad ta happen t' ya."

"That's the fourth time I've heard that today," I mused. "Is that what happened to Rarity and Spike?"

"Yer on yer own, buddy. I ain't takin' ya now. Ya wanna talk t' her, ya betta get ta hoofin' it. Good luck makin' it thru th' Everfree!"

"Seeya around, Pinkie Pie!!" I shouted at her as she flew off. I saw her turn around in mid-air and change her vector, diving straight at me, an expression of pure rage coloring her features. Her shock of a dark pink mane looked almost like a mohawk as she screamed at me.

"I can't believe you called me that again after I told you three times not to!!"

I calculated speed and distance, and half a second before she attempted to make impact with me, her fore-hooves outstretched to knock me down, I teleported five feet to my left. She tumbled head over tail as she grasped at empty air where I had been standing. She made about eight somersaults on the ground in this fashion before coming to her hooves, dusting herself off and charging at me again. I used my magic to make about fifteen copies of myself, all illusory of course. I taunted her from each one of them, repeatedly calling her by her most hated name.

"Pinkie Pie! Pinkie Pie! Pinkie Pie! Pinkie Pie!" we all shouted in unison at her. She screamed in primal rage, vowing to kill me where I stood. I just laughed at her. By this point, a crowd of ponies had gathered to see what was going on. All they saw was multiple copies of Trixie facing off against a furious Pinkie Pie, who demanded I call her Diane! The scene was quite hilarious to me as I continued to laugh. The pink pegasus charged at each of my apparitions, each one disappearing as she slammed through it. I continued to create even more illusory copies of myself, approaching 50 copies.

"Tell me, Pinkie Pie, do you really want to kill me just because I call you that name?" I asked, still grinning.

"Yeah! I'm gonna kill ya until yer dead, ya hear me? DEAD!!" she screeched. She continued to fly through my illusions, amazing me with her speed. I decided I had had enough fun at this point and teleported directly into her path. I jumped up with my fore-hooves extended to grab her in a tight hug -- her impact knocked the wind out of me as we fell the the ground. Unfortunately, I was the one who landed on my back with her on top of me. Her face showed just how angry she really was. My expression was now one of sheer terror.

"Look, I'm sorry, Diane, I just --"

She didn't bother to answer, she let loose a flurry of punches to my face, bloodying my muzzle and blacking both my eyes, knocking a few teeth out and bruising me up rather badly. She continued to punch until somepony in the crowd pulled her off me. "Lemme get back ta her! I'm gonna kill her! Nopony calls me Pinkie Pie!" she shouted.

"You're not killing any pony today, Diane," came a female voice. "I still need to talk to her myself."

The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. I felt a warm sensation over my body, feeling tissues starting to mend themselves. Somepony was using healing magic on me and I was able to open my eyes. The sight of a large black Alicorn surprised me.

"Princess? Nightmare Moon?" I asked.

"I couldn't let her kill you, Michael. Doesn't matter if you chose to make her do so, but you and I have much to discuss."

She continued to heal me, my muscles and bones aching from the beating they had taken, but mending quickly under the dark Princess' strong magic. Shortly I was able to return to my hooves, standing somewhat shakily and unsteady until the rest of the healing was completed.

"Michael, what possessed you to call Diane by her most hated name?" asked the black Alicorn.

"I let loose a careless quip -- she was offering to take me to meet you, but I said something stupid and she then refused to take me, so I said goodbye to her and tacked her name onto the end. I guess I was trying to see just how serious she was about not being called Pi --"

"Even I don't call her that, Michael. She is quite fearsome and unpredictable. I wouldn't tempt fate again if I were you."

"What exactly were you wanting to talk to me about?"

"Let's head back to my castle, I don't want others eavesdropping on our conversation." She enveloped the two of us in her aura which glowed an indigo blue and teleported us to her castle.

"Why the Everfree? Why not Canterlot?" I asked. She glowered at me.

"This castle is mine. The other belongs to 'The Evil One' and nopony is allowed in that castle."

"Speaking of which, I was wanting to know why there are only five Elements of Harmony here," I mused.

"There have always been five Elements, Michael. What are you familiar with?" she asked, her expression showing puzzlement.

"The universe I'm familiar with has six Elements of Harmony. If I were in Twilight's body, my cutie mark would show six stars, whereas Trixie's in this universe has just five stars. That piqued my curiosity."

"It has always been that way, and will always be that way. Do not dwell on it overmuch, please."

"I was also wanting to know why we get only six or seven hours of daylight per day," I said, almost as a question.

"I am the Princess of the Night -- I want to make sure there is plenty of night-time to suit my needs. Since 'The Evil One' was the Ruler of the Sun, I punish her by allowing just a small amount of daylight. This is to remind her of her crime."

"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, it is my considered opinion that the lack of adequate sunlight may be taking a serious toll on every pony. Why not increase it to ten hours per day?"

She scowled at me and growled, "I would be careful about asking for things my little ponies don't truly deserve." She softened her voice somewhat when she saw my shocked expression. "They must understand that they at one time sided with 'The Evil One' and that they too shall suffer punishment. They should be thankful they get ANY daylight!"

"Plant life suffers as a result of reduced daylight, your Majesty. That depresses the amount of available food. I have seen the ponies with gaunt faces, their bellies grumbling constantly due to their state of malnourishment ..."

"STAY THY TONGUE!" she shouted at me. "Do not try to instill within me feelings of guilt simply by acknowledging the petty peccadilloes of the pony populace!"

"I was just saying, your Majesty," I offered weakly.

"Do not presume to tell me how to do my job! I'm the Ruler here! Not you!"

"If I may change the subject, your Majesty, I was curious to see Rarity's diaries if you have them available."

She scowled at me again. "What business is it of yours what is contained in the diaries of a murderer?"

"I just wanted to satiate my curiosity," I stated flatly.

"You would do well to stifle that curiosity, lest you provoke a hostile reaction from me. I would hate for anything sad to happen to you."

"I was just saying, your Majesty, why not let me see them? I just wanted to ascertain the veracity of certain statements --"

"DOST THOU HAVE A DEATH WISH?" she asked, using her Royal Canterlot Voice. A rhetorical question, but one I chose to answer anyway.

"No, your Majesty, but I feel compelled to seek the truth --"

"YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!" she screeched. Her expression let me know I was pushing my luck a little too far.

"I apologize, your Majesty. I'm sure you have very good reasons to keep that information top secret. If you don't mind, I must take my leave. I bid you au revoir, Princess Nightmare Moon."

"I am not finished with you yet, Michael," she addressed me sternly. I lit my horn to cast my teleport spell. "Do not attempt to use magic in my presence, Michael, until I give you permission to leave. Don't make me break your horn off."

"What else is there you want to know, your Majesty?" I asked, trying to hide my anxiety.

"I give you fair warning, Michael. Do not attempt to continue your investigation, or I shall be forced to take very serious measures to squelch it. Do I make myself clear?"

"Clear as crystal, your Majesty. One other thing, though -- I noticed Applejack's old farm house had been abandoned, the farm as well. I was wondering if you might be willing to allow Applejack to return to her old apple farm, since the swindlers who stole it have let if fall into disrepair."

"I will see what I can do about that -- I will have a talk with Mayor Mare in Ponyville."

"Thank you for your kindness, Princess. May I leave now?"

"Yes, you may leave. Be careful, Michael."

"Au revoir, Princess," I stated, nearly exhaling a sigh of relief. I teleported from the Castle to my home on Earth. I felt compelled to get away from this sad universe, but also felt an obligation to help them out here.

Welcome to the Real Ponyville, Trixie!

A flash of light and a light pink POP signaled my arrival back home on Earth. It still hadn't even been six hours since I had left earlier in the morning. Today was still my birthday here in my home world. Keeping track of time was going to be difficult but I figured I could manage.

"Mike, is that you?" asked my youngest step-daughter.

"Yeah, Xavi, it's me," I answered.

"You're still in that pony's body -- how long are you going to be in that body?"

"I can stay in this body as long as I want to, Xavi. I'm going out to the car, I need to talk to a certain Sun Goddess," I stated.

"Yeah, whatever. I need to go to the store and get some food! Are you going to take us?" she asked impatiently.

"Call up Katrina and have her do it. I'm not driving the car when I'm in this form!" I chuckled.

"Mike! She's not gonna wanna do it! I need YOU to do it! I'd drive myself, but I don't have a license!"

"And TS won't take you there either because of that," I added. "I need to talk to Celestia, something's come up."

"And what would that be? Can it wait until after you've taken us to the store?"

I groaned. I took the car key and went to the car and turned it on.

"TS, magic battery level?" I asked.

"Magic battery level 71 per cent," came the flat response.

"Give me a moment, I'll recharge them for you," I said, turning the car off and lighting my horn. I imbued the car with a bit of magic to replenish the reserves and called for Xavi and her kids to get in.

"Hey Mike, aren't you going to change back?" she asked incredulously.

"I could -- but then I wouldn't be able to change back into this form and I would have to take another pony's form. I'm not ready to give up being Trixie just yet." The three of them got into the back seat and I had the car teleport us to the store. I waited in the car for them to return with their food. I got a few stares from other shoppers entering and leaving the store, but other than that, no one paid me any attention, which was what I wanted. They got back into the car and I had TS teleport us back home. This drained only two per cent of the car's magic charge.

"Mike, I hate it when you have the car do that!" Xaviera exclaimed in exasperation. To punctuate her concern, her kids started crying.

"Sorry about that, Xavi, but I told you what you could have done."

"Okay, but don't do it again!"

"I have a feeling I won't be needing to," I said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, showing some concern.

"Oh, don't worry about that. You go ahead and take the kids in the house. I have to consult with Princess Celestia on something."

Xaviera and her kids got out of the car, taking the grocery bags with them into the house. "TS, please let Princess Celestia know I would like to talk with her."

"Your request has been sent, Beatrix."

"TS, I am Michael, you transformed me into Trixie."

"I only verify by voice and physical data. Since your data does not match that of Michael Walker, but that of Beatrix Lulamoon, I acknowledge you as the latter," came TS's flat response.

"Is it true that this is Michael Walker?" asked Princess Celestia.

"Yes, your Majesty, I am Michael Walker, I had TS transform me into Beatrix Lulamoon. Today is my birthday, and I had chosen this form as a present to myself. I teleported using my magic to enter Ponyville, but found some disturbing changes had taken place. I have come to the conclusion that I stumbled on an alternate universe with a great many changes, most of which have proven to be very chaotic. I was wanting to talk to you face-to-face in order to go into greater detail."

"My responsibilities have me fully occupied, however I can make special exceptions for you. You may use your vehicle to travel to my realm if you wish. You have my blessing to meet me at your earliest convenience, and I am quite interested in hearing your story. If these differences between the two realms are that stark, I would appreciate a full recounting of your experiences there."

"Thank you very much, Princess Celestia. I shall teleport to your realm momentarily."

"Please give me a little while to clear my schedule for you before you arrive, Michael."

"I shall use that time to freshen up -- I was attacked by Pinkie Pie in that other universe, and I'm still a bit ruffled up because of it."

"Why did she attack you?" Celestia asked in surprise.

"In that other universe, she doesn't want to be called that -- she said she demanded everypony call her Diane."

"You have piqued my curiosity, Michael. I eagerly await your arrival as I am certain there are a great many things you wish to tell me."

"Indeed there are, your Majesty. With your permission, please allow me to take a quick shower and brush up. I shall be there as soon as I'm finished. I look forward to meeting you once again."

"You don't need to ask my permission for that, Michael! Take all the time you need."

"Thank you, Princess. I shall see you soon, then." I waited for her response, then turned off the car and went back inside. I checked my reflection in a mirror to see just how badly I needed a shower. I hadn't realized how dirty I was, not to mention the dried blood on my coat. "That's why everypony was staring at me at the store," I thought. I showered off, scrubbing my fur, mane, and tail thoroughly. I allowed the warm water to run for quite awhile, feeling the warmth reinvigorate me. The time spent in that sad universe made me realize just how nice it was to be back in a place with warm running water. I hadn't really grasped just how cold it was in that other universe and I made a mental note to inform Celestia of this fact when I met up with her. I toweled off and brushed out my mane and tail, straightening them into Trixie's trademark style, then brushed my coat out as well. I checked my reflection again to make sure I was presentable. Satisfied with my appearance, I made my way back out to the car. I got in and turned it on again.

"Good evening, Beatrix. Where are we going tonight?" TS asked.

I chuckled at the car still calling me by the name attached to the pony whose body I was currently occupying. "TS, we travel to Canterlot Castle, main courtyard. Princess Celestia awaits my arrival."

"I shall inform her of our immediate travel itinerary and to be expecting your arrival within a few seconds," came the cheery voice from the speakers. "Target destination acquired. Canterlot Castle, main courtyard. Preparing to teleport." The car glowed magenta, then a brilliant whiteness enveloped everything I could see. I felt a dizziness and lurching sensation as the car materialized in the main courtyard of Canterlot Castle. I was greeted by a contingent of Royal Guard, with Shining Armor glaring at me in disapproval. I turned off the car and stepped out, taking a moment to recharge its magic batteries. I was somewhat surprised to see that it was mid-day here in Canterlot. I also took note of how warm it was, with nary a cloud in sight -- "Just as it should be," I thought.

"Trixie! What manner of object is this?" asked the Captain of the Royal Guard as he eyed me warily.

"Shining Armor! 'Tis a pleasant surprise to meet you once again," I smiled.

"What do you mean, Trixie? Last time we met ..." his expression softened a little.

"The last time I met you, I was in Twilight's body," I stated flatly.

It took a moment for him to register this statement, then a smile crept onto his face. "Ah, you're the one who tried to pass yourself off as my little sister. Yes, I remember you! So why are you in Trixie's body?"

"Today is my birthday, so I decided to give myself a present. This vehicle you see behind me is what changed me from a human into this form. This vehicle also transported me from my human home world to this place. I apologize for the suddenness of my arrival, but I have official business with Princess Celestia."

"Wait here. I shall inform her of your presence."

"I can do better than that -- my car can communicate with her instantly," I smiled. I got back into the car and turned it on. "TS, please inform the Princess that I have arrived and am in the main courtyard."

"Message relayed, Beatrix." Shortly after this acknowledgement, the Solar Princess appeared in a flash of light and a golden POP.

"Thank you, TS. Seeya later," I said, turning off the car, exiting it, and locking it up using the fob, making the horn sound. The sound of the car's horn caused ponies to jump a bit, surprising them with its harshness. Celestia expressed a small degree of surprise at my appearance.

"Michael, I am pleased to see you could make it on such short notice. I must admit to being a bit surprised that you chose to be transformed into Trixie, though. Why have you chosen that specific form?"

"Your Majesty, I have chosen to be Beatrix Lulamoon, partially on a whim, but also to experience something different. Since I was Twilight last time around, I thought a change was needed. I suppose I may have bitten off more than I can chew by taking this form, though."

"What makes you say that, Michael?"

"Well, if I were to visit Ponyville, I'm afraid I would not be well received there, given Trixie's past actions," I offered.

"Just a small matter of informing the ponies there of your true identity -- they only need know who you are on the inside, not what their eyes tell them they see. If I remember correctly, you visited another universe. I am quite curious to know what transpired there, as well as the differences you mentioned earlier."

"There's quite a bit to take in, but I will tell you I have some suspicions as well." I told her about my unassisted travel to the alternate Ponyville, the differences between the particular universes, the fact that Nightmare Moon was taking care of raising and lowering both sun and moon, the sad state of affairs there, Rarity's execution, Spike's accidental death, the plight of the Apple family, the fact that every pony seemed depressed due to there being only six or seven hours of daylight each day, Nightmare Moon's warnings to me about my suspicions, and quite a few other observations I had made, as well as additional suspicions.

"Michael, it sounds as though Discord also walks that realm. If what you say is true, then there might not be anything you can do about the state of affairs that particular universe is currently forced to endure. I suggest you forget about them, as certain circumstances regarding the events which transpire in each universe must not be changed. Please be assured that even though what I tell you may cause you great consternation, it is in my opinion for the best that you leave them behind, that you not interfere in that universe. It is my sincere hope that you will give full credence to what I have told you."

"But there are only five Elements of Harmony there, your Majesty. I know there should be six -- I was told there is no Element of Kindness there."

"That information troubles me deeply, Michael. A universe with no Element of Kindness is a very unwelcoming place."

"Tell me about it. I was attacked by Pinkie Pie! I suppose I was wrong for taunting her, but I couldn't help myself."

"So she told you not to call her by that name. What possessed you to do so?"

"She told me Nightmare Moon stayed in a Castle in the Everfree, and that she was going to take me there. Unfortunately, I mentioned a possibility that Nightmare Moon might have killed Rarity and Spike, and she got mad at me, telling me she wasn't going to take me there. As she left, I called her by her most hated name, so she decided to respond by attacking me. I toyed with her for a little bit, simply because I wanted to have a little fun at her expense, but eventually I tired of that, allowing her to vent her frustration upon me. Nightmare Moon healed me somewhat and we had a short conversation. She warned me not to continue with my investigation, lest I provoke a very hostile response from her."

"Be that as it may, Michael, I would suggest not returning to that universe. I would also suggest you refrain from such irresponsible behavior in future, as it is unbecoming of a pony -- personally, I believe you know better. Try not to displease me further, Michael. I will tolerate your presence here, since today is your birthday, and I will encourage you to have some fun."

"I apologize for my actions in that other universe, your Majesty. I know you tell me not to interfere, but I feel a sense of obligation. Twilight and Trixie live together in the library there, and they wear opposite cutie marks. I still have a sneaking suspicion that it was Nightmare Moon who killed Rarity and Spike and is covering up their murders, however I have no evidence to support that claim. There is a part of me that wants to gather the Elements here and take them there to banish Nightmare and Discord, if he is running free and restore order and harmony to that universe."

"Your intention, however noble, is one which is misplaced in my opinion. I reiterate my earlier suggestion, and I personally hope you take it to heart. Forget about them and do not visit that universe again, for my sake as well as yours. I encourage you to travel to Ponyville and meet with Twilight. I feel you deserve a birthday party so you may celebrate in happiness, as opposed to what you described to me earlier. Just don't get too carried away and try to behave yourself."

"Thank you once again, your Majesty. I will use my car to teleport to Ponyville," I announced before entering it and having it perform the requested action.

-------------------------------------

TS teleported me to a point about fifteen feet in front of the Golden Oaks Library. The sudden arrival of the car startled everypony who could see it. This particular jaunt used about three per cent of the magic battery reserves. The sound drew the attention of Spike, who opened the front door, registering his shock at the sight of my vehicle. I turned off the car, got out, and locked it, sounding the horn again. "I need to stop doing that," I thought as I startled the ponies and saw them jump again as well as Spike. I walked around the car to greet him.

"Trixie! What is this ... thing you came here in?" Spike asked incredulously.

I chuckled at his surprise. "Spike, this is my automobile. Has Lyra ever told you about humans who ride around in metal boxes? Well, this happens to be mine," I responded, pointing a hoof at it.

"You mentioned humans? Does this mean you're a human inside Trixie?

"Yes, Spike, that's correct."

"What does that feel like?"

"Not bad, except it takes a little getting used to not having hands."

"Why does that metal box of yours have Twilight's cutie mark on it?" he asked, staring at it intently.

"Because I used magic on it when I was in Twilight's body," I replied nonchalantly. "I wanted it to be a representation of Twilight Sparkle to some degree, so I put a lot of magic into it. That was several months ago."

"Wait. You were in Twilight's body? How's that even possible?"

"I think Discord might have been responsible for that particular transformation. Unfortunately, I was only in her body for a single day. I had a lot of fun, though."

"Discord? What happened? You beat him?"

I chuckled. "No, I had the Elements help me banish him, but since there were two Rarities, he was banished permanently instead of being turned into a statue."

"Two Rarities? I wish I had been there to see that!"

"It was quite interesting. I miss being Twilight, but being Trixie isn't bad either."

"So now you're Trixie, huh? You know what we think of her here, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. I was hoping to meet Twilight -- is she here?"

"She's busy reading, but I can get her for you. Just wait here for a moment." Spike went back inside and a few moments passed. Twilight came to the front door, muttering something about being interrupted while she was reading. She opened it to see me in Trixie's body, the car about fifteen feet behind me. Her expression was one of puzzlement.

"Uh, Trixie? What brings you here? And what -- oh wait, I remember that thing! That's your automobile! Now I remember! We came to your house to banish Discord! I have been wanting to see your machine ever since we left! You're Michael! Let me get some ink and parchment, I want to know everything there is about that vehicle!" she exclaimed in her excitement.

I chuckled at the swiftness with which she was speaking. "What do you want to know about it?"

"Everything! But before I do that, though, there is something I need to ask you. Why did you choose to be Trixie?"

"Because I couldn't be you again," I grinned and chuckled.

"Oh, come on, Michael! You can't be serious!"

"It's true, Twilight. Trust me, I would love to be you again, but the car can't do that for me. I figured Trixie would be the next best thing, since she's fairly powerful with her magic. Interestingly enough, though, all the magic I was able to do while in your body is at my disposal in THIS body! So even though I might look like Trixie, I have quite a bit more magic I can use. I will admit that I am curious to meet up with her in THIS universe, just to see what her reaction would be."

"Wait, does that mean you visited another universe?"

"Yeah, I did. It was a much sadder universe, one where Nightmare Moon was in charge of things."

"So night-time eternal was the rule there?"

"Not quite -- the dark princess allowed a generous six or seven hours of daylight each day."

"That doesn't sound very generous to me!" exclaimed the lavender mare.

"I know. Everypony there seemed to be quite depressed, rather angry, on edge all the time, and their coats had dulled quite considerably."

"Sounds like Discord was running loose as well," Twilight mused, pondering this new information.

"I told Princess Celestia of my observations of that universe before I came here," I offered.

"What advice did she give you?"

"She told me to leave them be, that they had to work things out for themselves."

"Why would she say that? That doesn't sound like her," mused the lavender mare.

"I suppose it has something to do with not changing the fate of those in different places -- I believe that if I or any pony else were to interfere in the affairs of those in alternate universes, we might be changing future events. I hadn't taken that into consideration, but I believe Princess Celestia has her reasons for such an explanation. It doesn't sit well with me, though."

"That sounds depressing. Did you meet me in that universe?"

"Yes, I did, as well as my doppelganger. I also met up with Pinkie Pie, Rainbow, Fluttershy --"

"What was I like over there?"

"Interestingly enough, you and Trixie had grown up together and were in the library together. I suppose you two were sisters in that universe -- additionally, you had been struck mute and to top that off, you had a cutie mark that matches mine, and Trixie had your cutie mark, minus one white star."

"What do you mean, I was struck mute?" the lavender mare asked with a mix of surprise and shock.

"The Trixie in that universe told me you had been mute for five years, after the fall of 'The Evil One'."

"You mean Celestia was this 'Evil One' that they were mentioning? Really? That's INSANE!"

"Sure sounds like it and it seems as though everything got turned upside-down over there as well. I was trying to find more information, but kept getting warned not to stick my nose where it didn't belong."

"And you said Trixie has MY cutie mark over there? What else is different?"

I told her about many of those differences, including Pinkie Pie attacking me, which quite surprised her. A certain pink earth pony popped out from behind my car and bounced up to meet us.

"Hey, Trixie, did you say my name?"

"You attacked me in a different universe I visited earlier," I offered.

"What, you mean I tackled you to the ground and started hitting you in the face?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Your face is still bruised up a bit -- what happened?"

"In that universe, you demanded I call you 'Diane' and not Pinkie Pie," I mused. "You were a pegasus, able to fly faster than Rainbow Dash here. Your cutie mark was three lightning bolts."

"Wow, cool! I always wanted to fly! But why would I demand you not call me by my name?"

"Because you told me you had been teased about that name from the time you started school, so you resorted to beating up those who called you by your most hated name."

"I must have been a bad pony there. Anyway, you're not there anymore, and you're here now! So what brings you here?"

"You see my car over there, do you remember who I really am? Remember when you asked me if I wanted to play pin the tail and I told you I'd rather cut my left ear off with a dull hacksaw?"

She thought about it for a moment and then her face lit up. "Yeah! That's right! You were in Twilight's body then! I was wondering if you'd ever make it back here! Have you gotten over your fear of parties? Can we throw you another one? Will you behave yourself this time?"

"In my human home world, today is my birthday, so yeah, I'm up for a party. The one Fluttershy threw for me in that other universe was a rather sedated affair, even though she was as infectious and bubbly as you are here."

"What? Flutters? A party pony?" asked Pinkie, showing great surprise.

"Yeah, she's an earth pony in that universe."

"Michael, you haven't mentioned Rarity yet," Twilight mused. I hung my head at the mention of her name, my ears drooping. "Why that reaction?" she asked.

"Nightmare Moon told me Rarity had been executed for murdering more than 50 ponies in that universe -- I was in the process of investigating that claim, but I was not able to find any evidence to support it. I have a suspicion that Rarity was murdered by Nightmare Moon, as well as Spike. I also believe that Nightmare Moon was responsible for casting a permanent mute spell on you, Twilight, perhaps because you were close to revealing the truth about the dark princess."

Both ponies registered outright shock at that mention and it took a few moments for them to regain their composure. "Michael, please tell me that didn't happen! And you said Spike too? He's dead in that universe?" asked a very distraught Twilight, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

"I was told he perished in an accident in the Crystal Empire," I said as I hung my head again, my ears drooping.

"I can't believe it's that bad over there!" Twilight exclaimed in exasperation.

"Rainbow is a unicorn in that universe, and she's the one running Carousel Boutique over there."

"Hey, Twiley, Pinks, 'sup? Trixie? What are YOU doing here?" asked the cyan pegasus.

"Hey, Rainbow," I said nonchalantly. "You see my car over here? Do you remember it?"

"Aww, yeah! Now I remember! You were awesome, but not so much at that party," she giggled.

"Michael, did you meet Applejack in that other universe?" asked Twilight.

"I'm afraid not. I stopped by the farm, but found the house and farm had been abandoned."

"What? Don't tell me she's dead over there as well!" Twilight exclaimed in shock.

"No, I was told the farm had been swindled from the Apple family and that they had been forced to farm a different crop. With just six or seven hours of daylight per day, AJ had to work really hard just to stay ahead of the debt collectors. I wanted to meet her, but apparently I got distracted and went to the boutique instead."

"That's just awful! And Princess Celestia said not to interfere? That seems totally unlike her to say something like that! There must be something we can do to help them over there!" exclaimed a flabbergasted Twilight.

"Trust me, Twilight, I want to help them as well. I suppose Princess Celestia has her reasons, but for some reason or other, I feel an obligation to help you and your friends in that other universe. It might mean creating more problems than it solves though."

"I will have Spike send a letter to the Princess, informing her of what you've told me and suggest that we find a way to help out over there. If what you say is true, and I'm inclined to believe it is, then they really do need our help!"

"I'd like to meet my other self! I'll bet being a pegasus is really cool!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie.

"I witnessed you break through the sound barrier," I smiled.

"No freakin' way!" Rainbow exclaimed in disbelief. "Pinkie broke through the sound barrier?"

"A sonic Pinkie boom, yes, it was quite awesome," I mused.

"How's that even possible?" asked the cyan pegasus in exasperation.

"It's Pinkie Pie, what else do you need to know? If any pony can do it, it would have to be her." I mused. The pink earth pony giggled and bounced when I was explaining this.

"I can't believe I'm a unicorn over there! I wonder what I'm like," mused Rainbow.

"You're quite a bit more understated as a unicorn, Rainbow. Your cutie mark over there is three circles of concentric rings of the colors of the rainbow, looking like targets. Your other self told me she's an expert marksmare."

"Sounds awesome! I can't wait to meet her!"

"You should see her mane and tail, that's quite awesome in and of itself!" I chuckled.

"Aww yeah! Does it look kinda like Rarity's?"

"No, it looks more like a mix of mine and Twilight's, which seems a little odd. She seems nice enough, though. Such a shame about Rarity -- I was hoping to get some answers, but got death threats instead."

"That's CRAZY! Why would they do that?"

"Might be something to do with Nightmare Moon being in charge of everything. I suppose she's not as kind and generous as she would have me believe."

"There's gotta be something we can do!" Rainbow exclaimed.

"I wanna help too!" Pinkie giggled.

"We'll have to talk to Princess Celestia," I said. "I hope she doesn't get mad at me for talking about this to the Elements," I thought.

"I had Spike send a letter to Princess Celestia," Twilight said. "She has written back and apparently, she's not too happy about 'Trixie' here talking about that other universe. She says 'under no circumstances are you to travel to that particular universe to help those whom you might think need your assistance. Leave them to their fate'."

"But that's just crazy and wrong!" shouted Rainbow. "I can't believe this! They need our help!"

"We can't disobey the Princess, Rainbow," Twilight said, trying to calm down the sky-blue pegasus. "She has her reasons, we're not supposed to interfere."

Rainbow landed on the ground and sat on her haunches, clearly deflated by this news. "I still think it's wrong," she said glumly.

"Hey, let's get that party going! We've got to do something to keep ourselves happy! Come on, Trix, you can come too!" Pinkie exclaimed as she resumed bouncing around.

"The name's Michael, Pinkie, not Trixie, even though I happen to be in her body. So what about the others? Have you invited them as well?"

"Sorry, Mikey, I forgot! I'm so used to calling ponies by what they look like. You're so silly when you take the appearance of another well-known pony! You should try being your own pony, not some pony else!"

"Next time, I promise," I said nonchalantly.

"Do you Pinkie Promise?" she grinned.

"That reminds me, I made a Pinkie Promise to my wife that I would be back before the end of my birthday," I stated, registering a little shock on my expression.

"Well, silly billy, your birthday's not over yet! So you can come to a party with us!"

"I would be honored, Pinkie Pie," I said. I flinched a little as I said her name.

"What'd ya flinch for?" she asked.

"I remember a bit too well what happened in that other universe when I called you by that name. I apologize for making you angry," I responded.

"That's just me in that other place, not this one! Let's get going!"

"Where's this party being held?" I asked.

"Sugarcube Corner, upstairs. It's just gonna be us girls, oh, and you too, Mikey!"

"You only live twice, Trixie!"

"Trixie? Who invited YOU to this party?" asked Applejack. Rarity echoed that sentiment.

"Actually, I'm not Trixie, I was Twilight last time you saw me at that party in the Castle," I stated.

"Oh, wait -- yer the killjoy, ain't ya!" Applejack grinned. "Ah brought somethin' special ta loosen ya up fer this party! A batch of special blend number four Apple family Cider!"

"Aww yeah! Let me have some of that too!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed excitedly.

"Ah didn't bring enough fer everypony, but ya can have some, RD."

The party was a rather lively little get-together, and the girls were enjoying themselves thoroughly. I was helping myself to some of the cider, noticing a slight alcoholic tang to it. I was regaling the mares with my adventures, such as they were in the alternate universe and how Diane had gotten the better of me. All of them laughed heartily at both my antics and the fact that I got thrashed pretty badly by the pink pegasus. I told them of how sad things were over there and how I wanted to help them. The ones I hadn't told about Nightmare Moon earlier were shocked to hear about what was going on. When I told them of Princess Celestia's request not to interfere, they reacted nearly the same way Rainbow Dash had earlier. Twilight once again related the Sun Goddess' earlier warning, which elicited more expressions of surprise.

"Maybe we should all travel to Canterlot tomorrow to address Princess Celestia together to explain the situation. I for one would like to hear from her myself her exact explanation -- I don't want to hear 'because I said so' come out of her mouth," I said.

"But you already talked to her, Michael! You heard what she said! I even read her letter to you! We can't disobey her!" Twilight pleaded.

"Methinks thou art too close to thy teacher," I mused, eliciting a few chuckles from the others.

"Okay, we'll go first thing tomorrow. I still say it's a bad idea, and I won't be surprised if she tells us not to go," the lavender mare stated flatly.

We continued talking, had a wicked pillow fight where I conjured up a few memory foam pillows just for giggles, playing a few silly games, and consuming more cider, getting progressively more inebriated as the party wore on. The liquor got me to open up to the others about certain things that had been on my mind back on Earth and this also included my true feelings about my marriage, my job, my money situation and an almost crushing depression about having squandered all the potential I had had about 30 years ago or so, that and the fact that those years had been wasted in such a frivolous manner. I didn't think I was trying to play for sympathy, but the mares offered me some condolences. Twilight expressed a curiosity about having me describe in further detail my activities as a human, but the others told her not to delve too deeply into that, as doing so would start a conversation that would last into the wee hours of the morning, and we all needed a good night's sleep for the train ride to Canterlot in the morning.

"Michael, darling, how about another cup of cider? One more to help you sleep better," Rarity offered.

"Sure, I guess one more wouldn't hurt," I mused. I took the cup from Rarity using my telekinesis, but my state of drunkenness prevented me from doing well with that and I spilled some of the cider onto the floor.

"WATCH WHAT YOU'RE DOING! BE CAREFUL WITH THAT!" she shouted at me a bit louder than she should have. The others stared at her with a little confusion at her outburst. "Oh, sorry, darling, just use your hooves to hold it, I forgot myself for a moment there."

I took the cup, holding it in my hooves and downed it in one long gulp. I appreciated the taste of good cider, even if it did have a bit more alcohol in it than I thought it should. I felt the buzzing sensation in my head deepen as the liquor caused me to feel even more fatigued. "Ladies, I think it's about time for me to hit the hay. Been a long day," I stated flatly. Not even a minute after the words had left my mouth, I lost consciousness.

"Looks like Trixie's out like a light," Rainbow chuckled.

"What should we do with her?" asked Fluttershy.

"I'll take her to my boutique, I have an extra room there. I'll make sure she's nice and rested up for morning," Rarity offered.

----------------------------------------

A cold sensation was about all I could feel on my back. I woke up and tried to stretch, but found my legs strapped to a metal table. I tried to move and couldn't. I opened my eyes to see a very bright light above me, so bright it hurt my eyes to look at it. I struggled on the table, trying to wriggle myself free.

"Ah. Good. You're awake," came a female voice from behind me. I couldn't quite place it, but it sounded familiar.

"Um, where am I?" I asked a little nervously. I tried focusing magic through my horn, or where my horn should have been. I felt a sharp pain where my horn used to be and felt warm liquid dribbling down my forehead.

"Where you are doesn't matter," she said coldly.

"What did you do with my horn?!" I shouted.

"You mean this?" she asked, levitating it in front of me. She had broken it off somehow and was taunting me with it. "Can't risk having you teleport out on me, now can I? How stupid do you think I'd be to let you keep this?"

"Would you please let me go?" I asked. She chuckled. I saw a pale blue glow around me, then felt myself being lifted into a vertical position so I could see the walls of the room I was in. A sick feeling hit my gut as I saw just what my situation really was. The room was dark other than the overly bright light, but against the wall to my right were several flat skins of what had been at one time live ponies, one of which looked very familiar, though it had blotches of hunter green paint on it. On the wall to the left, which had originally been painted white, were words scrawled out in dried blood. I started reading what had been written and my face dropped.

"You can't be serious," I stated. "You wouldn't dare."

"So. You already know why you're down here, don't you?" she asked very icily. She came into view at this point.

"I don't believe it. I was trying to find out whether or not this was true in that other universe, not THIS one!"

"Regardless of that fact, you're here now."

"I thought we were going to see Princess Celestia," I offered.

"We had a discussion last night after you passed out. We came to the determination that the Princess' position was the right one, and that YOU were trying to interfere! We could not allow that."

"So why kill me?"

"Heh. We did something else with you as well. We took you to the Library and had Twilight hook her memory device up to you. We looked through all of your memories, including the human ones. We were shocked by what we saw and made the decision to have you stay with me. Little do they know what I plan to do to you, darling!"

"Do they know you're a murderer?"

"Not yet," she said, using her telekinesis to grab hold of my left ear and a sharp knife with a serrated edge. She came closer to me with the knife, readying it to start cutting my ear.

"Please don't do this," I begged. I regretted saying this immediately

"There's a reason I wrote what I did on that wall there," she growled and made the first incision to the base of my ear.

"AAAAAHH!! STOP!" I cried. Tears started streaming from my eyes as she continued to cut, my screams of pain rending the air. She ignored my pleas and screams begging for mercy as she cut my ear almost completely off, the blood flowing down the side of my head. With my ear hanging by just the sinew, she grabbed hold of it in her teeth and pulled it off, eliciting yet another howl of pain from me. As the pain subsided for a moment, I started whimpering as she made her way to my right ear.

"You see, darling, what you did as a human was so reprehensible I feel entitled to do this to you. Screaming is not going to help you as I have soundproofed this room, and begging for mercy? Well, let's just say that bringing about your death is probably as merciful as I'm going to be." She then started cutting my right ear, which prompted more screaming and crying from me. As with my left ear, when she got almost all the way through it, she stopped cutting only to bite my right ear, tearing it off with a sharp jerk of her head.

"Please! Please! Don't do this! I never meant to harm anypony!" I whimpered, the pain forcing streams of tears from my eyes.

"You can stop begging me for mercy. You're down here now and you're going to die. That's all there is to it, Trixie."

"My name's not Trixie! I'm only in her body! You wouldn't do this to me if I were still in Twilight's body, would you?"

"You have a point there, Trixie. I don't recognize you as a human -- you gave up your human identity so you could be Trixie."

"But one of those pelts up on the other wall is Trixie's! I was wondering why I hadn't met her -- how long ago did you kill her?"

"That doesn't matter. What matters is making you suffer as much pain as possible for what you did in the past. I know the real reason you came here -- you complained about your wife, your awful existence as a human, and you wanted an escape. Well, I shall provide it for you!" she shouted as she took a bigger knife and moved to my left side, sizing up my midsection. I watched in horror as she maneuvered the knife to a point midway up my neck.

"You're gonna hit my carotid artery, aren't you? Gonna make it quick, yes?" I asked.

"You wish. I'm going to slice you lengthwise from your neck to your groin, then crosswise about halfway down. You're going to be awake for the whole experience, Trixie!" With that, she forced the knife into my flesh, cutting in short strokes, causing me extreme pain. My blood flowed freely from the deep cut and I screamed even louder as the pain was far more severe as she continued cutting my body. I watched the knife cut further down, the strokes being of uneven depth, hitting various organs as she cut further down. I could only whimper and whine in protest, occasionally screaming as a particularly deep cut was made. The blood loss was starting to get to me at this point and I felt faint.

"Oh no, we can't have you falling asleep just yet. I'm still not finished with you, Trixie!" she exclaimed cheerfully. She took a syringe with what appeared to be a day-glow yellow colored liquid in it, inserted it into my neck and depressed the plunger, releasing the entire contents of the syringe into my bloodstream. Almost immediately this drug filled me with adrenaline, restoring my wakefulness and alertness. I was aghast to see that she had already cut me crosswise, making a large cross-shaped cut down the length and width of my body.

"Okay, good, you can watch me finish this up. I will start with your stomach," she grinned, pulling it from under what now served as flaps of my body. She used her telekinesis to make the large knife cut my stomach away from my esophagus and intestines, laughing almost maniacally as she did so. As if I couldn't scream any louder, I did so as the pain of having an internal organ cut away without anesthetic tore me apart. My tears had a race with my blood to see which could flow faster.

"I grow weary of this, Trixie. I think it's time to put an end to it." I watched in utter horror and shock as she took one of my lungs and cut it away, then grabbed the other lung and cut it away as well. Without my lungs, I couldn't scream or breathe and the lack of oxygen caused my immediate death.

"You only live twice, Trixie," she grinned.

Author's Notes:

In case anyone's wondering, this is a dream sequence and represents an important part of this story. Rarity represents the main character's conscience in this sequence.

An Interesting Encounter

"Aaah! Aaaah! AAAAHH!" I woke with a start, screaming my head off. Rarity hurried into the room I was sleeping in, the sheets wet with my sweat.

"Darling, what's wrong? A bad dream?" she asked with deep concern.

"Uh, yeah, I guess you could say that," I replied nervously. I checked my forehead with my right fore-hoof, finding my horn intact, not missing. I heaved a sigh of relief.

"You're safe here, darling, nothing to worry about. Tell me, what were you dreaming about that scared you so badly?"

"Um, well ... you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you," I chuckled nervously. "I promised my wife I would meet up with her before my birthday was over."

"Well, darling, from what you were telling us last night, maybe she doesn't deserve some pony like you," she chortled.

"Um, I made a Pinkie Promise?" I half-offered.

"You'd better keep it then," she sighed. "Please hurry back, we need you for our presentation before Princess Celestia."

I got up out of the bed and apologized to Rarity for leaving so hastily as well as leaving it sweaty and hurried down the stairs and out of the boutique. I lit my horn and started galloping as quickly as I could towards the Library where my car would still be waiting (I hoped). I dashed by a cloaked figure, not wanting to spend any more time here than was absolutely necessary. Whomever it was decided to follow me, although considerably more slowly than my panicked pace. My expression showed a deep fear -- I did not feel safe here at all. I was seriously considering not returning as that dream seemed far too real. About seven minutes of galloping at top speed got me to the Library. I wasn't sure what time it was, but I knew it had to be pretty late. I knocked on the door, hoping Twilight might still be awake, perhaps reading a book or studying some arcane spell. I heard a grumbling and squeaking steps on the stairs.

"It's 2:30 in the morning, Trixie, what in Tartarus do you want?" asked a very angry Spike, still rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"I need to talk to Twilight, it's extremely urgent. I had a wicked bad dream while sleeping at Rarity's place," I said. I was still shaking with fear.

"Can you wait till morning, Twi just went to bed about an hour ago."

I hang my head, my ears drooping. "Okay, Spike, I'm gonna go home. If Twilight asks, I will be back as soon as possible. Sorry to have woken you." I turn around to face my car and the cloaked figure walks up to meet me. As she pulls back the hood, I notice something very familiar about her. "It's a good thing Spike already went back inside, he'd freak out if he were to see THIS!" I thought.

"Trixie wants to know why you have chosen to mock her like this!" she shouted at me.

"Pleased to meet you as well, Trixie," I grinned. I enlarged the glowing ball of light to illuminate both of us better.

"Hey, Trixie, turn out the lights, I'm trying to get some sleep here!" Spike shouted through the wall. I chuckled.

"Trixie is waiting! Tell her who you are! Tell her where you came from!" she exclaimed, sounding rather indignant.

"I think you'd be better off if I showed you what's going on," I said. "I had a bad dream over at Rarity's place, and I'm headed home now. Join me if you want," I offered. I telekinetically opened the driver's door to my car, the dome light illuminating the interior. "Trixie, there's a question I have for you -- why didn't you freak out when you saw me?"

"Trixie has more important things to worry about than freaking out over seeing another copy of herself -- Trixie has seen many things in her time, and another version of herself is nothing special."

"That leaves me feeling disappointed," I chuckled.

"Trixie is amused by your reaction," she giggled. "Trixie wants to know why you were sleeping at Rarity's place."

"We were celebrating my birthday and I had too much to drink, so I was taken to Rarity's to spend the night. I had a terribly awful dream so I came here to talk to Twilight."

"When is your birthday?"

"First day of August," I said proudly.

"Th-th-that's Trixie's birthday!" she stammered.

"Happy birthday, birthday girl!" I laughed.

"What manner of machine is this?" Trixie asked, curiosity replacing her indignation.

"This is my ticket home, Trixie. As I said before, you're welcome to come along for the ride, so to speak," I grinned.

"You're not going to hurt Trixie, are you?" she asked nervously.

"Not at all, Trixie. I actually have a good amount of respect and admiration for you. I wouldn't have chosen to be you otherwise," I chuckled.

"Trixie ... I ... what? You have ... respect ... and ... admiration ... for Trixie? Really?" she grinned.

"But of course! I have wanted to meet you face to face for a long time!"

"Oh, of course! The reputation of the Great and Powerful Trixie extends far and wide! Trixie deigns to accompany herself wherever she may choose to travel!" she laughed.

"Okay, I'll open the passenger side for you. Hop on in!"

"Where are you taking Trixie?" she asked as her uncertainty returned in full force.

"We're going to my home -- I have to talk to my wife for a few minutes, you're welcome inside my house as long as you behave yourself."

"Your wife? You have a wife? But ... but ... you're ... me?"

I chuckled. "I would like to show you what I look like as a human, I'm actually a male human who has chosen to be you for the time being, mostly as a birthday present for myself. Do you promise to behave yourself?"

"Trixie makes no promises," she stated flatly.

I turned the car on. "Anaylzing driver and passenger data. Data confirmed. Good morning, Beatrix Lulamoon and ... Beatrix Lulamoon? Why are there two of you here?"

"TS, one of me is the human you transformed. The other Trixie is the real one. We are going to my human home on Earth," I replied matter-of-factly.

"Target destination acquired. Preparing to teleport," came TS' cheery voice. Trixie appeared frightened for a moment as the car enveloped itself in a magenta aura, everything turning white for a second, then the car materializing in the driveway of my human home on Earth.

"TS, magic battery level?" I asked.

"Magic battery level, 37 per cent," she replied in a slightly sad voice.

"Okay, we'll get out and I will recharge them for you again. Trixie, I'll need for you to exit the car -- oh, you can open your eyes now, we're here!" I giggled. She opened her eyes, then shut them again, even tighter this time. "Trixie, I need you to get out so I can recharge the car's magic batteries. Come over to my side of the vehicle and wait a moment for me if this new environment has you so spooked."

"Trixie is not spooked!" she shouted as she opened her eyes. "Trixie will stand by your side of this ... vehicle." She hopped out of the car and trotted around it to my side. I used my telekinesis to close her door and hopped out on my side, closing the door after me. I stood by the front fender and used magic to recharge the batteries, my horn glowing a pale pink. It was still dark outside and I was curious to know what time it was.

"Okay, Trixie, I'm done with that task. Let's head inside." I trot towards the front door of our house but Trixie is still standing by the car. "Trixie! Come up here!" I shout at her. She shakes her head for a moment and slowly makes her way to the front porch.

"Trixie is not so sure about this," she said nervously.

"Oh, my name's Michael, by the way. Sorry not to have made a proper introduction earlier," I chuckled. I used my telekinesis to unlock the doors and open them. It was dark inside, so I flipped on a light switch, illuminating the foyer. "Come on in, Trixie, I'll show you around."

"Trixie has never seen anything like this," she mused. She followed me inside the house, marveling at everything she saw. She looked downstairs, the basement still dark. I checked the kitchen to see what time the stove clock had on it. The time showed as 2:17 AM.

"Let's head upstairs, I think my wife is in our bedroom." I closed the doors behind us, locking them as well. Trixie looked up the illuminated stairway leading to the upper level hallway. "I hope you don't get too freaked out about seeing a female human for the first time," I chuckled.

"Trixie has seen lots of things! A female human shouldn't be too scary," she stated flatly. I heard footsteps on the floor of our room. Apparently, Brenda had woken up after hearing us talking. She came into the hallway and saw us at the base of the stairway.

"Mike, you promised me you'd be back ... why are there two of you?"

"What ... what ... what ... is ... that?!" Trixie asked in her fright. She retreated behind me.

"Brenda, I'm sorry I didn't make it back earlier -- I had been at a party and had a little too much to drink, so I was allowed to sleep it off a little. I had no idea that it would be this long. The other Trixie you see here is the real one, the one I might have told you about earlier. Trixie, this dark-skinned woman is my wife, Brenda. She won't hurt you, at least, I don't think she will," I said, trying to reassure the azure unicorn.

"Why is it that she does not recognize Trixie?" asked the mare.

"Your reputation is not as wide-spread as you might think it is," I chuckled. "Anyway, Brenda, I am on another mission. I have another universe to save."

"No you don't! You're not going anywhere, Mike! You take Trixie back where you got her from and come back here! You're not going on any more missions! I only allowed you to do this because it was your birthday, but now your birthday's over! We've got lots of things to do when you get back!"

I lit my horn and charged up a ball of light. "I still have magic at my disposal, Brenda. I have a universe to save whether you like it or not, and there's nothing you can say or do that will dissuade me from accomplishing that mission! And when I get back and change myself back into a human, I'm filing a divorce against you!"

She dashed down the stairs, her hand open as if to strike my horn. I moved out of the way, her hand connecting with the wall behind where I was standing. "Damn you, Mike! Stand still so I can hit you!" I used a short-term freeze spell on her, one that would wear off in about five minutes.

"Brenda, I don't have time to be bucking around with you. I have things to do, and I can't have you trying to stop me. Trixie, let's get going, there's another universe I want you to see," I called to her. She had gone into the living room and was staring at the very large TV which dominated that room.

"Mike, what is this large black thing here?"

"That's a television, but we have to get going, Trixie. Take my hoof, there's another Ponyville I want to show you. Would you like to meet another version of yourself?" I chuckled a little after asking this question.

"Trixie has met enough of herself and does not want to ... wait, you said ... really?"

"One thing I should warn you about, though. We might attract the attention of Nightmare Moon with our arrival, though I hope we don't."

"Trixie is not afraid. She will accompany you!" she grinned.

"Okay, Trixie, take my left fore-hoof, and we'll be off again." She did so and I teleported the both of us to the Library in the other universe. Here, it was mid-day, the sky still being a heavy overcast. "I wonder how often a clear day occurs in this universe," I thought. I knocked on the front door of the Library and Trixie answered it.

"O-o-o-o-kay, would the two of you like to tell me what's going on here?" she asked.

"Trixie, you probably remember me as that human who visited you earlier. This is Trixie from another universe, I was curious to see how you might react to seeing a third copy of yourself," I chuckled.

"T-t-t-Trixie w-w-wants t-t-to kn-kn-know why there are th-three of her!" she stuttered.

"Trixie, meet Trixie -- check out her cutie mark!" I chuckled.

"I think that's rather uncouth of you, Michael," she stated flatly, "but I will oblige you, since I see THIS Trixie has a cutie mark that matches yours and Twilight's as well."

"Speaking of whom, why not have her come out here and meet us as well?" I grinned. "Hey, Twilight! I need to talk to you for a minute!"

She trotted down the stairs and came out the front door. Upon seeing the three of us, she started shaking her head and laughing. It sounded weird coming out of the little white box she wore around her neck. Real Trixie saw the pink and purple version of her cutie mark and a look of shock crossed her features.

"Trixie wants to know why Sparkle has her cutie mark."

"The name's Twilight Sparkle, Trixie, and I got this cutie mark when I was four years old -- it indicates my magic abilities," she said. "I would ask you the same question. Oh, and Michael, I'm glad to see you have returned. Princess Nightmare Moon was worried you might not make it back."

"Twilight, I would like to ask you and Diane to come with me to another universe," I stated. "Trixie, would you be kind enough to allow Twilight to come with me?"

"That depends upon how long you intend to have her with you," she said flatly.

"Should only be about four hours or so, give or take," I said to her. I turned to look up at the sky and saw a pink blur overhead. "Hey! Diane! Come down here for a minute!" I shouted up at her. Upon hearing my voice and seeing my return, she zoomed as quickly as she could, a grim scowl on her face.

"Tell me right now why I shouldn't thrash ... wait! There ... are ... THREE OF YA? What?"

"Diane, I need you to accompany me to another universe. I have a very interesting plan and I want to know if you might be interested in meeting another version of yourself. There is a certain sky-blue pegasus I think you'd be VERY interested in meeting!" I grinned.

"How long 're we gonna be gone fer?" she asked impatiently.

"A couple of hours or so, shouldn't be any longer than that," I replied matter-of-factly.

"Trixie wants to know why the pink one can fly," she half-asked.

"Trixie, this is Diane and in THIS universe, she's a pegasus! In the other one, she's an earth pony who likes to throw parties," I said. "In that other universe, she has no problem with her nickname being used. Diane, I hope you don't take it the wrong way when the others call you by that name as that's the name they've always used for their bouncing pink pony friend."

"Well, maybe it's not a good idea if I go with ya," she said. "But I wanna meet the other me! If ya say there's a blue pegasus -- could it be Rainbow?"

"Eeyup," I replied, giggling.

"Can she fly real fast, like me?"

"Eeyup."

"Okay, I'll go with ya! I can't wait ta meet her!" For a moment there, I thought I saw Diane's hair go frizzy...

"Will I be able to meet my other self?" Twilight asked.

"Eeyup," I giggled again.

"Okay, let's get going!" shouted Twilight with enthusiasm.

"All right, everypony, let's form a circle so I can teleport us back to my home world. From there, we'll get in my car and teleport to the other Ponyville. I believe it's still dark there, but we have a VERY special meeting ahead of us! You're not going to believe what's going to happen!" I exclaimed. I can't remember the last time I had been this excited!

The Truth Comes Out

The four of us made the jump, but it took an awful lot out of me. "Okay, now we get into the car here," I said, opening all four doors. My horn was starting to hurt a little. The others exchanged nervous glances, not exactly sure what was going on. "Um, this vehicle here will take us the rest of the way," I said, pointing at it.

"Uh, Mike, I don't think I've ever seen anythin' like this," Diane said nervously.

"Michael, is this ... thing ... safe?" asked Twilight.

"You two are so funny! Trixie has traveled in this vehicle and it is perfectly safe!" she chuckled and hopped into the front passenger seat.

"Diane, take the left rear passenger seat behind me. Twilight, you sit behind the other Trixie. It won't be long now," I said. "I'm looking to get a few more hours of sleep. I hope the other Twilight will let us have her guest room. That, or we can sleep for a little bit on the train ride." My state of fatigue betrayed me as I let slip an important piece of information I should have kept secret until we were on that train.

"Um, what train ride?" Trixie asked me. "Tell me!" she added quite petulantly.

"Oh, you'll find out tomorrow when we're on it. I've planned an extremely important meeting ahead -- one that will determine the future of an entire universe. I will need for all of you to be on your best behavior, for my sake please." I glanced around nervously, hoping I hadn't ruined the surprise. I took a moment to contemplate the upcoming meeting with the Solar Princess. With every pony in their respective seats, I turned on the car and had it teleport us to Ponyville, the good one. It was day-break here and Celestia was waking up, getting ready to raise the Sun for the day. We got out of the vehicle and I locked it up, leaving the key fob on the driver's floor mat. I rested against it for a moment to catch my breath a little.

"The tree looks quite familiar," Twilight mused.

"So this is that other universe," Diane mused pensively. "I wonder what the other me looks like."

"All you have to do is call her name, Diane," I chuckled. "I'll bet she'll be fascinated by YOUR appearance!"

"Trixie finds this all a bit too overwhelming for her," she sighed.

"Hey, Trix, d' ya always refer ta yerself in third person?" Diane chuckled.

"Trixie has been doing that for years, P --" she began.

"DON'TCHA DARE!" Diane shouted at her.

"Trixie, you must refer to the pink pegasus by her middle name, Diane. Don't call her by the party pony's name. Diane, when I call Pinkie Pie's name, I'm referring to the earth pony, not you. Do you understand?" I asked hesitantly.

"I don't like it," she replied angrily.

"Did somepony call my name?" asked the bouncing pink earth pony. When she spotted her pegasus counterpart, she gasped. "Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! IsThisReallyHappeningForReal? ICan'tBelieveI'mReallyMeetingME!! CanYouFlyReallyFastLikeRainbowDash?" Pinkie Pie said way too fast and hugged Diane very tightly.

"Uh, yer Pinkie Pie?" came the query from the very confused pink pegasus.

"YEAH! That's ME! And you're me too! But you're a pegasus! And you can fly! Show me how fast you can go!"

"Okay, Pinkie, I'll show you!" Diane grinned, taking off into the early morning sky. She zoomed as fast as she could go, then proceeded to leave a big pink poofy cloud in her wake as a loud boom was heard. This caught the attention of a certain cyan pegasus with a rainbow colored mane and tail, who started flying next to the pink pegasus. The two of them raced each other across the sky, both of them zooming at near sonic speed before Diane punched through the sound barrier again.

"NO FREAKIN' WAY!!" shouted Rainbow Dash. Diane caught up with her and grinned, her mane and tail totally poofy, except that the speed they were traveling was keeping it kind of flat. She pointed downward a few times with her left fore-hoof, indicating they should land. The two of them landed near us, Pinkie giggling and laughing when she saw Rainbow's shocked expression.

"Holy -- ! Pinkie, that was AWESOME! When did you learn how to fly like that?"

"Uh, Rainbow? My name's Diane, and I've been flyin' like that since I first learned how ta!"

"Trixie is most impressed, Diane!" she smiled in admiration.

"Yeah, but she doesn't have a cool mane and tail like mine!" the cyan pegasus protested.

"We've gotta have a big party for all of you! But it's gonna have to wait, though. Mikey? You wanna tell every pony here what the plan is?"

"Okay, first we get Twilight. Rainbow, can you go get Fluttershy and Applejack, Pinkie? Can you direct Diane over to Carousel Boutique and bring Rarity to the train station? Trixie and I and the two Twilights will head over to the train station and we'll meet up there for the ride to Canterlot."

"Okay, Mike, gotcha," Rainbow said and took off for Fluttershy's cottage.

"Diane? It feels funny calling you by my middle name," Pinkie giggled. "Carry me that way (she pointed) to the boutique -- if it's anything like your version of Ponyville, it should look fairly familiar." Diane carried the pink earth pony off towards the boutique. I knocked on the front door of the Library.

"Ugh, what time is it?" asked a very sleepy Twilight. She slowly made her way to the front door and opened it to see a version of herself with Trixie's cutie mark and a small white box around her neck, Trixie and me. I stepped aside to allow her to exit the tree. "Wait, you are me?" she asked the other Twilight.

"Yes, I am. Pleased to meet you -- I was wondering what my alternate universe self looked like."

"I see you still wear the voice box device -- would you be kind enough to demonstrate for me what it's capable of doing?"

She maneuvered the knobs on the device to give a sample of the fake RCV. I steeled myself and glanced at Trixie, grinning. "Trixie, you might want to cover your ears for this," I giggled.

"HOW MANY TIMES MUST I TELL THEE THAT THOU HAST OFFENDED ME??!!" exclaimed Twilight through her voice box. She giggled and reset the knobs to the normal position. She continued to giggle.

Trixie stood in stunned silence, while I chuckled a little. It took her a moment or two to regain her composure. "Trixie wants to know where Sparkle got that device!" she exclaimed, a smile making its way onto her face. "If Trixie had a device like that, maybe her shows would be better!"

"Your counterpart there gave it to me. I tinkered with it to get it to do that," she giggled.

Trixie turned to me. "Trixie wants to know if you can give her such a device!" she grinned.

"We need to be making our way to the train station, we have a ride to catch. Maybe I can have the car drive us there," I mused. I opened the car, allowing everypony to jump in. The two Twilights got into the back seats and Trixie rode shotgun again. TS expressed more confusion upon analyzing two Trixies and two Twilights. "TS, we need to drive to the train station here in Ponyville. Can you engage auto-drive and take us there?"

"Calculating. Configuring auto-drive parameters. Commencing auto-drive." TS didn't sound too cheerful at this request. As she drove herself towards the train station, ponies of all races, colors and sizes were startled, shocked, confused, and many of them panicked as she made her way relatively slowly to the train station. TS's proximity alarms were nearly constant and she had to repeatedly sound her horn in order to get the confused ponies to scatter out of her way.

"TS, how much more of this? These ponies are becoming a nuisance and they're impeding our progress," I complained.

"Michael, please! They've never seen anything like this vehicle, and I'll bet they're scared of it! The sounding of that horn is scaring me as well! Not being able to see what's going on is making me nervous!" Twilight said in exasperation.

TS's navigation screen showed a front-camera view of what was in front of us. "Estimated distance to train station, 3.4 miles. We should arrive in about ten minutes."

"Twenty miles an hour? Sheesh! I can get out and gallop faster than that!" I shouted in frustration.

"Then why not do it, silly?" TS responded.

"None of your smart answers, you think you're so clever," I growled. "Park behind the train station if you can, please."

I heard a giggling sound coming from TS's speakers. I had no idea I had given her a sense of humor. Trixie and both Twilights chuckled a little at this exchange as well. We continued on, almost constantly hearing the horn sounding, TS alternately speeding up and braking as some hapless ponies stumbled over cobblestones in TS's path. This was definitely going to make the papers and I was never going to live this incident down. I was almost positive that this was probably the worst decision I had ever made while in Ponyville. Eventually, we made it to the train station, TS parking fairly close to it, but far enough away from the tracks so as not to be in the path of passing trains. I turned the car off and we got out.

As if the sight of the car wasn't enough of a shock, when every pony saw two Twilights and two Trixies, they were really freaked out. I saw Rainbow Dash, Diane, and Fluttershy approaching the station with Rarity and Applejack trailing behind. Rarity was not very happy to see us. Applejack wore an expression of surprise. Pinkie appeared from behind TS, for some strange reason.

"Pinkie, how do you do that?" I asked in exasperation.

"Hey, silly billy! You forget who I am, did ya?" she asked, grinning broadly.

"Michael, darling! You could have stopped by the boutique and picked me up, you know!" exclaimed a nearly breathless Rarity.

Upon seeing the fashionista, the Twilight from the alternate universe ran up to her and hugged her very tightly. "Oh, Rarity! It's been so long! I have missed you so much!"

"Twilight, darling, it's only been ... wait ... you're the Twilight from the other universe! Your cutie mark is like Trixie's! Is what they said about me in that other universe true?"

The other Twilight started sobbing very loudly, her wailing sounding very odd coming through the voice box. "NO! None of it is true! Nightmare Moon killed you! You were not a serial murderer!"

A Meeting with 'The Evil One'

The pony behind the ticket counter was probably more confused than just about anypony else. Two Trixies, two Twilights, Diane and Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy -- nine tickets for Canterlot, and me with no money to pay for them.

"Um, I don't have any money to pay for nine tickets to Canterlot," I said glumly.

"Let me take care of this," Rarity offered. "Put it on my tab, I'll take care of it when we get back," she told the ticket agent.

"Your credit's good with us, Miss Rarity. You're on our frequent rider program, so we can offer you a group discount." The ticket agent cut nine tickets for us and we didn't have to wait long as the next train for the capital was due in any minute.

"Thank you, kind sir!" Rarity smiled as she took the tickets, distributing them to each of us. "Trixie, I hope you behave yourself in Canterlot," she chided.

"Trixie would appreciate it if you would give her more credit than that," she retorted, her voice tinged with frustration.

"We need to make a good presentation before the Princess," Twilight stated. "I hope the other Twilight and Diane will help us make a good case. If what you say about that other universe is true, Twilight, then I believe we may be able to help you over there."

"Thank you for allowing me to meet myself," the other Twilight addressed me.

"Pleasure's all mine," I smiled. I witnessed Diane and Pinkie having a very animated discussion with each other, the two of them chirping excitedly, grinning ear to ear. I half-way wondered if Diane might actually be willing to accept her nickname. Diane then came over to Rarity and hugged her as well.

"Rarity, it's been so long! I didn't wanna believe what had been said about ya and I'm glad to meet ya again, even if it ain't my world's Rarity!" Diane grinned.

"Diane, is it? Darling, it pains me to hear about what happened to me in that other universe. I would like to show the ruffian the error of her ways!"

We boarded the train and found a large enough area for all of us to sit and talk with each other. My goal of claiming more sleep was going to have to wait awhile longer, but at least my horn had stopped aching. I had no idea of how long the train ride was, but our conversations regarding plans and activities were enough to last almost the entire way there. Trixie expressed some trepidation but was willing to stay brave. I found her willingness to help surprising -- I was pleased to be learning more about the show-mare than I had ever known before. I decided I wanted to have a private conversation with her. She was having a good time talking about her exploits, at least the better ones anyway. Whenever a question brought up painful memories for her, she would brush it aside or change the subject. I was developing a new appreciation for her.

"Trixie wants to know if you were serious about divorcing your wife," she mused as we talked.

"You weren't at the party I was at last night -- so you have no idea of what my marriage has been like. I've been with that woman for more than 20 years and frankly, I don't think I can stand her any more. I made a promise to myself that when this is over, I will take Pinkie's suggestion of being my own pony seriously and I will return here to make a new life for myself as a unicorn stallion. I believe I may take a new wife, but I will need some time to myself to decompress from 20 years of marriage."

"Trixie hopes you might consider her as a possible choice, Michael," she offered, smiling at me.

"As I said before, Trixie, I will need some time to myself before making another choice of that magnitude." She appeared to deflate somewhat -- she pouted and gave me her best sad puppy dog eye look. "You look really cute when you do that, Trixie, but please remember -- I'm actually 49 years old, and I don't want to rush things."

"Trixie says you lie! You can't be that old!" she shouted loud enough for every pony else to hear.

"How old did ya say ya are?" asked Diane.

"Forty-nine years, Diane. If I were to return to my human form, you'd see just how much grey I have in my hair."

"I would like to see what you look like as a human," Twilight mused. The others also expressed similar opinions.

"Perhaps I will later on, when I get the car back to the Library -- I'll have TS transform me back into a human so you can see what I'm talking about."

"Michael, you scared lots of ponies by having that vehicle transport us from my house to the station," Twilight stated flatly.

"I'm going to have to apologize to every pony I scared as well as the mayor. I hope no pony vandalizes my vehicle or tries to -- it has a self-defense system active on it."

"As long as no pony gets hurt by it, it should be okay," Twilight said in an attempt to reassure me.

The train pulled up to the grand capital central station and we all got off the train. The other Twilight and Diane marveled at the scale of the station as they had never seen such a massive structure, but they were floored when they saw just how large the castle was.

"Behold our destination, ladies -- Canterlot Royal Castle!" I shouted with enthusiasm.

"Trixie hopes your confidence is as strong as your exuberance," she grinned.

"You forget that at one time, I was in Twilight's body. Self-confidence is my middle name," I chuckled.

"Trixie wants you to tell her about your time as Sparkle," she mused.

"Later, I promise," I chuckled. Diane and the other Twilight gave me curious glances, as if to ask the same of me.

"Care to regale every pony about that bad dream you had last night?" Rarity chortled.

"Oh, you mean the one where you had strapped me to a metal table and proceeded to cut off my ears and conduct a vivisection on me?" I retorted. This drew sharp gasps from everypony present.

"Uh, what's a vivisection?" asked Applejack. Both Twilights grimaced.

"That's where the internal organs are cut out of a live pony," this Twilight answered.

"Oh. Ya mean ... as if Rarity really was a murderer?" Applejack asked sullenly.

"It seemed a bit too lucid for my taste. Really scared me. I've had bad dreams before, but never one that seemed so realistic," I replied, trying to shake off a fresh chill. "Can we catch a ride to the front gate of the Castle?"

"Michael, darling, was the dream that bad? I had no idea. I'm terribly sorry for bringing it up," Rarity said, offering a genuine apology.

"I accept your apology, Rarity. If you would like, I will tell you later in full detail about that dream," I offered. "Might turn you green, though..."

"Michael, save the discussions for later. We have an appointment to keep!" Twilight admonished. We trotted our way to the Castle, making our way to the main gate. We were allowed entry, but drew gasps of astonishment from every pony who saw us. The sight of all nine of us was quite remarkable as a path was made for us. I continued to chuckle at the sight of shocked ponies, finding it quite amusing. What was not so amusing was the reaction of the Royal Guards who eyed us with suspicion. Both Twilights were able to smooth things over as we made our way through the Castle to meet up with Princess Celestia. "I wonder what Diane's and the other Twilight's reaction will be to seeing HER," I thought.

We filed three by three along the wide hallway, the red carpet providing a bit of a path for us. Since Twilight was the most familiar with the Castle, she took the point position with the other Twilight to her right and Rarity to her left. The second row was Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Applejack. Trixie, Diane and I trailed them. Behind us were a small contingent of Royal Guard, making sure we behaved ourselves. Presently, we reached the Royal Throne Room. Diane commented on the size of the place and was amazed by the stained glass windows depicting the defeat of Discord, the defeat of Nightmare Moon (which drew a gasp from the other Twilight and Diane), the defeat of the Changeling Queen, a fresh window depicting the fall of Sombra, and a few blank ones yet to be filled in. A pair of Royal Guard stood watch at the entry to the throne room.

"We seek an audience with Princess Celestia, may we enter?" asked this Twilight. The other Twilight flinched a bit as did Diane. I saw Diane's expression turn from apprehension to outright fear as the door was opened and the regal white Alicorn came into view.

"Diane, it's okay. She's the protector here," I whispered to her. My attempt to comfort her failed. I had to push her into the throne room.

"Twilight, my faithful student! It is a pleasure to meet ... both of you? Interesting," the Sun Goddess mused. A serene smile graced her features as she took stock of all nine of us. "I see you have brought all of the Element Bearers as well. Who is this pink pegasus who looks like Pinkie Pie?"

The pink pegasus in question very meekly made her way towards the Princess, bowing and scraping before her. "Yer Majesty, I am Pinkamena Diane Pie, Element of Loyalty in my universe." She continued to remain in a deeply bowed position before the Alicorn. Pinkie Pie giggled at the formality.

"You may rise, Pinkamena," she smiled. "By what name do they call you in your universe? I am quite surprised to see a different version of Pinkie Pie, and another Twilight as well. You, the one with the white box around your neck, please come to me."

"Yer Majesty, I prefer to be called Diane," she offered softly, then made her way back to my side.

"Your Majesty, it is with great trepidation I do so, as in my universe, you were described as being 'The Evil One'," the other Twilight said meekly, her legs trembling in fear. It was all she could do to concentrate on standing, lest she fall to the floor in a heap.

"Twilight, my little pony, there is no need to fear me. If you have the same dedication to your studies in the other universe, I believe you and my Twilight will become the best of friends. Perhaps you and her have more in common with each other than the last time somepony came here as Twilight," she chuckled. "And what is with the white box you wear?"

"Your Majesty, this device allows me to talk. Without it," she said, removing it telekinetically, she mouthed the words "I can't talk at all." She returned the box to her neck, positioning it correctly.

"How may I ask did that happen?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what are the three black knobs on it for?"

"If you'll allow me to demonstrate, your Majesty," she said, adjusting the knobs, taking a deep breath and setting her feet again, "THOU HAST DISPLEASED ME FOR THE LAST BUCKING TIME!! I SHALL SILENCE THEE FOREVER!!!" she shouted in her fake RCV.

Everypony present stood shocked by the language and word choice. I decided to speak up at this point.

"Twilight, does that mean that the dark Princess in your world chose to silence you? Would you care to explain not only to Princess Celestia but all of us as well what happened in your universe regarding Nightmare Moon?"

The other Twilight broke down, sobbing loudly. The Sun Goddess came over to her and wrapped a wing around her, doing her best to comfort her student's counterpart. The warmth was reassuring and Twilight emerged, a somewhat stoic expression on her face. "Princess Celestia, if I may call you that, this is a long story. Five years ago, Nightmare Moon made her return to our world, after having been banished for a thousand years. We were in the service of Princess Celestia and were regarded quite highly as Element bearers ourselves -- but in our haste to try to defeat the evil Princess, she engaged in mind control, hypnotizing as many of us as she could. She warped our minds into thinking that SHE was the good one, and that YOU were the Evil One! So instead of banishing Nightmare, we banished YOU instead! I am so sorry! Please forgive me!" she wailed, sobbing loudly.

A tear trickled down the Sun Goddess' muzzle. She turned to me. "Michael, I would be tempted to admonish you for having traveled to that other universe, but it appears that your suspicions have proven correct. I believe I may have erred in advising you to leave them to their fate. It pains me greatly to see Twilight in such a state, and I give you my blessing to take whatever steps you need in order to restore order and harmony to that universe. If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to ask as I shall be happy to provide it for you."

"Thank you, Princess Celestia. I request some time to sleep, as my slumber last night was disturbed by a most unsettling dream. I will also need some time to plan a strategy. If I can think of anything else that may aid me, I will request it later. I deeply appreciate your generosity, your Majesty."

"It is my sincere hope that you succeed in this mission, Michael. I would like to accompany you as well to that other universe so that I might be able to meet myself upon the defeat of Nightmare Moon."

Messin' Around in Canterlot

Truthfully, the day was still quite young, so all of us were allowed to spend the day in Canterlot, checking out various sights and scenes. This Twilight gave us all a grand tour of the place, allowing us to see parts of the Castle that were generally off limits to outsiders, and some that were off limits even to the Element Bearers themselves. I thought I knew how big the Castle was, but I had to admit to great ignorance as to its grand scale. The other Twilight and Diane just continued to gawk at everything they saw, Twilight's mind racing as she tried to take mental notes of everything. I saw Trixie taking mental notes of the Castle as well, something that I found a little troubling. "I hope she's not planning on doing something reckless," I thought. Diane enjoyed flying as much as Rainbow did, so they both flew around us as we continued the tour. We made our way outside the Castle and took a quick tour of the Royal Gardens, admiring the statues, although not so much the one of Discord.

"Ugh, so that's what he looks like," the other Twilight said in disgust. "How hard was he to defeat?"

This Twilight went into the story of how he had messed around with their minds, getting them to distrust each other and how it was that Celestia had returned her friendship reports so she could read them, thus strengthening her resolve to save her friends and bring Discord to an ultimate defeat. The other Twilight and Diane smiled in amazement at the story.

"Trixie could have defeated him by herself!" she boasted.

"I seriously doubt that, Trixie," Twilight said. "He corrupted our thoughts and our friendship -- and he would have done the same to you. In the end, it was nothing less than the true magic of friendship which defeated him, and I'm quite certain that your abilities would have been no match for his."

"Trixie wants a chance at him!"

"No you don't! And we don't want to have to face him again, either!" Twilight admonished sternly.

"Whatever. The Great and Powerful Trixie would show you!"

"Don't make me remind everypony about that Ursa Minor incident," Twilight grinned.

"Oh. Well, Trixie was unprepared for that," she said sullenly.

"I have a feeling Discord's still on the loose in our universe," the other Twilight said glumly.

"Trixie will help you defeat him!"

"Now you're learning," Twilight grinned.

"Well, one problem at a time, ladies," I said optimistically. "Hey, Rarity, is there a spa here in Canterlot? I think we all could use some freshening up before our little jaunt tomorrow. What say?"

"Michael, darling, that's the best suggestion I've heard all day! There is indeed a spa here in Canterlot, and it's not far at all from the Castle! Is everypony here up for a trip to the spa? Nothing like being pampered, I must say!" she beamed.

"How are we supposed to pay for that if we don't have any money?" asked the other Twilight.

"They don't call me the Element of Generosity for nothing, girls! This one's on me!" Rarity stated proudly.

"You have my thanks, Rarity, I will have to find some way of making it up to you," I offered.

"I feel it's the least I can do for you, Michael -- I hope the spa treatments will help you feel better, darling!"

"I can't wait to see what this is like -- I've never been to a spa for that sort of treatment before," I said.

"Oh, you're in for a real treat then, darling! They know how to treat you right!" giggled the fashionista.

The others expressed their agreement on the spa trip and just a short while later we entered the Canterlot Spa Royale, their motto: "Where we treat you like a Princess!"

"I certainly hope so -- Rarity's spending an awful lot for all of us," I thought.

Almost as if to read my thoughts, Rarity spoke up. "Okay, ladies, if you're worrying about how much I'm spending, remember my special gift is finding gems -- I have enough bits to last my entire lifetime, so this expenditure is petty cash for me! I hope every pony enjoys themselves thoroughly! I want to see smiles on all your faces!"

Nearly in unison, we all said, "Thank you so much, Rarity!" She smiled in return. We were led to separate rooms to receive our treatments -- being pampered in such style was indeed the best treatment I had EVER received! The massage relaxed me, the pedicures on the hooves, the hot tub -- well, there were three of us to a tub, so I shared my tub with Trixie and Diane -- I don't know why I got paired up with them, but we chatted for awhile. Trixie was quite keen on finding out more about the other universe, but Diane tried to keep her answers short. In fact, the most common answer Diane gave was, "Don't wanna talk 'bout it, Trix." I swear she said that at least a dozen times! Diane, on the other hoof, was quite a bit interested in MY universe, the human one. I couldn't believe she would have so many questions, but I answered them as best I could. After our time in the hot tub was over, we broke for lunch.

"Okay, girls, we're headed over to this nice little place not far from here," Rarity said. "They have the best Prench cuisine!"

"I'm staying away from the escargot," I said. "I'd ask for Chateaubriand, but that would be too gauche."

"MICHAEL! They don't serve MEAT there!" Rarity chided sharply.

"So what if some Griffons show up?" I chuckled.

"You push your luck, darling. If you don't know what you want, I will explain the items for you. You seem to know a little Prench, so it may make things a little easier for you."

"I would appreciate all the help I can get, Rarity. Thanks again for everything."

"But of course, darling!"

Truthfully, the wait staff helped everypony order something they would find enjoyable, myself included. The food was some of the best I had ever tasted and once again I thanked Rarity for her assistance. I believed she was trying to regain my trust in her. We then took a tour of the bazaar and market, the theatrical districts and various other sections of the city. We caught sight of Fancy Pants escorting a familiar looking pink earth pony around, which drew a gasp from Diane and Pinkie Pie. Diane saw that her cutie mark was different, though, so it wasn't exactly who we thought she might have been. As the day wore on, all this touring was starting to tire us out, so we made our way back to the Castle for dinner and then a good night's sleep.

Pinkie Pie wanted to throw us a party -- and by all rights, she probably should have -- except that Princess Celestia informed us that we needed to be well rested for what lay ahead of us. The Sun Goddess had informed Pinkie Pie that any parties would have to wait until after we had completed our task. A grand dinner had been prepared for us and we ate heartily, sampling the creations of various chefs who had been participating in competitions. All of these were quite impressive -- many different degrees of saltiness, sweetness, sour, strong, spicy -- I wondered which one of them might take top honors as all of them were great in their own right. The others enjoyed their dishes as well, but the more interesting reactions came from Diane and the other Twilight, who had never sampled such dishes before. They expressed amazement and wished for such chefs to visit their particular universe. We left the grand dining hall fully satisfied and made our way to our bedchambers. To say that these were luxury appointments would be the height of understatement -- such lavish ornamentation adorning each room was opulence on a grand scale. The beds were made of solidified cloud, the most comfortable bed I have ever slept on. As I fluffed my pillow, I turned out my room light and laid down, falling asleep very quickly.

---------------------------------------

I felt somepony slide into the bed with me, snuggling up behind me. "I thought I locked that door..." I decided to allow whomever it was to snuggle behind me, curious to know who it was, but not so much as to ask for a name. I didn't have to wait long to find out who it was, though.

"Trixie wanted some company," she cooed softly. I tried to ignore her. "Trixie wanted to give a more persuasive argument as to why you should choose her to be your next wife," she giggled. Again I ignored her. She snuggled even closer and I could feel her breath against the back of my neck. She ran her right fore-hoof up and down my barrel, perhaps in an attempt to arouse me. She felt something unusual and commented on this. "Trixie wants to know why you have this ... scar ... on your body," she said in a puzzled tone of voice.

"What? What are you talking about?" I asked, breaking free from her embrace. I used my magic to lift the cover and turned over on my back.

"Trixie likes this new position you have taken!" she grinned broadly. I scowled at her. I turned on the room light to get a better look at what she was talking about and when I saw it ...

"Aaaaahhh! What ... what ... the ... BUCK ... is ... THIS!!?" I screamed. A long jagged scar ran the length of my underside, just above the neckline all the way down to between my teats, and about halfway up, the scar ran the width of my midsection. A look of abject terror crept across my face, and I couldn't help but scream again. My screaming woke Princess Celestia, who teleported into the room I was sleeping in. She glowered at Trixie, or maybe both of us, but I wasn't sure.

"Trixie, what are you doing in here?"

"Trixie wanted some company -- she does not like sleeping alone," she grinned sheepishly.

"Your Majesty, can you tell me something about this scar? I had a bad dream the other night, and this scar reminds me of that dream," I said, my fear still quite evident.

"Close your eyes, then open them again, Michael," she said softly.

"What? Why?" I asked.

"Just do what I said -- close your eyes and open them again," she reiterated.

I did as she instructed, and was shocked to find that I was laying on my back on a table, my four legs held fast by strong straps. I focused all my strength into trying to break free, thrashing about as wildly as I could.

"Ah, good. You're awake," Rarity chuckled as she gazed at me.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Dude, Where's My Car?

"Aaaaah! Not again!" I shouted, bolting upright in my bed. "I'm gonna have to stop eating before going to sleep," I thought. I then noticed I wasn't alone in my bed.

"Trixie will make it better, just go back to sleep!" she cooed.

"I thought I locked that door! Trixie, what are you doing in my bed?" I asked, exasperated ... well, maybe ...

"Trixie wanted somepony to sleep with," she sighed.

"Well, as long as it's just sleeping, and nothing more, you may share the bed with me," I muttered. I laid back down as she wrapped a fore-leg around my mid-section. "Watch where you put your hoof," I admonished.

"But of course, Michael! Trixie wouldn't even dream of doing anything naughty with you!" she giggled.

"That doesn't sound too reassuring," I sighed. The comfort of the bed allowed me to lapse back into a dream state, this time the dreams being quite a bit more comforting -- that, or maybe Trixie was trying to be a bit more friendly than I thought.

---------------------------------

I was woken by the sun's rays beaming through the window and this Twilight barging into the room, using her telekinesis to remove the cover I was sleeping under. She was a bit miffed to see Trixie still clinging to me.

"Trixie! Michael! Get up! Breakfast is waiting for you two! Trixie, why did you come in here?"

She rubbed sleep from her eyes as did I. "Trixie wanted some company -- and since you pushed her out of your bed, she chose an alternative," she chuckled.

"It wasn't MY idea, so don't look at me, Twilight -- and anyway, it's not like it appears," I protested.

"Whatever. Come on, you two, breakfast is waiting!"

"I hope it's Prench Toast, I haven't had that in awhile," I mused.

"Don't get Trixie's hopes up, Michael!" she said plaintively. "That is Trixie's favorite breakfast food as well!"

"Hurry up, there's plenty for everypony, but we have other matters to attend to as well!" Twilight chided.

I checked my reflection in the mirror and used my telekinesis to brush my mane and tail into some semblance of order, brushing my coat as straight as I could. Trixie did likewise, but she had more practice doing this. She helped me out a little and we followed Twilight back to the grand dining hall for breakfast. The others were already seated and taking their fill of the plates loaded with various choices. I saw what appeared to be bacon and commented on that.

"It's hay bacon, Michael," Twilight stated. "You'd be impressed with what we can do with vegetable protein."

"Is it extra crispy? I like my bacon burnt," I stated flatly. Some of the others chuckled at my statement. I fixed a plate with three slices of Prench Toast, some scrambled eggs, a little of the hay bacon and a glass of orange juice. The food was quite tasty and since there was still more left, I asked for another plate.

"Of course you may have more, Michael. There's plenty for everypony," this Twilight offered. Princess Celestia entered at this point and fixed herself a plate of food.

"Michael, what is your plan for today?" asked the Sun Goddess. Everypony's eyes focused on me.

"Okay, here's what's up. In order to travel to the other Twilight's and Diane's universe, we have to take my vehicle to my home world. Unfortunately, it's too small to hold all of us, so it will have to be enlarged somewhat. To travel from my home world to that other universe, I have a focus on that Trixie's magic signature so I can teleport there. My magic is not strong enough for a group teleport this large, so I will need some assistance of some sort to increase my magic level to accomplish a large group teleport."

"Michael, I believe I may be able to assist you on both matters. Enlarging your vehicle is a relatively simple matter, and to increase your magic level, I have a special amulet for you. I request its immediate return after you have accomplished the necessary task, as it may prove to be quite tempting to continue to wear it or use its power to augment your own. I appreciate an opportunity to encounter my counterpart in that universe and I look forward to meeting my other self." The Princess teleported an amulet to me, something that looked fairly similar to the Alicorn Amulet that Trixie had worn at one time, though this one had a blue gem and was in the colors of gold and white. "You may wear this talisman for the time being, but remember this -- when I ask for its return, you must oblige immediately. Consider that your only warning, Michael."

"You have my word of honor, your Majesty. I like this amulet's appearance -- I was worried it might be the red and black one," I mused.

"Trixie desires an amulet as well, your Majesty," she stated optimistically.

"Twilight has told me of your previous ... activities ... while you wore such a similar trinket," the Sun Goddess said, almost glowering at her. "I was not pleased with your irresponsible behavior, Trixie. You have not proven yourself worthy of such an item. Michael, do not allow her to wear that amulet, for my sake as well as yours."

"You have my word of honor, your Majesty," I stated firmly.

"Trixie just wants to know what it feels like," she pouted. She turned her attention to me and smiled.

"It feels like my power has been augmented, that and nothing more. I feel capable of doing a bit more magic, but not so much as to create an unreasonable desire for more power," I offered.

"Trixie wants to feel the sensation!" she exclaimed impatiently. The others around the table were exchanging nervous glances. This Twilight glowered at her. The other Twilight was snickering softly.

"Don't push your luck, Trixie," Celestia admonished. "I will be accompanying you all as well."

"I parked my vehicle at the Ponyville Train Station," I said. "I hope it's still there and unharmed."

"So we take the train ride back to Ponyville?" asked the other Twilight.

"I would like to get on with this as quickly as possible," I said. "Maybe we could do a group teleport to that station?"

"Please, allow me," Princess Celestia offered. "Is everypony finished with their breakfast?"

A chorus of "Yes!" filled the grand dining hall. Shortly after that, the Sun Goddess group teleported us to the Ponyville Train Station. I trotted around to the back where I had parked my car only to find it missing. I trotted back around to the ticket counter.

"Dude! Where's my car?" I asked in exasperation. The ticket agent gave me a quizzical look. "I mean, the large metal object which had Twilight's cutie marks on it -- I left it behind the station yesterday. Where is it?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen it," he said. I hung my head.

"We can't get to my home without it!" I shouted. I started to curse but caught myself before I let the obscenities start flying. "Princess Celestia, can you trace its magic signature? It should be fairly close to Twilight's, I hope."

"I believe I can, MIchael. I will take us to it now." She concentrated again, enveloping all of us in her aura and teleported us to where my car was. It had been towed to the Police Station. I inspected the car for damage and used my telekinesis to open the driver's door. The key fob was still on the floor mat, so I turned the car on.

"TS, magic battery level?" I asked.

"Magic battery level, four per cent," came a very sad sounding voice from the speakers.

"TS, can you explain to me the reason for this depletion?"

"I was forced into self-repair mode seven times and engaged self-defense mode ten times," she said. "After that, the level was too low to allow for any more of those uses."

"TS, I will need to enlarge you and some slight reconfiguration will be in order. I am going to turn you off now in order to commence with that augmentation." I turned the car off and closed the door, holding the fob in my telekinesis outside the vehicle. Using my augmented power with the amulet, I enlarged the vehicle so that it became a multi passenger van, reconfigured to seat five ponies across in the two rear rows of seats. The driver's seat and front passenger's seat became like captain's chairs and the center console became substantially larger. The engine size was increased as well, going from a 2.5 liter four cylinder to a 3.7 liter v-6. Fuel economy was also enhanced a little, as well as the maintenance-free nature of the vehicle. I added several other features as well, including a four terabyte hard drive to hold movies and music. The Altima name gained the letter X at the end, just a subtle touch on my part to add a little humor to the situation. To finish it off, I enlarged the magic batteries, giving them a higher reserve and full charge. This process took about five minutes, but also attracted the attention of the local constabulary.

"Excuse me ... Trixie? Is ... why are there two of you?" asked a uniformed officer.

"It's a long story, officer, one I don't have time to relate at the moment," I said.

"Do you have any idea of how much trouble this ... thing ... gave us?" he asked, sounding almost frustrated.

"My apologies, officer, but the matter is quite urgent. This vehicle belongs to me, and we need it in order to travel to another universe to defeat Nightmare Moon," I stated flatly.

"There is the matter of certain fees which need to be paid. This vehicle was illegally parked behind the train station so we had it towed here. You have to pay a tow fee, an impound fee, and a storage fee as well. On top of that, we had a very difficult time bringing the vehicle here as it resisted multiple attempts to move it, so you owe us another fee for the inconvenience it caused us."

"So how much do I owe you?" I asked, my exasperation deepening.

"The total bill comes to ... 12,500 bits."

"WHAT? I DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY!!"

"Please allow me to take care of this," the Sun Goddess smiled. "Now, officer, you recognize me, correct?"

The officer in question nodded dumbly before realizing he was standing before the one entity who could take his badge from him. He immediately bowed deeply before her. "I'm sorry, your Majesty, please forgive me. I had no idea --"

"Do not fret about that. We are in great haste and we must take our leave immediately. I will have words with your superiors when we return," she stated sternly.

"No! Please don't! I have a wife and foals! I need this job!" he cried.

"Your job is safe as long as we may be allowed to take possession of this vehicle immediately without further restriction."

"Your Majesty! It will take hours to finish all that paperwork!"

"Consider it job security, officer," she chuckled.

Return to the Other Ponyville

I opened the doors to the van and allowed Trixie, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Diane and Rainbow Dash to sit in the furthest back bench seat. This being Pinkie's first ride in such a vehicle, she started bouncing up and down on the seat. I admonished her to please stop. The two Twilights, Rarity and Fluttershy sat in the middle bench. Truthfully, trying to get everypony to get in the van was much like herding cats -- Applejack was perhaps the most reluctant to enter, but this Trixie helped smooth things by explaining how she had ridden in the vehicle earlier. Both Twilights also assuaged the fears of the others in similar fashion. It took nearly ten minutes to get everypony situated in the vehicle. Princess Celestia was given the honor of riding shotgun, though Trixie complained bitterly about not being able to sit in that seat.

"Trixie wants to know why she can't sit in the front seat," she whined.

"Because Princess Celestia has seniority and since this vehicle belongs to me, I get to determine seating arrangements. Be thankful we don't leave you behind, Trixie -- you should be honored we're allowing you to travel with us," I said. Princess Celestia smiled and Trixie pouted again.

"Will we get to ride in it while it's moving again?" asked the other Twilight. "That was fun!" This Twilight scowled at her.

"Maybe some time in the future -- we're going to do a stationary teleport to my home on the human world of Earth. Don't get curious about the place, we're only going to be there for a couple of minutes. We will group teleport from there to the alternate universe the other Twilight and Diane come from," I stated. I turned on the van and instructed TS to transport us to my home on Earth.

The van glowed a bright magenta and everything went white for a second before the vehicle reappeared in the driveway of my house. It was mid-morning, still Sunday, the day after my birthday. I think Brenda might have been waiting for my return, because when we all exited the vehicle (a task that took nearly five minutes itself) she came out the front door. She was immediately shocked to see all of us in the front yard, her mouth open wide but no words coming out. The ponies who had never seen a human before gawked at her, their expressions matching hers.

"Okay, everypony, form a circle. We're going to the other Ponyville!" I shouted. Brenda continued to stand dumbfounded as the amulet I wore glowed a bright blue, the aura around all of us also glowing bright blue as were my eyes. Everything went white again for a second and we rematerialized in front of the Library in the other universe.

It was dark out, cold, windy, raining. The wind was blowing from the East at a sustained 20 miles per hour, occasionally gusting higher. The rain had a cold bite to it, coming down in sheets. Everypony got soaked, except for the Sun Goddess, who seemed immune to the brutal weather and Trixie, who pulled her hood over her head and tightened her cloak around her. The combination of wind, rain, and cold made it feel like a late October day, the darkness making it quite difficult to see. The light I could see was coming from inside the Library, so I knocked on the door.

"What is going on here?" Trixie asked in exasperation. "Okay, all of you! Come inside! We can discuss these matters once everypony's dried off," she said, opening the door for everypony to enter, the regal white Alicorn the last one to do so.

"You told me you were only going to be gone for about four hours. You were gone for two days!" the other Trixie exclaimed in exasperation. She glowered at me, practically growling in my face, her muzzle pushed up against mine.

"Well, Trixie, certain circumstances prevented a timely return. Please forgive me?" I asked almost half-heartedly. The other Twilight saved me, though.

"Trixie! I'm sorry for taking so long, but I had such a wonderful time in that other universe! I have so much to tell you!" exclaimed a very excited Twilight. This Twilight was baffled by Trixie's nearly matching cutie mark and stared at it.

"Twilight, we can talk about that later. The other Twilight, would you mind not staring at my flank?"

"Oh, sorry, Trixie, I couldn't help but notice your cutie mark. I am puzzled by it's appearance," she said, her cheeks turning a light rouge. "I wonder how you got a cutie mark similar to mine."

"That's a story for another -- what ... what's ... SHE ... doing here!?!" Trixie exclaimed as she saw the Sun Goddess enter. Her face showed a mix of shock, surprise and fear.

"Trixie, there is no need to fear me. I am the Regent of the Sun in my realm and I can assure you that my little ponies are here to help you banish the evil presence who rules your realm," she stated calmly.

"NO! NO! NO! You CAN'T be HER! We banished you! How can you come here like this?"

"Please remain calm, Trixie. You have been hypnotized by Nightmare Moon." Everypony was standing around the room in a large circle, watching this spectacle with keen interest. This Trixie seemed somewhat amused by her counterpart's fear of the Alicorn. Suddenly, a purple mist started swirling around the room, ushering in the arrival of said Dark Princess.

"So, you came back, Michael -- and you brought that beast with you as well!" Nightmare scowled at Celestia. "I have ways of dealing with you and I will make the rest of your life as miserable as --"

"THOU SHALT STAY THY TONGUE!!" Celestia commanded using her Royal Canterlot Voice. Her face showed deep anger at being referred to as a beast -- she would have none of it.

"I shall not," the dark princess chuckled. "You were banished once before, I can make it so once again!"

"Perhaps you underestimate me, dear sister. I made the necessary preparations and took precautions before arriving here. There is much to discuss." Diane, the other Trixie and other Twilight gasped at this mention. They exchanged nervous glances, wondering how the Nightmare could be a sister to the white Alicorn.

"There is nothing to discuss! This realm is MINE! Return whence you came, lest you force my hoof!" Nightmare declared, baring her teeth. Her face showed extreme rage, a truly frightening visage. Her eyes glowed deeply and I had to avert my gaze from them, lest I become hypnotized.

"Elements! Take your positions and banish Nightmare!" Celestia commanded with authority. I moved to a position between this Twilight and the other Trixie. This Trixie, who had pulled her hood back, stood behind me.

"That's not going to work," she chuckled. Her amused expression turned to shock when she saw all six ponies with their respective elements. "Curse me for my lack of foresight!" she shouted. The Element Bearers encircled Nightmare Moon, their respective diadems glowing with magic. A rainbow-hued vortex surrounded the dark princess and whirled around her, enveloping her in the Harmonic Magic. She screamed in rage as the magic swirled around her. A moment later, the dark princess was transformed into a transparent crystal statue.

"Why did that happen?" asked this Twilight, the glow from her tiara slowly fading away. The other Trixie was wearing her tiara, the diadem matching Twilight's except for its deep blue hue. Diane wore a chest plate with a blue lightning bolt on it. My blue amulet was also glowing and I was surprised to find myself wearing the gold barding and hoofguards the other Element Bearers were wearing and that the amulet had become part of my chest plate. I sensed something on my head.

"I believe extra elements have an unusual effect upon the one they're used against," the Sun Goddess mused. I was amazed to see the sun return, the rain stopping abruptly and another bright white flash of light. "Michael, I am pleased to see the changes which have occurred to you."

"You knew this was going to happen to me, didn't you, your Majesty? That's why you gave me this specific amulet, isn't it? I suppose that's also why you initially discouraged me from seeking your assistance, so I could strengthen my friendships with Twilight and the others. If this is the case, I would like to thank you for helping me in this fashion."

Celestia simply smiled calmly, her smile widening ever so slightly. She nodded her head.

"Trixie wants to know where she can get such armor! It looks amazing!"

I heard stifled giggles at this.

"Free at last! Thank you all so deeply, I have finally been freed! It has been far too long!" announced another Celestia. "I see the Dark Princess has been transformed," she mused. "A most unusual sculpture, I must say." Noticing her counterpart, she expressed some surprise. "You are me? Where did you come from?"

This Celestia smiled warmly. "Yes, my dear counterpart, I am indeed you. I have traveled from another universe, courtesy of Michael Walker (she pointed at me) who assisted us in our travels."

"Why do you look like Trixie?" asked the other Celestia.

"Your Majesty, I voluntarily made that choice, partially because my vehicle was able to transform me," I said. "I was pleasantly surprised that I could choose to be Trixie."

"Michael, I would appreciate it if in future you would assume a unique form for yourself as a pony -- there are three Trixies here, and frankly, the concept is difficult to comprehend. Was it not Pinkie Pie who gave you the advice of being your own pony? She speaks wisdom, advice I would strongly recommend you take to heart," this Celestia stated, giving me a serious look.

"Your Majesty, I will do so before my next return to Ponyville. I believe I shall take the form of a unicorn stallion."

The other Celestia gave me a very puzzled look. "You mean to tell me you are a male inside the body of a mare?"

"Yes, your Majesty. Originally, I am a male human from a human homeworld called Earth."

"I would like to know about your homeworld, Michael. Perhaps you may tell me more later on. Trixie, Twilight, my faithful students -- it is a pleasure to see you both once again," the other Celestia smiled. "So you are Twilight and Trixie from another universe as well? Rarity? Diane? There is so much to catch up on! We must have discussions of everything!"

"Trixie is confused. Two Princess Celestias?"

"Trixie? You refer to yourself in third person?" the other Celestia asked quizzically. The other Trixie chuckled.

"Trixie has always talked like this -- she wishes to be regarded as important and worthy of respect," she stated proudly. Quite a bit of snickering came from Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash.

"Your Majesty, much has happened here in your absence," the other Twilight said through her voice box. "Michael here provided me with this device so I could talk once again. It was Nightmare Moon who silenced me and killed Rarity."

"But I see Rarity here before my eyes!"

"Do you not see the fact that she is a unicorn and our Rarity was an earth pony? And her cutie mark is different, as well," said the other Trixie.

"Ah, this is true. My apologies, Rarity, I am sorry I could not be here to prevent the evil of Nightmare Moon from pervading this land," the other Celestia stated with some sadness.

"Your Majesty, I have heard the stories regarding my counterpart here. It saddens me to hear such falsehoods being spread, but I am relieved to know the truth. I would like to meet Rainbow, who I have heard runs the boutique," Rarity mused.

"We must return to our Ponyville, Rarity. I believe we have accomplished our mission here and any further delay may tempt fate to intervene in some other way. Celestia, I must say it was a pleasure to meet you. Perhaps in future we may meet again, however it is time for us to return to our universe."

"Very well then, Celestia. My opinion concurs with yours with regard to our meeting. I look forward to a possible future engagement, one where we may take time to exchange more pleasantries. Farewell to all of you and take care of yourselves."

Those of us from our Ponyville gathered around our Alicorn for the trip back home. We dispensed with the trip back to Earth as Celestia had a lock on her sister's magic signature, so she was easily able to perform a cross-dimensional universe jump for us. We were enveloped in her golden aura and teleported to the Royal Throne Room.

Back Home Again

"So, Michael, what do you plan on doing now?" Princess Celestia asked me.

"I have some unfinished business back on my homewold. I hope that I may return soon, and in a new body as well. I must admit that being Trixie has been quite fun, nearly as much fun as being Twilight, but I believe, as Pinkie Pie had told me earlier, that I should be my own pony and stop trying to be somepony else. Would you like for me to return this finery so you may keep it safe, should its use ever be needed again?"

"Certainly, Michael. Your assistance has proven valuable and I will admit to being pleasantly surprised by your abilities, even though I did not expect your return, timely as it was. I will safeguard your amulet and armor and should the need arise, it will be here waiting for you, regardless of which form you take when you return. I look forward to meeting you once again and would like to learn more about you and your home world when there is more time for such discussions."

"Trixie wants to know if she can accompany you, Michael, wherever you choose to go," she said optimistically.

"My home world is no place for ponies, Trixie. I'm afraid you cannot join me there -- however, I would like to meet up with you again in the future."

"Trixie enjoyed your company! You showed her a good time! Thank you for doing so!" she exclaimed in her happiness. She trotted over to me and gave me a hug and a quick kiss on the lips. I blushed at this.

"Thanks for being nice, Trixie, I really appreciated it. I look forward to spending more time with you as well."

"When you divorce your wife, will you return to take Trixie as your new wife?" Some of the ponies gasped when they heard this question. Twilight glowered at Trixie, then turned toward me and grinned. I gave a short shrug.

"Is this true, Michael? That you are choosing to divorce your wife?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Your Majesty, she and I have irreconcilable differences -- I have tried for 20 years to make her happy and none of my efforts have proven successful for long. Her happiness has always been fleeting at best and downright non-existent at worst. I have my reasons for filing for divorce and if this displeases you, I am truly sorry, however I feel that such measures are necessary for me to retain some semblance of sanity."

"It is not my business to meddle in the affairs of humans, especially when it comes to marriages. Even though I would strongly suggest you not do so, you are free to do whatever you feel is necessary. If your wife makes you feel so unhappy, then by all means, take those measures in order to restore your happiness. Life is too short to remain so unhappy for so long."

"I thank you for your blessing, your Majesty."

"Trixie does not wish to beg, Michael, but she really wants to come with you! Please?" she pouted and gave me that sad puppy dog eyes look again. Some of the others chuckled softly.

"Yeah, Mike, take her with you!" Rainbow laughed. "Maybe more of your good manners will wear off on her!"

"I envy you, Trixie -- I would like to accompany Michael to his home world so I could see for myself in greater detail everything there is to know about his home world," Twilight stated. "Princess Celestia, do you think it might be possible for me to visit Michael on his home world some time in the future?"

"We shall see, Twilight. There shall come a time for you to visit that world, but it will have to wait awhile."

"Please, Michael? Please, will you take Trixie with you?" she asked again, this time getting on her knees. I could swear I saw tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes.

"If I do, Trixie, you must be on your best behavior. You must promise me that -- in fact, I would daresay you must Pinkie Promise me that!"

"Trixie does not know what a Pinkie Promise is," she said, her expression one of puzzlement. Pinkie Pie glared at her.

"Don't even THINK of breaking that promise, Trixie!" Pinkie admonished her. "Mikey will tell me if you do!"

"Trixie does not see what's so bad about breaking such a promise," she said, almost nonchalantly.

"You've never seen Pinkie when she's in a rage, have you, Trixie?" I asked her. "Trust me, bad things will happen to you if you break a Pinkie Promise."

"Speaking of which, Mikey, did you keep the one you made your wife?" the pink earth pony grinned at me.

"That party we had, and my subsequent falling asleep made me two hours late -- technically, it was still my birthday, I think -- unless ..."

"You BROKE that Pinkie Promise? I don't believe you! How could you?" she glared at me, her mane and tail going flat. I was starting to get nervous, but Princess Celestia intervened.

"Pinkie Pie. Did you know that time passes differently between the two separate worlds? Did you encourage him to stay for the party you held for him?"

"Oh. Yes, Princess Celestia, I did encourage him to stay ... okie dokie loki, Mikey, you're cool. Don't let it happen again!" she pushed her muzzle against mine and gave me a low growl. "Or ELSE."

"I'm sorry, Pinkie Pie, I promise I won't let it happen again."

"Do you Pinkie Promise?" she grinned.

"You're impossible!" I chuckled. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my ... eye? Ouch!"

"Good job, Mikey! Come back soon so we can have another party!"

"Sure thing, Pinkie. Trixie, are you willing to make such a promise for me? Will you behave yourself while you're on my home world? Even when I'm at work?"

"Trixie promises ... cross her heart, hope to fly? Stick a cupcake ... in ... Trixie's ... eye?" she paused. She imitated the movements, her left fore-hoof hitting her left eye. "OUCH!"

"Very well, then, Trixie. You may accompany me to my home world," I said, smiling at her. I was somewhat apprehensive about this, as I had no idea whether or not she would be able to adjust to living on Earth. "I must also warn you, Trixie, that it will take some time for the divorce to be finalized."

"How long does it usually take?" she asked.

"About six months, more or less. That is, of course, if I want it to be official. Otherwise, I suppose I could ask Princess Celestia for an immediate annulment, but I don't know if she'd be willing to do that. Additionally, I would also have to be transformed either back into a human, or into another pony. I have enjoyed being you, Trixie, but I don't think I can remain in this form much longer."

"Trixie wants you to be her for another night -- please! Please let Trixie spend one more night with you as her!"

"Okay, Trixie. One more night," I said. She smiled at me and hugged me again.

"Princess Celestia, I believe it's time for Trixie and I to leave. I hope to return soon, perhaps as a different pony. I suppose Trixie will still be with me as well. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for your hospitality and your assistance as well."

"You are quite welcome, Michael. Trixie, it is my sincere hope that you will obey your companion -- perhaps that's a bit much to ask, but he does have some intelligence and experience that will help you improve yourself as a pony. Michael, please keep me informed of her progress. Take care of yourselves, and good luck."

"Trixie promises to listen to Michael," she said and bowed before the Sun Goddess.

"Thank you once again, your Majesty. I will communicate with you as I can with regard to Trixie. If I have any problems with her, I will bring her back here, or perhaps to Ponyville." Trixie gasped at this. "That's why I asked you to behave yourself, Trixie. I know you most likely don't want to come back to Ponyville, do you?"

"Trixie would rather not do that, thank you," she shuddered.

"Okay, then, Trixie. Take my left fore-hoof, and we'll be off."

"Trixie wants to know how you can teleport so easily."

"Imagine a sheet of paper with two X's on it. Now fold the paper so the two X's meet at the same point. One of those X's represents your current location, the other one being your destination. Teleportation is like folding the sheet of paper."

"Very nicely put, Michael," the Princess smiled. "Essentially, that's about all there is to it, Trixie."

"Until we meet again, your Majesty," I said. Trixie put her right fore-hoof to my left and I enveloped us in my pink aura. Once again, the brilliant whiteness blinded us and again there was that sensation of stomach dropping. "I wish she had let me keep that amulet," I thought. We were now standing in the front yard of my house, the van still parked in the driveway. It was now very late in the afternoon, the sun just about to set.

"We are back on your home world now?" Trixie asked almost hesitantly.

"Yes, Trixie, we are. Let's go inside, I need to talk to Brenda again."

What are YOU doing here?!

I entered the house with Trixie following behind me. Brenda had cooked collard greens and fried chicken. The scent caused Trixie's nose to wrinkle.

"Ugh! What is that stench?"

"That is the scent of human cooking, in this case, collard greens and fried chicken. I'm afraid the human diet is one that is quite meat-intensive, Trixie. I'll see what I can find in the fridge, though there probably isn't much we can eat."

"Trixie is hungry, Michael! She can't eat meat!"

I opened the fridge, noticing that it was a stainless steel side-by-side model. "I don't remember doing that to ours," I thought. I snooped around a little and found a bag of salad mix, some celery, a tomato and some cheese. I also took a bottle of Italian salad dressing out. "Well, Trixie, it looks like we can have some salad and that's about it." I searched for a couple of bowls and forks. I took a couple of cups to pour some water in them. I fixed salad for us and sprinkled some of the dressing on mine. I then noticed the oven was also a stainless steel model.

"Care for some salad dressing, Trixie?" I asked.

"No thank you, Michael, this is tasty enough for Trixie," she said, munching on the lettuce.

I heard someone coming down the stairs. "What's going on here?" Brenda asked in exasperation. She glowered at both of us. "Mike! We got a problem here!"

"Brenda, I'm right here! Did you forget I changed myself into Trixie?" I asked her. She shot me a very dirty look. I heard a grumble coming from the basement and some heavy trudging up the stairs. Then I saw him. He grinned upon seeing the two of us.

"Two Trixies? Really? Quite an impressive sight," he chuckled.

"Mike! Do something about them!" Brenda shouted.

"What are you doing in my house?" he asked.

"I might ask YOU the same question, Mike," I stated flatly.

"Trixie thought this was Michael's house," she said, pointing a hoof at me.

"What do you mean? You mean to tell me ... that this OTHER Trixie ... is ... ME?" he asked incredulously.

"Trixie wanted to see what Michael looked like as a human -- she had no idea you looked so different from your wife."

"I'm not married to her, I just LIVE with her! Mike? What are YOU doing in my house? How did you get here?" he asked impatiently.

"Trixie and I teleported from Canterlot Castle -- I was under the assumption that this was my house, as I saw the van parked in the driveway," I offered.

"Oh. The van was something I did when I was in Twilight's body -- wait a minute, you were transformed into Trixie?"

"I had my car do that for me as a birthday present," I chuckled.

"So why did you mention a van?"

"I changed my car into a van just yesterday. Did you make the changes to the car all at once?"

"Brenda told me she wanted a van, so when I was in Twilight's body, I made all the changes to the car," he smiled. "Does it mean it can do transformations as well?"

"You might want to ask your vehicle if such a thing is possible," I grinned. I saw him grin in response.

"I'm gonna have to give that a try -- like, right NOW!" he exclaimed.

"MIKE! What are you going to do about THEM?!" asked a flabbergasted Brenda.

"They're harmless, Brenda. Let them finish eating, I'll deal with them later."

"MIKE! Deal with it NOW! I don't want them in my house!"

"Brenda, I apologize for this. Trixie, it looks like we're going to have to go back to Canterlot," I groaned.

"Trixie does not want to go back!" she protested.

"Trixie, we're in the wrong universe. We HAVE to go back so we can get to the right universe."

"What's wrong with this one? Trixie does not see anything different."

"There's not supposed to be two of ME in one universe!" I grinned.

"How do you think Trixie feels about two of HER being in one universe?"

"Point taken, Trixie. I promise you when we get things straightened out that I will have another transformation performed."

"Do you Pinkie Promise?" she asked, grinning broadly.

"You're terrible. I Pinkie Promise you that I will indeed have such a change made," I said impatiently.

"Trixie wants you to make that promise official!" she grinned. "Do what Trixie did! Say the words!"

"Okay, Trixie, just to humor you, I'll do it. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye! Ow ..."

"Okay, good! Trixie approves!" she chuckled.

"If you're Mike, will you clean up this mess you made?" Brenda asked quizzically. I used my telekinesis to empty the bowls in the garbage can, place them in the sink and wash them.

"You happy now? I can't wait to get back to the correct universe. I wish I had never met you in the first place," I growled at her. "Trixie, take my hoof, we're heading out now."

"Same here, Mike! Get the f*** out of my house!" she screamed at us. Trixie took my hoof and I lit my horn to do a teleport back to Canterlot Castle.

"Vaya con dios, Brenda!" I shouted at her just before we teleported out. A moment later, we were back in the throne room of the castle.

"Trixie wants to know what you meant when you said that to Brenda," she said quizzically.

"It means, 'I hope I never see your sorry ass ever again'!" I chuckled.

"We would like to know why there are two of you in our throne room," Princess Luna stated. I turned to face the Princess of the Night, and bowed before her.

"Princess Luna, my name is Michael Walker -- I have accepted Trixie's companionship during my travels. The reason I am in her body is that I had my vehicle transform me into her. I apologize for the confusion, your Majesty."

Luna chuckled softly. "'Tis quite all right, Michael. We were wondering when you might return, as we were looking forward to speaking with you once again. We would like to know what has transpired since we last met."

I told her about the trip to an alternate universe where Nightmare Moon had succeeded in defeating the Elements by using mind control. Luna was a bit distressed by this, but I told her that I enlisted the aid of her sister and the Elements in this universe to defeat her evil self in that other universe. She smiled upon hearing about the victory.

"Michael, we must admit to a bit of surprise at this mention. We are curious to know about that other universe."

I told her about the differences between the two universes and some of the other strange occurrences I experienced. I also expressed the opinion that Trixie and I would have to return to that particular universe in order to return to my particular home world. Luna expressed an even greater curiosity about my human home world, even going so far as to request the opportunity to travel with us. I politely told her that she would most likely need her sister's permission for that and also the fact that I would prefer the amount of time spent on Earth to be severely limited, as I was thoroughly convinced that a continued existence on Earth was, in my opinion, less than desirable. Luna expressed some disappointment when I mentioned this to her.

"Princess Luna, I request an opportunity to rest for the night -- I expect Trixie is likewise tired, and I also request that she be allowed to share a bed with me for tonight. I regret to inform you that I have no money to pay for the stay."

"We shall have an escort show you to a room you may retire to for the night. There is no charge, Michael. Truthfully, if what you have told us earlier is true, then you are a hero to that other universe."

"Your Majesty, you flatter me. I thank you for the compliment and for your hospitality."

"Trixie thanks you as well, your Majesty!" she grinned.

"You're both quite welcome, Trixie and Michael," the Lunar Goddess smiled.

A Royal Guard unicorn escorted Trixie and me down a hallway, down a flight of stairs, a right turn down yet another hallway, down yet another flight of stairs, a left turn, down the next hallway and then to the next to last door on the right. The guard opened the door for us to show us a relatively small guest room, nothing at all like the luxury appointments we enjoyed earlier. The bed was comfortable enough, and just large enough for Trixie and I to sleep in it, though we would have to lay a bit closer together than I may have wanted ... though I did enjoy cuddling with her that night. Trixie enjoyed it quite a bit as well -- perhaps even more so than I! I awoke to find her hugging me tightly, her muzzle pushed up against mine, perhaps in an attempt to kiss me while I was sleeping -- perhaps she had succeeded, though if she had, I wouldn't have minded. I gave her a quick kiss to see if she would wake and was rewarded by her returning the kiss, a bit more passionately than I was expecting.

"Okay, Trixie, that's enough," I said as I tried to push her away a little. I grinned sheepishly at having done what I did.

"Trixie wants some more, Michael," she cooed.

"I think it's time for us to get up, Trixie," I said, disappointment tinging my voice.

"Spend some more time with Trixie, she feels so lonely, please!"

"You're just trying to win my favor so you can be my new wife," I stated flatly.

"No! Trixie, I ... I ... Please, Michael! Trixie thinks she's in love with you!" she cried.

"This is definitely going too fast for me," I thought. "Trixie, I think you might want to spend more time with me before you start making such statements. We've only been in each other's company for just a few days -- I think it takes longer than that to form that kind of opinion."

I saw tears starting to well up in her eyes. "I ... I ... Trixie has not felt this way about somepony in a very long time! You make Trixie feel so special! She ... I ... I ... want you to love me, Michael! PLEASE!" her voice broke and the tears started to flow down her cheeks. I held her close to me, trying to comfort her. From everything she told me on that train ride to Canterlot, all the troubles she had endured, I had been the one to treat her with more respect and kindness than anypony else had since ... well, it was a very long time.

"I don't want to break your heart, Trixie," I said. I continued to hold her in my fore-legs, wrapping them around her withers. I gazed into her eyes, the grey-violet of them seeming to draw me into their depth. "I don't want you to break MY heart, either. It has been a very long time since I've felt this way about anypony, and truth be told, Trixie, I'm actually afraid to open my heart up again. I've been hurt very badly in the past and I don't want to take that risk again. And now is too soon to be making any decisions that I may later come to regret." I had meant my words to soothe her but what I had just said had the opposite effect on her.

"If Trixie makes you afraid, Michael, then maybe you should find some pony ELSE!" she shouted at me and stormed out of the room. Her tears flowed even faster as she galloped as fast as she could away from me.

"Trixie! Come back here! Please! I'm sorry!" I shouted after her. I rose to my hooves and dashed out after her, but she was so far ahead I had lost sight of her.

Reconciliation?

"Damn! Why did I have to go and open my mouth like that?" I thought. My emotions were in a tangle and I had to go find Trixie -- I was already starting to develop deep feelings for her, and setting her off like that made me feel absolutely terrible. I figured the pony I needed to talk to at this moment was the Sun Goddess herself, so I made my way towards the Royal Throne Room, hoping to get a chance to speak to Princess Celestia. I trotted towards the throne room, considering the lateness of the morning. I called for Trixie a few times to see if she might respond, but got nothing but odd stares from some of the ponies I passed on my way there. I was hoping I was not too late.

Standing in front of the huge double-doors leading to the throne room were a good number of ponies of various descriptions, each with their matter of importance. Day Court was going to be rather hectic today. "Is Trixie in line or has she already made it inside?" I silently asked myself. I strode past the line of ponies who stared at me in disbelief, some of whom glared at me in disapproval. At the very front of the line were a pair of Royal Guard unicorn stallions who wore very stern expressions.

"Please, good sirs, I must speak with Princess Celestia, it is extremely important!" I stated.

"Weren't you already here, Trixie?" one of them asked me. "Back of the line, like everypony else, Trixie."

"Princess Celestia knows that there are TWO Trixies here -- the real one, who must have been here earlier, and ME -- I am Michael Walker, and request an immediate audience with her Majesty! The matter is of critical importance!"

The two guards looked at each other quizzically, then opened the doors for me. Seated on the throne was the regal white Alicorn herself. She frowned at my appearance, but urged me to approach her.

"Are you Trixie or are you Michael?" she asked, glowering at me.

"Your Majesty, I must apologize for making Trixie sad. I am Michael, and I hope I might be able to reunite with Trixie. If she has been here, do you know where she may have gone?"

"Michael, I have some bad news for you. If what you say is true, then I fear I may have made a mistake. Trixie must have told me false about her identity -- she requested the amulet I gave you and as I mistook her for you, I gave her that amulet."

I exhaled sharply through my nostrils. "Your Majesty, this is my fault. She told me that she loved me, and I responded by telling her that I needed more time to let her know my true feelings for her. I am very sorry and I must track her down so I can apologize and let her know how much I care about her. Can you track the magic signature of that amulet? I believe it may lead us to her."

"Yes. She used it to teleport from this room as soon as I gave it to her. If you were her, where do you think she would have gone first?"

"My first guess would be the Library in Ponyville -- her rivalry with Twilight is the stuff of legends, from what I've heard. That's where I'd head first. She may not want to see me, though, so I don't know if I should ask for your assistance or that of your sister. I have no idea of how powerful that amulet is, or what her mood toward me would be."

"Michael, as you could tell from the line of ponies outside this door, I have a very busy day ahead of me. I shall provide assistance in another fashion -- I will give you another amulet so that you will be able to face her without being disadvantaged by her augmented magic abilities." She produced an exact copy of the blue Alicorn Amulet and gave it to me. I placed it around my neck, feeling the power surge through me once again.

"Thank you once again for your help, your Majesty. I plan on returning both amulets to you shortly." I saluted her and teleported to Ponyville at this point. Celestia chuckled and returned to her business, allowing the next pony in line to enter.

---------------------------

"...And then he told Trixie he was afraid of being hurt again!" she wailed.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Trixie," Twilight said softly, a forehoof draped around Trixie's withers.

"Trixie, I'm sorry," I said, a bit loudly to get her attention.

"YOU! Why did you come here? To torment Trixie again? Trixie does not want to talk to you!"

"Haven't you hurt her enough?" Twilight scowled at me.

"If you two will give me a moment to explain myself," I started.

"Trixie has no time for explanations!" she shouted, her sadness cutting through the air.

"Will you just LISTEN to me!" I called out to her. "How many times do I have to tell you I'm sorry!"

"Trixie doesn't believe you!"

"I wish you wouldn't try to rush things! I told you it's gonna be six months for that divorce to be finalized! I want you to spend that time with ME!" I yelled at her. A crowd of ponies had gathered to watch this spectacle of two Trixies shouting at each other. Trixie turned to look at me at this point.

"You ... want ... Trixie ... really? Do you really mean that, Michael?" she asked, another tear trickling its way down her muzzle.

"I wouldn't have told you otherwise, dear Trixie," I said. "The way you make me feel -- I haven't felt that way in a VERY long time! I want you to know that I'm not afraid of you, just that I don't want to be hurt again. HOWEVER, I came to the realization that love is stronger than fear, that love must conquer fear, that love will overcome all obstacles."

"Does ... does that mean ... that ... you ... love ... Trixie?" she asked, the hesitation in her voice as it cracked again showing just how much pain I had caused her. This was not a time for hesitation on my part -- even though I was afraid to admit it to myself, I was compelled to answer in the affirmative at this point.

"Yes, Trixie. Yes it does. I cannot deny my feelings for you are stronger than any I have felt for anypony else in a very long time. You make my heart do flip-flops in my chest. You make me go all aflutter when I'm with you. Holding you close these past two nights has made me feel like I'm in heaven, and your companionship is something I truly crave. Trixie, will you please accompany me? I need you."

This small soliloquy caused everypony within earshot to applaud in approval. Trixie beamed the biggest smile I had ever seen on anypony's face. She trotted over to me and hugged me with more ferocity than I could possibly imagine her doing. Then she gave me a very passionate kiss on my lips. We stayed like that for a bit longer than we should have. Twilight cleared her throat loudly to distract us long enough to break the embrace.

"Will you two either get a room, or come inside the library where we can sort everything out?" Twilight said impatiently.

Both of us chuckled nervously but followed her inside. "Sorry about that, Twilight," I said, grinning sheepishly. Trixie grinned at me and giggled.

"Trixie wishes you had told her that earlier, Michael. Why did you hurt Trixie the way you did?"

"Please understand where I'm coming from, Trixie. I've been married for more than 20 years, and that relationship hit a brick wall more than 15 years ago. I have been miserable for the past ten years or so and finally meeting somepony who could make me feel young again caused me great emotional turmoil. I never meant to hurt you or lead you on, Trixie."

"Trixie accepts your apology, Michael. Please don't hurt her again."

"You have my word of honor, Trixie."

"Do you Pinkie Promise me?" she grinned. Pinkie Pie poked her head from around a corner.

"Oh goody! We can have a 'Trixie made up with herself' party! Are you two going to get married? How soon? Hey, maybe I should start planning the Two Trixie wedding party!"

"Pinkie, I have to wait until my divorce is finalized -- that could take at least six months, possibly longer depending upon how mad Brenda gets. Her attorney might want to string the case out as long as possible, especially if she were to find out that I intend to marry Trixie upon the finalization of that divorce," I stated flatly.

"YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!" Trixie exclaimed excitedly, jumping around like Pinkie Pie when she's very happy. I chuckled at the sight. Twilight showed an expression of high amusement as well.

"I've never seen her this happy before," Twilight mused.

"But first, Trixie, I need that amulet back, please," I said softly.

"Trixie wants to keep this amulet!" she protested.

"It doesn't belong to you -- I need to return it to the Princess. Please return it, Trixie."

"Please let me wear it a little longer, Michael," she pouted.

"I can't do that, Trixie. It has to be returned -- it's only supposed to be used when the Elements are needed, and not for any other purpose. Please return it."

"Trixie cannot give it back! She will not do that!" she exclaimed, her eyes flashing blue in anger.

"Please don't make me get the Princess involved in this matter, Trixie. I would hate to have to do that. Please give the amulet back to me. Now."

"You will have to take it from Trixie!" she shouted, her anger increasing. "Anyway, I see YOU have one of these as well! Why don't YOU give YOURS back to the Princess?"

"Because I have to give both of these amulets back to her, Trixie. She gave me this one in case I had trouble retrieving the one she mistakenly gave you. Please return it now before I have to take more serious measures to remedy this situation."

"Come on, Trixie, give it back to him. Don't you love him?" Twilight asked.

"Trixie NEEDS this amulet!"

"I'll go get Princess Celestia," I said to Twilight. I teleported to the castle.

"Where did he go?" asked Trixie.

"You're in trouble now, Trixie. You should have returned the amulet to him when you could have. Now he's gone to inform Princess Celestia of your refusal to cooperate," Twilight admonished her.

"Then Trixie must find a hiding place! The Princess cannot have this amulet back!" she cried. She then teleported herself somewhere...

Getting That Amulet Back

I teleported directly into the Throne Room, causing a bit of a ruckus. A pair of very stately-looking ponies were having a heated discussion with the Princess about some affairs of some sort or another. I chose not to pay attention to them and it appeared the Sun Goddess wasn't paying too much attention to them either.

"If you two gentle-colts will excuse me, a certain matter has come up," she said.

"Your Highness! Our matter is more important than HER!" one of them exclaimed impatiently.

"This matter I must attend to immediately takes precedence over yours. Please wait a few moments." The two exchanged irritated glances, but stood by. Princess Celestia approached me. "So what of Trixie?"

"Bad news, your Majesty. She refused to return the amulet, even though I did straighten things out with regard to a possible marriage to her. Be that as it may, we have to try to track her down again, since she seems bent on retaining possession of that amulet."

"Very well then. I believe I will have to enlist the aid of Luna. She will be able to assist you in retrieving the other amulet." The Sun Goddess teleported to Luna's bedchamber, waking her and returning with her to the Throne Room. Luna was quite a bit upset at having had her slumber disturbed.

"Princess Luna, your Majesty. I apologize for the inconvenience," I stated humbly.

"Michael, it's a good thing our sister thinks so highly of you. Let's make this quick as we have need of sleep." Luna motioned for me to take her left fore-hoof and we teleported to where Trixie was -- the other amulet had a strong magic signature and it was being used for frivolous purposes.

"Trixie, return that amulet at once!" the Lunar Princess commanded.

"Trixie will not!" she retorted.

"Trixie, please, for me," I said softly.

"Trixie will not!"

"If you give it back, the Princesses may be lenient," I offered.

"Trixie will not give it back without a fight!"

"Does love mean nothing to you?" I asked.

"Trixie does not have time for love!"

"Princess Luna, I believe the amulet has corrupted her. I believe we should try to retrieve it if we can."

"Michael, we cannot force her to remove it against her will."

"Trixie! I will NOT marry you if do not return that amulet! NOW!" I shouted at her.

She slumped to the ground, sitting on her haunches. She started whimpering, crying again, tears making another return. She wanted to keep the amulet, but perhaps the cost of retaining it would be too dear to her. I saw a mix of different emotions play across her face. We waited to see what she would do. She appeared ready to remove it, but then something inside her snapped. She assumed a fighting stance and lit her horn.

"Trixie, I am going to Ponyville to get the Elements together. If you are not willing to voluntarily return the amulet, we will force you to do so," I said. "Do you remember what happened to Nightmare Moon?"

"Trixie does not want to be turned into a crystal statue!" she cried.

"Oh, so that's what happened over there," Luna mused. "Trixie, we strongly urge you to return that amulet. Michael, please tell us you do not intend to marry her."

"Agh! I can't even THINK straight! She must have messed with my mind or something! What was I thinking, wanting to marry a pony? I have obligations back home and I need to return as I think I may have overstayed my welcome here."

"You're not going anywhere, Michael!" Trixie shouted at me. "Trixie will not return the amulet! She is keeping it!"

"Urrgh! Is this amulet trying to mess up my mind as well? I can feel it ..." I said as my words trailed off. I removed it and gave it to Princess Luna. "Luna, please safeguard this for me. I cannot wear it any longer for fear of it corrupting my mind as well. Trixie? If I can still reach you on the inside, take that amulet off before you become completely corrupted!"

"This amulet makes Trixie feel supremely powerful! She will NEVER return it!" she shouted.

"Our magic trumps that of the amulet you wear, Trixie. Do not force our hoof in this matter or your punishment will be far more severe!" Luna admonished.

"Princess Luna, one of us needs to gather the Elements together. Would you like me to do that, or do you wish to do so?"

"We can do better than that, Michael. We can summon them at once," Luna said confidently.

"Trixie! Princess Luna is going to summon the Elements! This is your last chance! You can see I have removed my amulet -- please remove yours now! What is it you wish of me?"

"Trixie wishes for you to DIE!" she screeched and launched a sphere of raw magic energy at me. I made no attempt to shield myself, except with my right fore-hoof. The blue ball of magic energy hit me with the concussive force of a thousand hammers striking my body simultaneously. It felt as though every bone in my body had been shattered as I collapsed to the ground. I quickly lost consciousness as Trixie screamed my name. Luna wore an expression of shock but used her telekinesis to lift my body and teleported to Ponyville General Hospital. Trixie was so overcome by her grief that she finally relinquished the amulet back into the custody of the Lunar Goddess.

---------------------------------

"I believe she's coming around now, your Majesty," Nurse Redheart addressed the Sun Goddess.

"I cannot believe he sacrificed himself for that amulet," Celestia mused.

"What do you mean 'he'?"

"While this pony retains the appearance of Beatrix Lulamoon, inside that body is the mind of a male human named Michael Walker and this is why I use the male pronoun for him," the Solar Princess explained.

"Mmm, did somepony get the number of that truck that hit me?" I asked weakly. "Where am I?" I asked. I tried to sit up but couldn't. My body felt so weak I couldn't move.

"You are at Ponyville General Hospital," Nurse Redheart smiled.

"Trixie has been punished for her crime against you, Michael," Celestia smiled at me. "We have used a great deal of healing magic to try to restore some semblance of health, though this magic can only do so much. You suffered a great deal of injury when you took that magic blast with no defense."

"How long have I been here?"

"About two weeks -- most of it in a coma. Almost every bone in your body had suffered compound fracture," Nurse Redheart explained.

"How much longer before I'm able to get up?"

"We're working on that. We still need to use more magic on you as we can," the nurse stated.

"This feels worse than dying," I said weakly. A few tears trickled down my face. "I'm so tired. Think I'll catch some more Z's."

"Take as much time as you need, Michael. Your action was quite courageous," Celestia smiled as sleep overtook me once again. "Nurse Redheart, please inform me if his condition worsens. I still want him monitored to ensure he remains alive. I will return again when I may, though my obligations prevent me from spending more time in his presence."

"Yes, your Highness," said the nurse as the Sun Goddess teleported back to the Castle.

---------------------

"Trixie said she is sorry! She never meant for that blast to truly kill him!"

"Despite that fact, you nearly did kill him. Were it not for Luna's swift action, he would indeed be dead. Luna told me you screamed at him that you wished for him to die. Not to mention the fact that you tricked me into giving you that amulet -- which in itself is a criminal act -- shows me that you have not learned anything about behaving responsibly. You are to spend the next six months in the dungeon."

"NO! Please! NOOO!" she screamed as she was roughly escorted to the dungeon by a pair of Royal Guard unicorns.

Visitors from Another Universe

It had taken two more weeks of recovery before I was able to sit up in bed, and two more before I was able to walk around slowly. Physical therapy was going to take longer, though receiving regular visits from Twilight and the others made me happy. I had been informed of Trixie's punishment and felt somewhat satisfied that she was going to pay at least some price for her actions. What angered me most was the fact that she had betrayed my trust, and I vowed never to let her come close to me again. To think I had actually considered marrying her! That was simply too much for me to take -- a moment of weakness, just as it was with my wife when I met her. Love makes ponies do strange things.

I no longer needed an IV and was able to consume soft food, though my stomach was still quite weak and it was going to be awhile before I could go back to a normal diet. I was brought plenty of books to read to keep my mind occupied between regular physical therapy sessions. There was a part of me that wished to have my computer or PS2 system to play my favorite video games on. Twilight expressed a curiosity about those games and I told her about Final Fantasy XII. Even though it was an older game, it was still quite fun to play it, not to mention that it was also a very time-consuming game.

It was during my stay in the hospital that I received a most unusual visit -- Trixie and Twilight from the other universe showed up at my bedside.

"We were worried about you, Michael," the other Trixie said, an expression of concern on her face.

"Please tell me you're sorry for attacking me," I said, rubbing sleep from my eyes.

"I never attacked you, Michael," was her stern response. "Why did you -- oh, I'm sorry. You saw me and immediately thought I was the one who did attack you. Look at my cutie mark, Michael, I am from the other universe."

"How did you get here?" I asked. I sat up and saw Twilight standing next to Trixie. "Oh, hi, Twilight. Nice to see you again."

"Our Princess Celestia sent us to seek your help -- Discord is making trouble for us in our universe, and since you did so well for us last time around, we figured you would be the first one for us to seek out. Your Princess told us we could find you here, so we came by to check on your status," Trixie stated. "We had no idea you were in such bad shape."

"Unless the two of you can work a miracle on me, I'm not going to be going anywhere anytime soon," I chuckled weakly.

"Twilight, come over here so we can work our magic on him. Michael, the two of us can use special healing magic and restore you --"

"Wait. If Princess Celestia couldn't heal me with HER magic, what makes you think the two of you could do better?" I asked with great incredulity.

"Just give us a chance, Michael," Twilight said softly.

"Wait -- you don't have that voice box I gave you -- you can talk with your normal voice?"

"When you and the others turned Nightmare Moon into a crystal statue, it broke the spells she had placed upon me, Michael. We want you to return, but we also request the other Elements return as well so we can banish Discord," Twilight explained. She and Trixie approached my side and both of them lit their horns. The auras mixed as they enveloped my body and I could feel a great warmth surrounding me. My vision blurred for a bit as the auras strengthened and my body tissue started mending much more quickly than normal. I was amazed by this effort by the two of them as they released me from their magic, their work finished.

"We believe that we have successfully healed you, Michael. Get up and see if it worked," said Trixie.

Truth be told, I felt quite invigorated. "Seems to have worked quite well," I said as I started trotting around. I gave both of them a hug for their help. Both of them smiled broadly as I appeared to have been fully healed.

"Okay, now we need to see your Princess," Trixie stated. "Time is rather urgent, Michael."

"We will need to go to the Library and have Spike send a letter to her," I stated. All three of us started down the hallway from my room to the hospital's exit when we were stopped by Nurse Redheart.

"What is going on here? Two of you? Michael? Aren't you supposed to be in bed recovering?"

"Nurse Redheart, Trixie and Twilight here are from the other universe I was telling you about. They combined their magic into a powerful healing spell which has fully restored my health. We need an audience with Princess Celestia as soon as possible. We are heading to the Golden Oaks Library to meet up with this universe's Twilight."

"You still need to be evaluated before we can release you!" exclaimed the nurse.

"Please, time is of the essence. We can take care of that paperwork later," I said rather hastily. We continued out of the hospital and headed towards the library. We passed by Carousel Boutique on our way there. I knocked on the door.

"Rarity, can you make time for us?" I asked.

"Michael, darling, is that ... two of you? Oh, wait -- Trixie? You have Twilight's cutie mark? Twilight? You have Trixie's cutie mark? Dear me, you must be from that other universe Michael was telling me about! What can I do for you?"

"You are the Element of Generosity for this universe, yes?" Twilight asked her. "We need you to accompany us to our universe. Discord is running loose and we need to stop him."

"Well, darling, we stopped him once before. I'm sure we can deal with him again! I'll be just a minute, darling." Rarity went back inside for a few moments and then returned to join us on our way to the library. We stopped by Sugarcube Corner to have Pinkie Pie accompany us as well.

"What? Discord? That big meanie-pants is gonna regret having messed with you! I wanna meet my other self over there as well! Hey, do you think we can have a really super-big giganto-massive colossal party for all of us when we're finished with Discord over there? I wanna see everypony! We're gonna have so much fun!"

She bounded alongside us as we continued, her frenetic energy causing Twilight and Trixie to chuckle. I continued to be amazed by the fact that she would get distracted by the least little thing and comment about it profusely. Rainbow Dash saw us trotting along and swooped down to meet us.

"Hey, guys, what's up? I see ... two Trixies? Oh, that's right. Been awhile, Trixie, Twi."

"We're heading to the library to meet up with your Twilight," Trixie said. "This is getting rather exciting, meeting all of you again. We're still missing a couple of you, aren't we?"

"Looks like Fluttershy and Applejack are the only ones we need," I stated.

"If we can get all of you together, that will make the mission easier," Twilight offered.

"I'll go get Fluttershy," Rainbow offered.

"I'll go get AJ!" Pinkie exclaimed.

The rest of us made it to the library and I knocked on the door. Spike answered.

"What? Trixie? Two of you? Oh, no, not again. Twilight? Oh, okay. What do you want?"

"We need to speak to your Twilight, Spike. Good to see you once again, little fellow!" the other Trixie smiled.

"What do you mean?" asked the little dragon.

"Spike! I've missed you so much!" the other Twilight exclaimed excitedly, hugging him tightly.

"In our universe, Spike, you died in the Crystal Empire," the other Trixie stated sadly. "I must admit that I too am quite happy to see you here. We miss you as our number one assistant."

"Well, maybe Princess Celestia might be able to help you," he offered, smiling broadly at the compliment.

"Spike, what is going on -- Trixie? The other ME? What brings you here?" This Twilight asked in surprise.

"We need an audience with your Princess Celestia. Discord is causing trouble for us in our universe. We need your help and we sought out Michael for his assistance as well," the other Twilight stated matter-of-factly.

"Michael, darling, I thought you were in the hospital," said Rarity.

"Twilight and Trixie from the other universe healed me up," I offered, smiling sheepishly.

"Spike, take a letter, please," this Twilight addressed her assistant.

"Right on it, Twi. Go ahead."

"Dear Princess Celestia, Twilight and Trixie from the other universe have told me that Discord is on the loose in their universe and request our assistance in banishing him again. We request an immediate audience with you at your earliest convenience. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."

Encountering Chaos

It wasn't even a minute after Spike sent the letter that a blinding flash of white light immediately followed by a golden POP ushered the arrival of the Solar Goddess. She scowled at me, which puzzled me.

"Michael! You're supposed to be in the hospital recovering! What are you doing here?" Celestia asked impatiently.

"Your Majesty, time is of the essence here. Trixie and Twilight from the other universe sought my assistance as Discord is on the loose again, this time in their universe. We seek to travel to that universe in order to dispatch him. They healed me so I could assist them in whatever capacity is necessary. Please, if I may have the amulet so that I may assist them, your Majesty."

"I suppose that cannot be helped, Michael. I am disappointed by this news, but I shall assist you in your endeavor." She procured the amulet for me and gave it to me. As she did so, Pinkie Pie returned with Applejack following close behind and Rainbow Dash flew in with Fluttershy in her fore-legs.

"Rainbow, I had no idea you were that strong! I seem to recall Fluttershy having some difficulty in carrying me when I was in Twilight's body," I said, smiling at her.

"Just goes to show you how awesome I am!" the cyan pegasus chuckled.

"Um, nice to meet you again, Trixie and Twilight. So it's Discord this time? I dealt with him here recently. Maybe I can repeat my effort?" asked Fluttershy.

"Well, things may be different in that other universe, Fluttershy," I stated. "There's no telling whether or not he'll react the same way in their universe as he did here. I would consider banishing him to be the safer method of dealing with him. But wouldn't it be crazy if the Discord from here were to meet his counterpart in the other universe?"

"Don't give him any ideas, Michael!" the Sun Goddess exclaimed. "The last thing we need is for two Discords to be working in concert!"

"Yeah, that would be bad," I mused.

"What? You mean he roams unmolested here?" the other Trixie asked with great exasperation.

"He has been reformed, Trixie. However, the thought of two of them working to create chaos together is extremely disconcerting," Celestia stated. "Such a possibility is highly undesirable."

"Will you be joining us, your Majesty?" asked the other Twilight.

"I suppose I may, as I would like to discuss a few things with my counterpart in your universe. Everypony make a circle, we shall be leaving momentarily." Princess Celestia lit her horn once again, enveloping all of us with her golden aura. A moment later, we were standing in front of the Golden Oaks Library in the other universe. I had to rub my eyes as it looked as though nothing had changed, except that now it was night-time in the other universe.

"The time difference between the two universes throws me off," I stated with mild bemusement.

"How much longer before the sun is to be raised?" asked this Twilight.

"I shall return shortly," the Sun Goddess said, which mystified all of us. She promptly disappeared in a flash of light and another golden POP.

"Where in tarnation is the Princess going?" asked Applejack. "What if Discord shows up while she's gone?"

"We form a circle around him and use the harmonic magic against him," I chuckled. "Everypony have their Elements?"

A resounding "Yes" from everypony broke the stillness of the air. The other Twilight said, "I don't have one."

Suddenly a weird zipping sound was heard as Discord made his appearance. "Well, well, well. Looks like the whole gang is here. Sorry to disappoint you girls, but I've got more important things to do than mess around with you." Before we could do anything, he disappeared again, chuckling as he teleported away.

"Okay, so now what? Does anypony have any ideas?" asked the other Trixie. "He does this to us all the time. I don't know how to stop him, and neither does Twilight. She and I have checked all the books in the library, and we can't seem to find any answers. Our Princess Celestia seems to be equally mystified."

"Well, the six Elements of Harmony were used to turn him into a statue," I offered. "But the last time we encountered him, he was on my homeworld. We had two Rarities with us and the extra Rarity caused the Harmonic Magic to expel him from my home universe. That's why I was puzzled when Nightmare Moon here was turned into a crystal sculpture."

"A most unusual occurrence, Michael. So you can help us defeat him, should he choose to return," the other Trixie mused.

Princess Celestia returned with her counterpart to join us. "We have determined his location. Discord has a unique magic signature, so we shall teleport all of you to his whereabouts. Be prepared to use your Elemental Magic as soon as you see him."

"What if he teleports away from us again?" I asked.

"Michael, must you always complicate the situation?" Celestia asked, showing a slight degree of exasperation.

"Perhaps another good night's rest is in order," I suggested. "Considering the lateness of the hour, your Majesty?"

"For this matter, I shall raise the Sun immediately," stated the other Sun Goddess. She teleported away for a few moments and used her magic to raise the Sun. After doing so, she returned once again.

"There is no excuse for futher delay, Michael. Please address this issue immediately. There shall be time enough for slumber upon your return to my realm," our Celestia stated flatly.

"Begging your pardon, your Majesty, but after addressing this issue, I would like to return to my home world in order to finalize certain matters pertaining to my human life, should circumstances permit."

"Very well then, Michael, I shall allow you that indulgence. Everypony, prepare to meet Discord." Both Alicorns enveloped us in their auras and sent us to Discord's lair. I was just hoping to myself that they didn't send us into a trap.

We arrived in a massive flash of light, which caused Discord to shield his eyes with his lion's paw. He growled at us and cursed Celestia for her interference. "That witch doesn't know when not to interfere! When I'm done with you, I shall take care of her personally!" he shouted.

"Discord! You're goin' down!" Rainbow Dash shouted at him. We encircled him, readying our magic.

"Go ahead and see if that works!" he chuckled. All of us started levitating above the floor, our bodies glowing with bright magic. A rainbow-hued vortex formed around him and started swirling. I watched him curse again as his body was turned to stone. A look of horror was frozen in time as the statue was completed by our magic.

"He never learns, does he?" asked this Twilight. Everypony congratulated each other, a few of them patting me on the back with their fore-hooves. Shortly after that, both Celestias appeared.

"We see you have been successful," our Sun Goddess smiled. "You have performed admirably."

"Thank you, your Majesty," and other gratitudes were spoken to her by all of us.

"Without any further ado, your Majesty, I must be off," I stated.

"But Mikey! We need to have you attend the party!" exclaimed a dejected Pinkie Pie.

"That can wait for another time, Pinkie," I said. "I need to go back -- I hope I'm not too late."

"Until we meet again, Michael, farewell," said the other Celestia. I returned my amulet to our Solar Goddess and lit my horn to teleport back to my home world. A pink aura surrounded me as my vision was filled with a blinding whiteness. I felt the all-too familiar feeling of my stomach dropping as I reappeared in the front yard of my home on Earth. I noticed a distinct lack of my van.

There's No Place Like Home ... Or Is There?

I was taken aback by the fact that my van was missing, so I trotted to the front door of the house. I noticed a large rectangular day-glow orange sticker placed on the storm door, which indicated the house had been placed into foreclosure.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO, NO!!" I shouted. I teleported inside the house to see if there was anything I could salvage, but everything was gone. All the furniture, everything. I checked all the rooms. Everything. Gone. I exhaled sharply through my nostrils again as my anger started to build. I teleported to the back yard to check the garden shed to see if any of the stuff I had put in there was still there. I opened it to find that everything in there was gone as well.

I teleported to the dealership I had purchased my car from to see if they knew anything about it. Fortunately, they were still open, so I opened the door and went in.

"What the hell?" asked the guy behind the desk. "We don't allow animals in here!"

"What happened to my car?" I asked him. He fell back against the wall in shock to hear me talk.

"What? What do you mean? There's no way YOU could have bought a car from us!" he shouted in disbelief.

"Black Nissan Altima. Under the name of Michael Walker," I stated, almost angrily. Unfortunately, since I was still in Trixie's body, my anger made him chuckle.

"Okay, let me check my records. We had that ... oh yeah, it was a van with a different paint job, but the plate number matched as well as the VIN. It was repo'ed awhile back for non-payment."

"So where is it now?" I asked impatiently.

"We sold it at auction. Fetched a pretty penny, it did. We got eight thousand for it."

"I was down to four thousand against it. I'm due a refund!" I shouted at him.

"You're not going to get a penny looking like THAT!" he chuckled.

"That vehicle can turn me back into a human," I stated.

"Now THAT I'd like to see!" he laughed.

"That's why I need to know where it is. If I can't find it, I'm going to be stuck like this for the rest of my life!" I screamed at him, having lost my self-control.

"So how did you get here, huh?"

"I teleported! I can use magic -- oh wait. I can track the magic signature of that vehicle! Seeya!" I chuckled. I went back outside the small building housing the dealership's office and scanned for the vehicle's signature. Having located it, I teleported to its location. Unfortunately, it turns out the vehicle was in a police impound lot, guarded by a rather vicious German Shepherd dog. The dog spotted me and ran over to me, barking its head off at me, growling and baring its teeth.

"Hush now, I just need to get in my car," I said to the dog. The dog stopped growling and turned its head quizzically at me.

"What? That's your car?" the dog asked me.

"Yeah, I just need the key --" I began. An employee of the lot saw me and gave a command to the dog for it to attack me. The dog resumed growling and lunged at me. I teleported five feet to my left and the dog leaped into the spot I had been in and landed on the ground. "Hey! Don't attack me!" I shouted at the dog.

"Sorry, I'm just doing what my master commanded," the dog said. "You'd better leave now before things get bad for you."

"But my car!" I protested.

"It's not yours if it's in here," came the dog's reply. "Go. NOW!"

I lit my horn and teleported away, returning to what used to be my home. I decided to see if I could track down Brenda, so I teleported over to her older sister Beulah's house. I knocked on the front door and heard more dog barking. Beulah, who is Brenda's older sister and also lives in our town, answered the door. She looked down to see me, still in Trixie's body.

"Uh, did you just knock on my door?" she asked, a very puzzled expression on her face.

"Yes, Beulah, I did. Do you know where Brenda is?"

The door slammed in my face as I heard Beulah scream. I stood for a few more minutes and knocked on the door again.

"What? You're still here? What do you want with my sister?"

"Did she not tell you I had transformed into a pony? I'm Michael, you know, I married your sister ..." I grinned.

"Uhh ... well, she moved away two months ago when ... you ... disappeared on her. I had to take her to work every day after ... your ... car got taken away. Where have you been?"

"It's a long story. If she's not here, I'm not sure what to do. Our home has been foreclosed and I have nowhere to stay. I suppose I've lost my job as well, as I checked the house to see if anything was there. Don't tell me it all got thrown away!"

"I took some of the stuff and have it in here," Beulah stated. "But as for anything ... you ... might have had, yes, it's all been disposed of."

"Everything I've worked for, everything I held with any kind of value, all of it gone? What am I supposed to do now?" I asked as despair was starting to creep into my voice.

"I don't know what you're going to be able to do, looking like THAT," she said. "I don't have any room for you here."

"Looks like I'm gonna have to go back to Ponyville, then. Maybe Princess Celestia can figure something out for me," I muttered.

"Who is that?"

"You're not going to meet her, but I'll tell you anyway. Princess Celestia is the Sun Goddess for Equestria, and if nothing else, I believe she might have an answer or two for me. I suppose this is a final good-bye, and if you see or hear from Brenda, let her know that I am not coming back to Earth. Good-bye, farewell, take care, Beulah. Let everypony else know what I have told you. I will miss this place, but not too much."

"Okay, Michael, I will. Good-bye, then."

I lit my horn, a pink aura enveloping my body, and I disappeared in a flash of white light, a pink POP signalling my departure. I arrived in front of the Golden Oaks Library once again, this time in the other universe, as I had not used my vehicle for the trip. It was dark out and I wasn't sure what time it was. I knocked on the front door, and the other Trixie answered it.

"Michael? Is that you? Sometimes I have a hard time telling who is who anymore, at least since I met my counterpart who looked exactly like you," she said, giving me a warm smile.

"Trixie. Nice to see you again, my dear. Yes, it's me, Michael. May I come in, please? What time is it?"

She opened the door for me, allowing me to take a seat at one of the tables. "Well, Michael, the sun was lowered only about an hour ago. I owe you a big thank you for helping us defeat Discord again, as you left rather hastily. So what happened on your home world?"

"I wish I had better news for you. My home was foreclosed and my vehicle repossessed. I lost all my worldly possessions, and I have no idea where my wife went. I have nothing left to my name and no way of transforming back into my human self. At this point, I don't think being a human again would help me much." I hung my head and a tear trickled down my muzzle.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Michael," she said softly. She walked over to me and wrapped a fore-leg around my withers. "I suppose we could visit Princess Celestia and seek her advice."

"That sounds like a good idea, one which can probably wait until morning. I believe I owe you and Twilight thanks for your healing assistance, as I was still several weeks away from making a full recovery from my injuries."

"So who attacked you so viciously?"

"Your counterpart in the other Ponyville attacked me. Truth be told, I had developed a romantic interest in her -- I was quite smitten with her charms -- and after professing my love for her, I asked her to remove a certain amulet she had tricked our Princess Celestia into giving her. You know, the one I was wearing when we defeated Nightmare Moon and Discord. She refused to return the amulet and we had a little ... disagreement ... about it."

"So she attacked you," the other Trixie mused, but offered me a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry she did that. You know if it were me, I would never have attacked you."

"I'm sure that's true, Trixie. But I was kind of curious to know where Twilight is -- she's usually here with you, isn't she?"

"She's at the party with the others. Every pony else is there as well -- don't you want to join them?"

"I never have been much of one for parties," I stated.

"Me either," she chuckled.

"Say, Trixie, you don't mind if I spend the night here, do you? I'm feeling kind of tired."

"Guest room's upstairs, help yourself, Michael."

"Thanks, Trixie," I said as I made my way upstairs to the guest room, pulling back the covers and sliding into the bed. I must have been quite tired as I fell asleep quite quickly. Some time during the night, I felt somepony snuggle up to me in the bed. I didn't bother to check to see who it was, as the presence made me feel a little more secure and their body warmth actually did feel quite nice. I felt somepony's muzzle push against mine in an attempt to kiss me, so I decided to let the moment happen. I wasn't sure who it was, but I was too tired to keep it from happening. I felt a hoof start wandering down my body, and that's when I decided to put a stop to it. I lit my horn and saw that it was ...

"Twilight? What are you doing? I didn't think you were like this," I said, somewhat shocked by her forwardness.

"Well, I get lonely sometimes, you know," she grinned sheepishly. "Since Trixie told me you seemed so distraught, I thought maybe I could ... you know ... provide you with some comfort."

"Um, I don't mind you cuddling with me, just ... that other stuff ... maybe if I were in a better mood," I offered.

"I see. Sorry about that, Michael. I guess I'll go back to sleep with my Trixie then," she said rather sullenly.

"Uh, Twi, if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you'd sleep with me anyway," I smiled.

"Okay, Michael. I promise I won't do any funny stuff," she smiled back. I laid back down and resumed my slumber, Twilight behind me now, a fore-leg wrapped around my body. There seemed to be something about that sleeping arrangement that allowed me to enjoy a very deep sleep, so that when I woke up the following morning, I felt fully rejuvenated.

An Audience With the Princess

The morning light filtered in through the window of the guest room, waking Twilight and me from our sleep. I turned over to see her still behind me, but the narrow width of the bed had me muzzle to muzzle with her, causing me to blush.

"Mmm, give me a kiss, Mikey," she cooed. My blush deepened. I gave her a very quick kiss and pulled away, causing her to moan. "No, Mikey, I mean a real kiss!"

"Twilight!" I exclaimed in exasperation. She giggled, her cheeks also a light rouge. "Twi, we gotta get up! I got stuff to do today!"

"Please! Just one more good kiss? We can get ready after that!" she chuckled.

"You're almost as incorrigible as the Trixie from the other universe," I chuckled. I pushed my muzzle against hers and opened my mouth to give her a real kiss, one which we shared for a good minute or two before I pulled away. Trixie saw us kissing and cleared her throat loudly. "Told you so," I said smugly to Twilight.

"I don't want to see you two doing that again," Trixie said, glaring at us in disapproval.

"Sorry, Trixie. I promise I won't do it again, unless I get your permission," I stated. She snorted at this.

"When pigs fly," she retorted. "Twilight! Don't do that again!"

"Sorry, Trix," she grinned sheepishly.

"You mind if I take a quick shower?" I asked.

"I have breakfast waiting downstairs, that's why I came up here," Trixie said. "Michael, you're welcome to have some food, I made extra for you. You can have a shower after you have breakfast. I insist."

"Thanks again for your hospitality."

"No problem, Michael. If you don't mind, I'd like to spend some time with you to learn more about your home world," Trixie stated. "Tell us some more about your experiences as a human over breakfast, please."

We went downstairs to eat and I told them about different things I did in my past, how I met my wife, certain jobs I held in the past and other things. Both Twilight and Trixie were quite intrigued about my employment at a library and wanted to know a lot more about that, so I told them about that as well. We finished eating, the discussion still going as we decided to visit the Sun Goddess of this realm in order to get some advice regarding my future.

"So is Princess Celestia in Canterlot here? Or is she in the old Castle in the Everfree?" I asked.

"She is in Canterlot here, but it was in a bad state of disrepair when we got there. She has had many ponies working on rebuilding the Castle, but the last time we were there, it looked pretty close to being fully renovated," Trixie explained.

"So how do we get there?" I asked, even though I probably should have known the answer.

"The train station, of course. First thing that was done to Canterlot was to re-establish train service there," Trixie chuckled. "We can discuss more of your human past on the way there, as well!"

"A little exercise to get the blood pumping," I mused. "It'll be good to stretch these legs out again. Please let me freshen up before we leave, if you don't mind."

"I'll help him in the shower," Twilight offered, grinning mischievously.

"Don't even think it," Trixie admonished her sternly. "If anypony's going to help him in the shower, it'll be me!" she chortled. Twilight gave a quick shrug. I went back upstairs to use the bathroom and freshen up, using soap and shampoo to clean my coat, mane and tail. I toweled off and checked myself in a mirror, using my magic to style my mane and tail so they looked presentable. I brushed out my coat as best I could, but Trixie was starting to get impatient and called for me to hurry up.

"I need to look somewhat presentable for the Princess," I stated. "I would at the least like to give her a good impression."

"Let's get going to the train station, the ride to Canterlot takes several hours and there are only three rides per day," Trixie explained.

"Um, I don't have any money for a ticket," I said sheepishly.

"Twilight? Can you fetch that bag of bits for me? I think I might have enough for three round-trip tickets," said Trixie.

"Thank you for your generosity, I'll try to find a way of paying you back for it," I offered.

"You're quite welcome, Michael. We'll see about that later -- right now, we have to get going, and quickly at that -- don't want to miss the next train out. We may need to gallop all the way there, so let's get going!" exclaimed the blue unicorn.

Twilight took a pair of saddlebags with her, putting the bag of bits in one of the pouches and a book in the other, along with a small bottle of ink, a couple of quills and a roll of parchment. Trixie placed a pair of saddlebags on her back as well, but put nothing in the pouches. We then left the Library, galloping quickly towards the train station. Various ponies milling about, doing their business gaped at us as we went along, doing our best to dodge, weave, and otherwise avoid direct collision with quite a few ponies. Many of them gawked at the sight of two Trixies, which made the run to the station a bit more difficult. Rainbow saw us galloping and joined up with us.

"Hey, where are you guys going? May I join you?" asked the cyan unicorn.

"We're headed to the train station -- we're going to Canterlot to meet with the Princess," Trixie answered.

"Oh. I'll go back to the boutique, lots of orders to fill!" Rainbow said sheepishly, turning around and cantering back to her shop.

"What's up with her? I would have thought she'd want to come along with us," I mused.

"I suppose she would have, but she has been rather busy lately -- her business has really increased quite a bit since the Nightmare was defeated, not to mention I don't have enough bits for four tickets," Trixie explained.

"She would love to join us in Canterlot, but every pony there is still busy with residual clean-up," Twilight added.

We made it to the train station and got our tickets just as the train was pulling into the station. We boarded quickly, taking a row of seats in the first coach behind the engine.

"So you said this ride usually lasts several hours," I addressed Trixie quizzically.

"More or less, yes. I have only visited the Castle three times since Nightmare's banishment and each time, it's taken several hours to arrive in Canterlot," she explained.

"I suppose that will give me some time to tell you more about my home world, and maybe even sing a couple of songs if you'd like," I offered.

"I'm curious to hear what sort of songs humans would sing," Twilight mused.

"If your singing voice sounds anything like mine, I think I'll pass," Trixie chuckled.

"Well, I have hummed some songs while going about my business when nopony's been watching or listening, I think," I said. "If they have heard me, they didn't say anything to me about it."

"Okay, Michael, sing something for us!" Twilight goaded.

I proceeded to start singing "Walk on By" by Dionne Warwick, just to see if my singing voice was worth listening to. An odd magical sensation washed over me as music to complement my singing started playing as I sang the song, reinforcing my resolve to complete it. Upon finishing, both Twilight and Trixie clapped their hooves in approval, broad smiles on their faces.

"That's kind of a sad song, but you did really well with it," said Trixie.

"Did you write that song, Michael?" asked Twilight.

"No, that song was written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach," I explained. "They wrote quite a few songs for Dionne Warwick, many of which are just as beautiful as that song."

"Do you know any others?" Trixie asked me.

"Yes, quite a few. I'll have to admit that there are a great many that I only know a few words to, and just a hoof-full that I know all the words to."

"I'd like to hear some more songs," Twilight mused.

"You actually have a nice singing voice, Michael, even if you happen to be in my body!" Trixie chuckled. "You must have practiced for a long time!"

"I do have quite a bit of practice, but then again, I'm 49 years old, so I've had lots of time to sing in my spare time!" I grinned. I sang a few more songs during the trip, interspersed with more exposition about my human life and more information about Earth. When I was asked about governmental structures and politics, I started explaining in excruciating detail about what was wrong with the government and how the established political parties kowtowed to large corporations and very wealthy individuals, largely due to the overweening greed of those entities. Trixie and Twilight quickly grew bored of that, so they changed the subject to hobbies and other interests.

After a few more discussions and a few more songs, we arrived at Canterlot's train station -- this was quite a bit smaller than in the "good" Equestria and the number of ponies waiting for trains was substantially fewer as well.

"Okay, let's head to the Castle," Trixie stated and started trotting towards it, Twilight beside her and me following not far behind. "Keep up, Michael, I want to make this quick."

"Sure thing, Trixie. I can't wait to meet Princess Celestia again."

We continued toward the Castle -- I was rather surprised to see that it was quite a bit smaller than the other one. The gates were simple wrought iron and there was a single guard standing before it.

"We seek an audience with the Princess," Trixie stated. The guard was puzzled by my appearance, but allowed us in. "Okay, Michael, it won't be long now." We walked through the Great Hall and along a relatively narrow corridor. We met up with another Royal Guard, who escorted us the rest of the way to the Throne Room. I noticed a distinct lack of stained glass windows, and decoration was quite sparse. There was no carpeting on the cobblestone floors and our hoofsteps echoed loudly through the hallways. Eventually we made it to the large double-doors leading into the Throne Room. There was a single guard standing in front of the doors.

"One moment, please," the guard stated. She entered the room to announce our arrival and then returned a moment later to allow us to enter, whereupon we saw the regal white Alicorn sitting demurely on her throne.

"Ah! Michael! Good to see you once again! You left in such haste I was unable to thank you properly for your assistance! Thanks to you, I was finally freed from my imprisonment in the sun! I would like to know why you chose to come here and also why you chose to assume the form of Trixie -- I see you have ... Twilight's cutie mark? How unusual," mused the Sun Goddess.

"Princess Celestia, I must say it is a great honor and pleasure to make your acquaintance once again. I would like to tell you my story, though it is one which will take quite some time to tell. Be that as it may, though, I have come to ask you for some advice. Upon returning to my home world, I discovered that everything I owned had been sold, stolen, or otherwise disposed of. I have nothing left to my name, not even a home to call my own, no job, no means of transportation, and rather obviously, no money. I was wanting to know what I should do at this point."

"Did you not say you were married? Did you find your wife?"

"No, your Majesty, I was unable to find her. Everything I had worked all my life for is gone," I explained, my voice tinged with sadness.

"Do you wish to remain in THIS universe? Would you like to go back to being a human? What is it you desire?"

"Truth be told, your Majesty, I am not quite sure. What I do know is that being a human, though rather convenient at times, is something I don't particularly desire. I have been considering one other possibility -- and that requires me traveling to the other Equestria, the one your counterpart rules over. I am not certain if I can teleport there myself, but I suppose I could give it a try."

"Michael, I would like to know why it is you would choose to return to that other universe. What is wrong with this one?"

"This universe is not how I imagined it being -- it doesn't reflect that with which I am familiar. And anyway, there is the matter of a certain blue unicorn in that other universe I need to talk to -- one who looks identical to me."

"You mean the one who attacked you and nearly killed you?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, your Majesty, THAT one. There's something about her that ... I don't know ... makes me feel ... special? Maybe it's my destiny to meet up with her again."

"But she tried to KILL you!" Trixie and Twilight shouted at me, interrupting the Sun Goddess.

"She was under the corrupting influence of a magic amulet -- otherwise, I don't think she would have tried to kill me," I explained.

"You mean, the amulet you were wearing when you defeated Nightmare Moon and Discord?" Trixie asked.

"Yeah, Trixie had tricked the other Princess Celestia into giving it to her, thinking that she was me."

"Why did she do that?" asked the Princess. "How could my counterpart have been so easily misled?"

"Keep in mind that both of us are in identical bodies -- and she was able to fool your counterpart into thinking she was me. She can be rather devious when she needs to be," I mused.

"And you want to go back to her? WHY?" asked Twilight.

"Because she told me she loves me," I stated flatly. "And to be honest, I think I love her as well."

"Are you sure about this? What if she tries to kill you again?"

"I don't think she will. I was told she's being punished for that, and I'm pretty sure she'll be happy to see me when I return."

"Don't you think that her punishment will instill feelings of resentment towards you, that she'll be even angrier upon seeing you? I seriously doubt she would want to see you again, Michael. I would suggest you remain here in this universe -- you're something of a hero here," Celestia said, smiling at me.

"Well, in either case, I don't think I can remain in Trixie's body any longer. If I choose to remain a pony, regardless of which universe I decide to stay in, I will need a transformation. Unfortunately, my vehicle was taken from me as well, so I have no way of changing into anything, regardless of whether it's a human or another pony. I still remember what Pinkie Pie from the other universe had told me -- that I should be my own pony, and not try to be somepony else."

The Sun Goddess smiled at me. "Diane's counterpart spoke great wisdom, Michael. I believe I can transform you into a pony of your choice -- just let me know what you would like to look like and I can arrange it for you immediately."

"I appreciate your offer, your Majesty. I believe I would like to remain a unicorn -- being able to wield magic is a wonderful gift, one I try to use with great responsibility. I also remember telling the other Trixie that I would choose to be a male unicorn. I suppose a coat color of a deep magenta, with a mane and tail of pale yellowish-green would make a nice contrast. I would also like to have a relatively tall and lanky build, if that's not too much to ask."

The Princess had already lit her horn, working a transformation spell upon me. I felt her aura surround me, and then my body started changing before my eyes, though without a mirror to watch the process, I could only stare at my hooves as my coat color deepened into a deep burgundy, and feel myself get a bit taller as well. Being a stallion was going to take a little getting used to, after having been a mare for as long as I was. Celestia released me from her aura, her smile broadening a bit as I craned my neck around to see my tail, which was a nice shade of chartreuse.

"Do you have a mirror, your Majesty? I would like to examine the total package, as it were," I chuckled. My voice had taken on a much deeper tone with quite a bit of resonance to it. It sounded pleasant to my ears. Twilight and Trixie snickered at what I had said, both of them blushing ever so slightly.

"Certainly, Michael," the Alicorn chuckled, conjuring up a large mirror for me. I examined myself, noticing the short forelock and medium length mane. I stood almost a head taller than Trixie and Twilight, who were now grinning at me. Their blushes deepened a little more. I turned around, noticing ... oh. That's what they were giggling at.

"Your Majesty, must ... that ... be so obvious?" I asked, my cheeks a deep red.

"Clearly you have something on your mind, Michael," she smiled mischievously, trying her hardest to stifle her laughter. "I thought you wanted to be well-endowed as well!" And then she lost her self-control, laughing really hard. Twilight and Trixie also laughed a little as well. I scowled at them.

"Remind us to think about you when we go into our heat cycle," Trixie giggled.

"TRIXIE!" I shouted at her. "That's enough!"

"Michael, I can't change ... that ... for you. Think clean thoughts, it will diminish in its size," the Sun Goddess chuckled.

"Maybe I need to relieve the pressure on my bladder. Is there a washroom nearby?"

"This wouldn't be a proper Castle without one, Michael! Please, allow me to escort you," Celestia said, still smiling. I trailed the Alicorn to another room adjoining the Throne Room and took care of my business, returning a moment later.

"Feeling better, now, Michael? Oh, and by the way, you will need to choose a new name for your new identity. You might also notice a distinct lack of a cutie mark."

"Maybe THAT'S what they were giggling at," I mused. "I think I might be a blank flank for awhile, I'm afraid. I never really specialized in much of anything, other than being a delivery person when I was a human. I delivered newspapers when I was a kid, then went to doing pizza delivery, then package delivery for a courier service. I suppose you could say I've been a delivery boy all my life!" I chuckled.

"But you worked in a library!" Twilight protested.

"Well, yeah, I did -- but I already told you about that," I stated flatly.

"Michael, you're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Celestia asked warmly. "Have you thought of a pony name yet?"

"I suppose I should have done so while I was running around as Trixie, but no, your Majesty, I haven't thought of a name -- I just assumed I could continue using my human name despite my appearance. I'm open to suggestions, though." As those words were leaving my mouth, I felt something weird occur -- apparently, I had received my cutie mark -- a slice of pizza. I chuckled at the irony of it.

"That was quick," Trixie giggled.

"Twenty-five years. I should have known," I said, rather dejectedly.

Trixie Meets Trixie Again

"You mean to tell me you worked at that sort of job for that long?" Celestia asked with some surprise.

"Yes, your Majesty, I did." I turned to my left to see her students still snickering and giggling at me. Returning my eye contact with the Sun Goddess again, I asked, "Is my new appearance so amusing that I find myself the object of ridicule?"

"Well, your request was an unusual one, Michael. Are you not happy with your new appearance?"

"Your Majesty, I do not appreciate being laughed at. I would just as well be returned to my earlier form as Trixie if I cannot be taken seriously as my own pony self." I returned my gaze to the two of them, now trying their hardest to suppress outright laughter. "If you would be so kind, your Majesty?"

"It is not my preference to restore your earlier appearance, however, since you seem so distraught over my students' amusement, I shall do so for you now. I promise you I shall have a few words with my students and express my displeasure with them over their immature behavior." Once again, the Princess lit her horn, enveloping me with her aura, restoring my earlier appearance as Trixie with one minor exception -- my cutie mark now matched the one this Trixie wore -- a dark blue six-pointed star with four smaller white stars around it. Upon seeing this change, Trixie sputtered in frustration.

"Princess Celestia! Trixie demands you change him back now!" she exclaimed indignantly.

"You would do well to calm your voice, Trixie. You and Twilight subjected him to humiliation, something which was unwarranted, and also unworthy of his character. I suggest you apologize to him for your impiety," the Alicorn admonished her sternly.

Trixie hung her head and approached me slowly. "I'm sorry, Michael, it's just that ... what you chose was so ... funny ... that I couldn't help myself."

"I would appreciate an understanding of why you found my choice so amusing," I stated quizzically.

"Your color combination choice was ... to be blunt ... silly. I still don't like the fact you now look identical to me. I hope you understand the responsibility that being ME entails! Don't make a foal of yourself, for my sake!"

"Do you not remember that I told you at one time I was in Twilight's body? The responsibility of being HER was just as important, as she represents the Element of Magic for that other universe we were in," I stated flatly. "So if you are her equivalent HERE, then it shouldn't be any great problem for me. Be that as it may, I don't intend to stay here much longer -- I have other matters to attend to." I turned my attention to the Sun Goddess. "Princess Celestia, I would once again like to thank you for your generosity, but I'm afraid I must be off again. By my leave, your Majesty?"

"Michael, I'd like to apologize to you as well," Twilight offered.

"Accepted, Twilight."

"Before you leave, Michael, I have another gift for you," Celestia smiled, and levitated a pair of saddlebags to me, the pouches filled with items.

"What is in these pouches?"

"You may find those items useful to you at some point in the future. They are my gift to you for your help in this universe. It is with sadness and regret that I say good-bye to you, Michael, as I would have enjoyed further conversations with you. You are welcome to return any time you desire, and should you wish to have your appearance changed again, I shall only be too happy to perform a transformation for you once again."

"You have my deepest and most sincere thanks, your Majesty. I hope to see you again, hopefully not too far in the future. Good-bye, Princess Celestia, until we meet again. Good-bye, Trixie, Twilight. It's been quite fun!"

"We're going to miss you, Michael," Trixie said, almost sullenly. Twilight trotted over to me and gave me a hug. Trixie did likewise.

"I'm going to miss you, too," I replied, a little sadness tinging my voice. I lit my horn and concentrated on the other Canterlot Castle, my intent to visit with the other Sun Goddess. A pink aura enveloped my body as I cast the teleport, everything becoming blindingly white, then the familiar POPping sound as I made the jump across the dimensional barrier separating the two universes. I was standing in the Throne Room, but now it was dark outside, and the Lunar Princess was holding Night Court. She expressed a little surprise to see me.

"Trixie! When did you escape the dungeon?" Luna asked with exasperation.

"Princess Luna, I am Michael Walker, in Trixie's body. I got a cutie mark change, though."

"You have a variation of Twilight's cutie mark? How did you acquire that?"

"I met with your sister's counterpart in the other universe -- she transformed me into a unicorn stallion in front of her students, but their reaction to my new appearance was so disconcerting that I asked her for a change back into Trixie, so she obliged me. She also gave me these saddlebags with some stuff in them -- I haven't taken the time to examine everything, so I have no idea what's in there."

"We are quite surprised by her generosity -- our sister would most likely not perform two transformations in such a short period of time. Your saddlebags contain some items with magic properties, as we can sense their power."

"Hopefully none of them are malevolent."

"No, but you would do well to keep them close to you, as we do not want them falling into the wrong hooves. So, Michael, what is the nature of your visit?"

"I was wanting to see the Trixie for this universe -- I hope her attitude toward me has softened, or that maybe she might be willing to see me," I stated optimistically.

"We shall have an escort take you to her cell. She is due to be released in a few weeks, so we are certain a visit is within reason. We shall keep your saddlebags here while you're visiting with her." Luna used her telekinesis to lift the saddlebags off my back and kept them beside the throne. She called for a Royal Guard unicorn to escort me into the dungeon to meet Trixie. This little excursion through the Castle to the Dungeon took about fifteen minutes and we encountered no other ponies on our way there, save for another guard at the dungeon entrance. The stairway leading down to the cells was poorly lit, but we made it to the cell where Trixie was being held. She was curled up in a ball on the floor in a corner of the cell.

"Trixie, you have a visitor," the guard announced. She had to do a double-take at my appearance, noticing the different cutie mark.

"Trixie doesn't want any visitors," she moaned softly. "Please tell Trixie her time in here is nearly up!"

"Princess Luna tells me you have just a few weeks left," I stated flatly.

Trixie bolted upright to see me -- her pupils were very wide to allow for the dimness of the light filtering in, but she recognized me immediately. "Michael! Trixie is so sorry for attacking you! Please forgive her! Trixie was afraid she had killed you!"

"I forgive you, Trixie. I am going to see what I can do to get an early release for you."

"Thank you so much, Michael! You don't know what it's been like down here!"

"I shudder to think about it, Trixie. It took me quite a while to recover from the injuries you gave me, but I was given a little help from your counterpart from the other universe -- she and the other Twilight used some healing magic on me."

"Well, that was nice of her." She looked a little more closely at me and saw my different cutie mark. "Why do you have Sparkle's cutie mark? What happened to mine? You didn't ask Celestia for a change, did you?"

"Two changes, actually, and not THIS Celestia, but the one in the other universe." I told her about the two changes and she chuckled softly before letting out a sneeze. "Trixie, sounds to me like you might have caught a cold down here."

"Oh, it's nothing much -- Trixie has experienced worse."

"In any case, I'll have a chat with Princess Celestia in the morning. The time difference between the two universes keeps messing with my circadian rhythm."

"Do you still love Trixie?" she asked, point blank.

"Way to put me on the spot, there, Trixie!" I thought. "I have to keep reminding myself your mind was corrupted by that amulet, otherwise you would never have attacked me. Be that as it may, Trixie, yes, I still love you."

"Did you get that divorce finalized?"

"Talk about cutting to the chase! Trixie, I traveled back to my home world only to find that everything I had was gone. I was unable to locate my wife, so I had no luck in seeking a divorce. To make matters worse, I lost my vehicle, so I cannot transform back into my human self in order to proceed with a divorce."

Trixie hung her head sadly. "Trixie was wanting to marry you, Michael! Please tell Trixie you tried your best to find your wife!"

"I talked to her older sister, who lives in the same town. She told me she had no idea where Brenda had moved to, nor what she was doing. I suppose I could go back to Earth to try harder to locate her, but as a pony, well ... let's just say that my current status would prevent me from being able to obtain a divorce."

Trixie started openly sobbing at this point, her cries piercing the air. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Please ... please ... for ... Trixie ..."

"I will talk to Princess Celestia in the morning. I will do my best to determine a solution to this problem and I will do my best to inform you of any improvements. Mark my words, Trixie, I would be honored to have you as my mare."

Trixie's mood changes to one of jubilation, her tears of sadness changing over to tears of happiness. "Michael! Trixie can't wait for the wedding, though she does not want to marry herself!"

"Give me an idea of what you want," I offered. "I hope it's nothing outrageous," I thought.

"Your outer appearance is not too important to Trixie, as long as you look nice. Trixie knows your heart to be good, otherwise you would not have forgiven her for what she did to you. Michael, you have made Trixie so happy!"

"What? You're going to marry her?" the guard asked incredulously. "Don't you know what she's like?"

"I suppose I should spend more time with her in order to know her idiosyncrasies better -- and since she's been down here for five months, that can't be good for her psyche, either. She tagged along with me during an earlier adventure and I became quite smitten with her," I said to the guard.

"Michael! Don't listen to her! Believe your heart! Trixie will always love you!" she protested loudly.

"Finish up your visit, it's time to go," the guard stated flatly. Trixie and I approached each other to meet at the bars separating us. We pushed our muzzles against each other's and tried to kiss as best we could.

"I'll try to get you released, Trixie. See you soon, I hope."

"Please hurry, Michael! Trixie is going to miss you!"

"Okay, time's up. Let's get going." The guard then escorted me up the stairs and out of the dungeon. It was going to be several more hours before Celestia was to raise her Sun, so I asked Luna to let me sleep in a guest room, even though I wasn't all that tired. I was then escorted to another bedchamber and laid down to rest for awhile.

Yet Another Meeting With Celestia!

A Royal Guard Unicorn came to the guest room I had been sleeping in. "Wakey, wakey -- eggs and bakey!" he chimed.

"Mmm, I hope they burnt the bacon," I moaned. Trixie's voice sounds so sexy when it comes out like that...

"Hay smells bad when it burns," the guard chuckled. "Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia, summons you to the Great Dining Hall for breakfast. Are you coming or not?"

"Yes, just a moment please." I rose to my hooves and rubbed sleep from my eyes. I followed the guard out of the room, along a few corridors until we made it to the Dining Hall. I was allowed entry, but the Sun Goddess was not too happy to see me.

"Are you Michael or Trixie?" she asked. "Oh, wait -- I see a different cutie mark. You must be Trixie from the other universe!" she smiled. "Take a seat, my little pony!"

"Your Majesty, I am Michael Walker. Thank you once again for breakfast."

"So how did your trip back to your home world work out? And why do you have the other Trixie's cutie mark?"

"Would that I had better news for you, your Majesty. I lost everything I owned in my home world. I have nothing left to my name, except for the saddlebags I left with your sister last night. As for the cutie mark change, well, let's just say that your counterpart has an odd sense of humor and leave it at that." I fixed myself a plate of eggs, hay bacon, Prench toast and something that looked like pan-fried shredded potatoes. I poured myself a glass of orange juice.

"Michael, I am terribly sorry to hear about your loss. Do you have anything planned on how to deal with this?"

"I suppose Princess Luna might have told you I visited with Trixie in the dungeon last night," I began.

"She did, yes. Why did you choose to visit her, after what she did to you?" Celestia delicately nibbled at her toast, not spilling a crumb. She casually sipped from a teacup.

"Your Majesty, I ask of you a favor. It is my desire to marry Trixie," I offered.

The Sun Goddess did something I wasn't expecting. She did a spit-take, spraying her tea out of her mouth onto the table. "Michael! I cannot allow this!"

"With your permission, your Majesty. I understand the nature of her crime, however she was under the corrupting influence of that amulet. I forgive her, and ask for your blessing ..." my words trailed off as I saw Celestia's visage darken considerably.

"I suppose you were wanting her to be released a little early as well," came a very cold response from the Alicorn.

"I understand your apprehension, your Majesty. I apologize for broaching the subject. But I beg of you this indulgence, as I am quite enamored with her." I chewed on a piece of Prench toast with syrup on it. The potatoes were quite tasty as well.

"Be that as it may, Michael, I give you this warning. She will break your heart and leave you crying. I see this in your future. I strongly advise against your wish to marry Trixie -- it will only end up in deep sadness for you. If it is Trixie you wish to marry, why not venture back to the other universe to meet with your ... identical ... self. She is the Bearer of the Element of Magic, and I believe she will make you much happier were you to marry her instead."

"She may look like Trixie, but she is not truly her. The external appearance has no bearing on personality -- truthfully, I actually had considered that possibility, but ... it's this Trixie I wish to marry, not the other one." I took a gulp of juice to wash down my food at this point.

"I understand your desire, Michael, but I'm afraid I cannot allow this. She is to serve the remainder of her sentence and you are not permitted any more visits with her. I suggest you forget about her and seek another for marriage."

I pouted, giving her my very best sad puppy-dog eyes look. I allowed tears to start welling up in my eyes, getting ready to spill out over my cheeks. "Please, Princess Celestia!" I begged. I saw her resolve start to waver ever so slightly. I kept up the act to see if I could get her to break. "I made her a Pinkie Promise!" The dam was starting to show some deep cracks ... "You know what it means to break one of those, don't you, your Majesty?" Aaaaany minute now ...

"I understand the severity Pinkie Pie takes those promises -- however, this matter trumps your desires. I am very sorry to disappoint you, Michael, but there is the matter of precedent here. If I were to release Trixie now, it would serve as negative reinforcement encouraging further bad behavior. I also believe that it is in your best interest to avoid further contact with Trixie, despite the fact you have fallen in love with her. At the risk of repeating myself, it is with great concern for your future happiness I give you this advice: do not look back, for a marriage to Trixie would be worse for you than your marriage to Brenda. Speaking of whom, were you successful obtaining a divorce from her?"

"I'm afraid not, your Majesty. I was unable to locate her, so by extension, I was unable to obtain a divorce from her."

"You have my sympathies, Michael, however, since you are technically still married, I would be completely unable to offer my blessing to you for a marriage to Trixie. If you wish to marry her, you must successfully obtain a divorce from your wife."

Now it was my turn for a spit-take. "Sorry about that, your Majesty. Have you any idea of just how difficult a task that will be? I can't even change back into a human as my vehicle was taken from me in my absence from my home world. To top that off, I have no way of supporting myself on my home world as a human, as I lost my job as well. I have no one who can help me as a human, and without any money, or any way of obtaining any money, I would not be able to afford an attorney to help me in my quest to obtain a divorce."

"I am fully aware of the difficulty of the task. That's the one condition you must meet if you wish to marry Trixie. Good luck, Michael!" she grinned. I dropped the sad puppy-dog eyes. My expression turned to one of anger. "I suggest you calm yourself before you do something you might regret, Michael. I would hate for anything sad to happen to you," the Alicorn stated, smiling serenely. I got out of my chair at the table and sat on my haunches on the floor. I held my fore-hooves to my head, trying to figure out a plan, or perhaps just to express my state of disappointment. I stayed like that for a few minutes as the Sun Goddess simply observed my behavior. "What are you thinking about, Michael?"

"Your Majesty, I am thinking. There is a part of me that is trying to decide on a course of action and there is a part of me that seems to be resigned to this fate. There is a part of me that feels your decision is rather unfair and another part of me that knows, almost instinctively, that what you're saying is essentially correct. I believe you can see into the future, and I wouldn't be too surprised if a marriage to Trixie would end up leaving me feeling miserable and wishing for a way out, kind of like my current marriage -- and that's the crux of the matter. It's like being stuck in a Catch-22."

"Never heard of that expression, Michael. Care to explain?"

"It represents a no-win situation, your Majesty."

"What is your plan now, Michael?"

"You know, you could make this a lot easier for me, your Majesty."

"And I've already explained myself, Michael. The answer is still no, regardless of how persuasive you try to be. I can sense your determination on this matter, and trust me, I admire such perseverance, however, I wish to save you from future heartbreak. Please don't force me to take stronger measures, as they would prove to be most unpleasant for you."

WHAT?

"Very well then, your Majesty. If I may have my saddlebags, I shall be off again," I stated flatly.

"Certainly, Michael." Princess Celestia used her magic to summon the saddlebags, even going to the trouble of placing them on my back. Something felt odd about them, though...

"Your Majesty, has anything been removed from the saddlebags? I remember them being a bit heavier than this."

"There were certain ... items ... which I felt were unnecessary for your travels, so I took the liberty of retaining possession of them."

"Those were a gift to me from your counterpart in the other universe -- she told me they would prove useful to me in my future travels. I would appreciate their return, if you would be so kind, your Majesty."

"Be that as it may, Michael, I feel you would be tempted to misuse those items, as they have a great deal of magic imbued within them."

"Your Majesty -- have I not shown you I am capable of acting responsibly enough to control such items? Or is it because Trixie tricked you into thinking she was me and you do not wish for a repeat of what happened earlier? Or am I in yet another alternate universe?" I asked, a slight tinge of anger starting to creep into my voice. "Better calm down now, Mike, you don't know what she might do if you make her angry," I thought.

"Although your sincerity proves to me you are fully capable of maintaining control of your emotions, for the most part, I feel that the temptation of these items would prove to be too much for you to manage with the degree of responsibility such power requires; therefore, I cannot return those items to you ... just yet. Perhaps in future, I shall return them to you."

I figured that I would be better off cutting my losses at this point. "Your Majesty, I understand. I shall take my leave now, so thanks once again for your hospitality. Until we meet again," I stated, just a slight hint of resentment in my voice.

"Until we meet again," she echoed my words, her voice tinged with enough anger to let me know I had displeased her. Her smile had vanished, just a slight frown on her features.

I lit my horn, enveloping myself in my pink aura and teleported to the Golden Oaks Library to have an audience with Twilight. I knocked on the front door of the tree and Spike answered.

"Hey, Trixie, I thought you had been punished for what you did to Mike," he said with some surprise.

"Check out my cutie mark," I said, turning to my right a little to let him see. "I'm still Michael, just a slight change. Any chance I can have a chat with Twilight?"

"She's busy studying a new spell, Mike. You can come in if you want, though."

"If she's busy, I'll come back later. I need to check around with the others -- I have something big planned."

"What is it?" Spike smiled broadly. "When you think of something big, it's REALLY big, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I suppose you could say that. I can't spill it yet, I need to talk to several other ponies first. I just hope ..." I covered my mouth with a fore-hoof. I might have said a little too much there...

"Hope what?" the little dragon asked, his face showing deep puzzlement.

"Well, I hope it works out ... for me, anyway," I chuckled. "And I hope the others don't think I'm crazy for even thinking about what I have planned. That's why I need to talk to Twilight -- I have a tendency to trust her judgment."

"Spike, who is it? What's going on down there?" asked the lavender unicorn. She trotted down the stairs and came to the front door. "Trixie? When did they ... oh. Different cutie mark. Trixie?"

"Hello, Twilight. Nice to see you again. No, I'm not Trixie, I'm Michael, and I need to have a short talk with you if I may."

"Please, come inside, Michael! So how did things go for you back on Earth?"

I entered the Library and took a seat on a couch. "Not well, I'm afraid. There is another matter I wanted to discuss with you, though -- and it involves this Trixie here, not the other one."

"Not planning on revenge, are you?" she asked with some surprise. She gave me a look to indicate a bit of worry.

"No, Twi, nothing like that. To be honest, I was wanting to marry her," I said nonchalantly.

"WHAAAAAT??!" Spike and Twilight cried simultaneously. "Michael! She tried to KILL you! You were in a coma for two weeks! I was worried so deeply about you! And now you want to MARRY her?!" asked the very exasperated librarian.

"I know it sounds crazy, believe me -- but she was under the influence of that amulet. I met with her last night in the castle's dungeon -- she expressed deep remorse for her actions. I am willing to forgive her for what she did. I still feel very deep attachment to her -- I guess you could call it love."

"Love makes ponies do strange and stupid things, Michael! I think it's a very bad idea to marry her! Did you talk to Princess Celestia about this?"

"I just came from the Castle -- and the Princess echoed your sentiment, even going so far as to forbid even another visit with Trixie. Personally, I think it's unfair."

"Well, if it's Trixie you want, why not go to that other universe and ask the OTHER Trixie for HER hoof in marriage? She seems to be rather nice," suggested Twilight.

"Yeah! You must be CRAZY to marry Trixie!" Spike exclaimed. "You don't even know her well enough to make THAT kind of decision!"

"Twilight, believe it or not, Celestia gave me the same advice. The only problem I have with that is that even though the Trixie in that other universe looks like this one, the personalities are very different. In a way, that Trixie is more like you -- so in effect, it might be like me asking you to marry me," I explained. Twilight blushed.

"Ooh, um ... that caught me by surprise. I ... um ... do you really want to marry me?" she asked in her confusion.

"As much as I might want to, I'd have to say no, sorry, Twi. I have another plan, though -- and I was wanting to know if you might be willing to help me."

"Oh. You were just pulling my leg, weren't you? Whatever. Tell me about this plan of yours."

"What I was thinking of doing was teleporting to Trixie's dungeon cell, bringing her back here to stay with you until her sentence is complete, and me taking her place -- I would have to use a magic spell to switch our cutie marks, but I would be willing to spend a few weeks in the dungeon if I could marry her."

Both Twilight and Spike stood in stunned silence, their mouths agape, trying to find words to express themselves. It took a few moments for Twilight to regain enough composure to glare very angrily at me. "If the Princess forbade it, then you have no business disobeying her! That's the craziest idea I have EVER heard! I suggest you find somewhere else to go -- I don't want to have Spike send a letter to the Princess informing her of your stupid plan! I thought you were smarter than that!"

"Okay, sorry Twilight. I was hoping ... gods, I sound desperate, don't I? You're right. I should take Celestia's advice and try to find somepony else to marry. It's been lonely for me since she attacked me. But she's gonna be crushed when she finds out I broke my Pinkie Promise to her."

"NOPONY EVER BREAKS A PINKIE PROMISE!! EVER!!" shouted the pink earth pony. "Mikey! Tell me what's going on!"

Spike and Twilight listened with rapt attention to my story about the promise I made to Trixie. Pinkie glared at me. "I haven't broken it yet, Pinkie! But Princess Celestia is going to force me to break it! Try to convince HER that I shouldn't break the promise I made Trixie!"

Pinkie Pie hung her head. "Okay, Mikey. You get another one, just because it's the Princess. DON'T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN!"

"Sorry, Pinkie, I would if I could, but I can't. I begged the Princess and she denied me."

"So whatcha gonna do now, Mikey?"

"He wanted to switch places with Trixie! That's how much he loves her!" Twilight exclaimed incredulously.

"Oh, that's so sweet! I wish I had somepony willing to do that much for my love!"

"He has to be CRAZY! Nopony I know would do something like that!"

"Well, if you two don't mind, I have another mission to go on," I muttered.

"Hope it's not as crazy as the last one!" Twilight chuckled. "Care to let us in on this new plan of yours?"

"I'm gonna go back to my home world of Earth. I am going to take back my vehicle!" I shouted. "I put too much of myself into it to simply let somepony drive around in it!"

"Then what? If you get your vehicle back, what are you going to do after that?" asked the lavender unicorn.

"I'm playing another hunch. If it proves correct, you will never see me again. If that's the case, I wish to bid all of you a fond farewell -- this goes for Trixie as well. Please let her know I will always love her, even though I cannot be with her. I will miss all of you dearly."

"Mikey! Are you for real? This is really good-bye, as in, never coming back good-bye? But ... you never came to any of my parties! Or at least, just that one awhile back when you were in Twilight's body..."

"Michael, I hope to see you again someday -- I will inform everypony of your decision and give them your farewell. Good-bye and good luck, Michael. Take care of yourself."

"Seeya later, Mike," said Spike.

I lit my horn, enveloping myself in my pink aura once again. I focused my mind's eye on the Throne Room in the other universe's Canterlot Castle. Maybe I could reconnoiter with their Sun Goddess again. No matter how many times I did this, I still couldn't really get used to that blinding whiteness that became everything and nothing, and that awful stomach dropping sensation. I arrived in the other universe, standing before the throne. I noticed it was night-time again, the throne empty as Celestia must have gone to bed to get some sleep. "Even Goddesses need sleep some time," I thought.

I teleported to the Library and knocked on the door. The other Twilight answered it.

"Ah, I see you're back, Michael!" she grinned. "So how did things go over in the other Equestria?"

"Not as well as I had hoped. I can't marry Trixie over there -- and the Solar Princess confiscated some of the gifts your Celestia gave me."

"She's not going to be happy about that. Did she say why she took them?"

"Something about my need to control my emotions or something like that -- she said the items were too powerful for me to use them responsibly."

"That doesn't sound like the Celestia I know," mused Twilight. "So, Michael, would you like to get some sleep? It's rather late, you know, and ... I could use a little company ... if you'd like," she whispered in my left ear.

"The time difference between these two Equestrias keeps throwing me off. When I left the other universe, it was still fairly early in the morning. I'd like to stay, Twilight, but I am on a different mission. If this works out the way I'm planning, you might not ever see me again, and if that's the case, I bid you a --" I couldn't finish what I was saying as Twilight hugged me tightly and gave me a passionate kiss. I tried to break free from her embrace, but found my resolve quickly weakening.

"Twilight! What did I tell you about that?" asked an angry Trixie.

"Trixie, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" came her exasperated query.

"What would you say if I asked you to marry me?"

The two unicorns looked at me as though I had lost my mind, then started laughing as hard as they could. "Not like how you look now, nor how you looked after Celestia transformed you into a stallion, either!" Trixie exclaimed through her laughter. "Twilight and I have been together for such a long time that you would have to either marry both of us or neither!"

"Okay, then, Trixie, Twilight. I bid you farewell. Hopefully I might meet up with you two again -- even if I did find myself the butt of your jokes."

"See you later, Michael," both of them said simultaneously.

I lit my horn yet again for another teleport, this time back to Earth. I was going to track down my vehicle and take it back!

Getting Something Better Than the Car

My landing point when I teleported back to Earth was the front yard of the house I used to call home -- the one that had been foreclosed. Apparently someone had recently purchased it and a different vehicle was sitting in the driveway. I decided that at this point it was too late to try to get the house back, so I paid it no attention and searched for the magic signature of my van. I was able to locate the vehicle after a few minutes of scanning. The van was a fair distance away, but I was able to teleport to it's specific location. "This is starting to get tedious," I thought. I was now standing next to my van, which was now in someone's garage. I examined my surroundings, feeling a little nervous about being in the garage. "Who owns this van now? Should I even be doing this?" I wondered. I decided to get in it at this point. Without the key, I had to use magic to turn the van on.

"TS, magic battery level?" I asked nervously.

"Magic battery level, one hundred percent. Analyzing driver data. Driver data confirmed. Good morning, Beatrix Lulamoon," came a flat sounding voice.

"Morning, TS. Can we go to Ponyville? I have something I need to do there," I said hurriedly. "I hope this works," I thought.

"Sorry, Beatrix, but as I am registered to another owner, I cannot perform your requested action." I was dumbstruck by this statement. It took me a few moments to devise a new plan. I just hoped the owner of the van didn't decide to take an excursion in the vehicle while I was in it.

"Okay, if you can't do that, can you locate Brenda Walker for me?"

"Searching. There are 41 matches. Please provide more information," TS requested. I gave as detailed a description as best I could. "She is currently listed in San Rafael, California."

"Can you take me to her or send me to her?"

"Yes, Beatrix. I shall send you to her. Acquiring target destination. Preparing teleport." I felt myself enveloped in a magenta aura as the car sent me on a teleport to Brenda's location. I was standing at the front door of an apartment on the third floor of a building in what looked like a somewhat seedy part of the city. The air was rather noisy as the sounds of various activities filled it. The sky was a nice light blue with a decent amount of cirrus clouds very high up. I knocked on the front door and Brenda answered it.

"Oh. It's YOU! What are YOU doing here?" Brenda asked very angrily. "Do you know how long it's been?"

"Nice to see you too, Brenda. No, I don't know -- why don't you tell me?" I asked, almost facetiously.

"It's been five months! Where the FUCK have you been?" she asked as she knitted her brows. Her face almost seemed contorted in rage.

"Bouncing back and forth between two different versions of Ponyville and Canterlot," I replied nonchalantly. "I spent a few months in hospital after being attacked and nearly killed."

"I knew it was a bad idea for you to do that! We lost the house and everything! Now you come back ... for what? You want to come back to me? It's too late for that, Mike! I divorced your sorry ass three months ago!" she yelled at me.

"May I have a copy of the papers then?" I asked. I tried my hardest not to smile at this point. Brenda went back inside the apartment and returned a moment later.

"You can have the damned things for all I care!" she screeched, throwing the papers at me as hard as she could. I used my telekinesis to catch the papers and order them neatly. I put them in my saddlebags.

"You have no idea how much those papers mean to me," I said, losing my resolve not to smile.

"So where the fuck are you going to go now?" she asked as she lost some of her anger at me.

"Back to Ponyville, of course! Bye!" I laughed, lighting my horn and teleporting away.

"...Take me with you..." she said as tears started to trickle down her cheeks. I just barely caught her saying that as the blinding whiteness became everything and nothing for me once again. I felt a twinge of guilt leaving her behind, but we were divorced now -- she was now my ex-wife. I think a part of me died at that moment...

The pre-dawn light was starting to cast long shadows in Ponyville as I stood in front of the Library once again. I was trying to decide whether or not to spend some time here with Trixie and Twilight or if I should venture to the "good" Equestria. I wasn't sure how long I stood there, but even before I had a chance to knock on the door, Trixie came out to investigate what had caused a disturbance in the ether. She was still rubbing a little sleep from her eyes.

"Michael? Is that you? What brings you back?" she asked.

"I didn't get my car back," I stated flatly. "But I did get something better."

"What could have been better than retrieving your vehicle?" came her query. Did I see a smile grace her lips?

"The divorce is official -- I got the papers!" I exclaimed, perhaps a little too excitedly.

"So what does that mean?"

"It means I can travel back to the other Canterlot and marry the other Trixie," I replied with quite a bit of happiness in my voice.

"Um, Michael ... may I ask a question of you?"

"Of course, Trixie, what would you like to know?"

"You know earlier, when you asked me what I might say if you asked me to marry you?"

"Of course -- you and Twilight laughed your heads off," I answered, a little consternation coloring my statement.

"Well, the thing is this -- your question was so unexpected, I didn't really know how to respond properly. After you left, Twilight and I discussed the matter at length -- and we came to the conclusion that if you were truly serious about marrying me, I would be quite honored to be your mare. Obviously, you would have to seek another transformation into a stallion, but I will give you a good idea of what I would like you to look like. So now I have another question for you, Michael -- are you truly serious about marrying me or is it the other Trixie you wish to marry?"

"Wow. Trixie, we haven't really spent much time together at all -- and before I make a decision of that magnitude, I would need to spend quite a lot of time getting to know you better. But as you said before, both you and Twilight have spent a very long time together, and I wouldn't want to come between the two of you."

Trixie hung her head, her ears drooping. "I understand, Michael. If you should ever change your mind, though, I will wait for you. If you ever need a friend in whom to confide, I will listen to you. Even though we don't know each other very well, I would like you to know that I actually do like you quite a bit. I have to make breakfast shortly, would you like something to eat?"

"Thanks for your offer, Trixie, but I'm not really hungry right now. I'm afraid I must be going again, so until we meet again, Trixie, good-bye, farewell, take care. Who knows? Maybe I might be back sooner than I think."

"Good-bye, Michael. I hope to see you soon, though," she said somewhat sadly.

I lit my horn again and prepared another teleport to the "good" Ponyville. My horn was starting to ache now from all that teleporting in such a short period of time, but I made it across the dimensional barrier to stand in front of Twilight's tree. Night was starting to fall so I knocked on the front door. Spike let me in.

"It's good to see you again, Mike. So how did things go?" asked the dragon.

"Well, I didn't get my car, but I got my divorce papers," I stated proudly.

"Hey, Twi! Mike got his divorce papers!" Spike shouted towards the stairs. Twilight came down to meet me.

"Is this true, Michael?" she asked, some concern in her voice. I removed the papers from my saddlebags and showed them to her.

"Hey, let me see those," Spike insisted. I lowered them to his eye level. I watched in shock as he set them on fire with his dragon breath.

"What? What? ... That ... was ... that ... WHYYYYYY!??!?" I wailed as tears began to trickle from my eyes. "I -- I can't even -- why would you do that?!"

Dumbfounded by the drake's action, I fell to my hocks and held my head in my forehooves, silently mouthing the word "NO" over and over again.

A Happy Reunion

"No ... no ... no ... no ..." I whimpered as I held my head in my fore-hooves, tears streaming down my cheeks.

Twilight was aghast. "Spike! How could you? Do you have any idea of just how important those papers were to him?"

"Relax, Twi, I sent those papers to the Princess for her approval," Spike explained as I continued crying.

"What? What do you just say?" I asked through my sobs. Twilight was beside me, her right foreleg around my withers, trying to console me.

"Do you know how I send Twilight's letters to the Princess? Well, I used the same dragon breath to send your divorce papers to the Princess! I suppose you thought I burned them to make you sad?" he asked, a hurt expression on his face.

"That was the first impression I got -- that you set them on fire because you disapproved of my idea of marrying Trixie," I replied. I dried my eyes, trying to regain a little composure. Suddenly a blinding flash of white light followed by a golden POP signaled the arrival of the Sun Goddess. It was now dark out, the evening's twilight having faded away as Luna had raised her Moon.

"Michael, I will have to admit that I'm rather impressed you managed to obtain this divorce decree," the Alicorn smiled at me. "Since you have met the primary condition I established, you are now free to marry Trixie if you so desire. Since you cannot marry her in your present form, I am willing to offer you a transformation into whatever pony you desire, with some limitations, of course. Let me know when you are ready for me to perform that transformation."

"So where is Trixie now?" I asked, smiling a little.

"Trixie is right here, Michael!" she exclaimed excitedly, cantering over to me and hugging me very tightly. She kissed my muzzle affectionately. "Trixie promises never to attack you again, Michael!" I returned her gesture of affection by kissing her on her muzzle.

"Do you Pinkie Promise?" I asked her facetiously.

"Of course Trixie does! Trixie has missed you so much all this time!" she cried as she hugged me even tighter.

"Your Majesty, I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for me," I stated, making eye contact with the Sun Goddess.

"Michael, I believe I owe you an apology for my earlier actions. Here are the items I confiscated from you -- it was clearly wrong of me to have acted in such haste. I have had a long discussion with my sister while you were away and it was she who convinced me that your love for Trixie is strong enough to overcome any challenges you two may face. I must return to the Castle now, as I have need of sleep. Good-night, Michael, Trixie, Twilight, my faithful student, and Spike. Please inform me of any wedding plans you two intend to make." The Alicorn placed the items in question on the ground before me and I placed them back into my saddlebags which had fallen off earlier.

"Okay, Trixie, when were you thinking of getting married?" I asked, smiling broadly at her as she continued to hold me in her embrace.

"On Hearts and Hooves Day, Michael!" she grinned.

"Um, Trixie, that's a week from this Sunday!" Twilight exclaimed in surprise.

"Trixie thinks that's perfect!" she said excitedly.

"Trixie, don't you think we need more preparations than what that short an amount of time will allow?" I asked.

"Do you want to marry Trixie or not?" she asked sternly.

"What, do you think I'll stand you up at the altar? Trixie, look into my eyes. I. Will. NEVER. Leave you," I stated in all seriousness as I gazed deeply into her eyes. "We need more time to prepare unless the wedding's going to be a small affair."

"Trixie concedes that a week and a half is not enough time, but she wants to get married as soon as possible!"

"I have an idea -- we can have the actual wedding on Hearts and Hooves Day and we can have a formal reception at the Castle once preparations can be made for such an occasion," I suggested.

"Trixie likes that idea very much!" she giggled.

"It's getting late -- you two want to come in and share the guest room tonight?" asked the lavender librarian.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Thanks, Twilight," I said. Trixie and I broke our embrace and followed Twilight and Spike back into the library.

"Would either of you like something to eat?"

"I'm fine, thanks for asking," I said. "Think I'll make my way upstairs to lie down. It's been a pretty hectic day for me."

"Trixie is not hungry, either. She will follow Michael's example -- it will be nice to sleep on a normal bed for the first time in more than five months," she said appreciatively. "Thank you, Twilight, for everything."

"You two try not to make too much noise tonight, I have a big day planned for tomorrow and I'm looking to get some sleep myself," Twilight chuckled.

"Trixie will try to keep her voice down and she will try to keep Michael quiet as well," she giggled and winked knowingly at the lavender unicorn.

"Um, Twi, do you think it's such a good idea to let the two of them share a bed?" Spike asked quizzically.

"I will soundproof the guest room so they won't bother us no matter how much noise they make!" Twilight laughed.

---------------------------------

"Trixie wants you to cuddle her from behind," she cooed to me. She lay down on the bed and I snuggled in behind her, wrapping my left foreleg around her barrel. I admired the softness of her coat and the faint scent of cucumber in her mane.

"Mmm, you smell nice tonight," I whispered into her ear.

"Celestia let Trixie take a nice long hot bath before she came to meet you," she giggled. I snuggled a little more closely to her, wrapping my foreleg a little tighter around her midsection. "Trixie will let you do more than that if you like..." she let her words trail off softly. She put her left fore-hoof on mine and slowly slid it down ...

"Are you sure you want this?" I asked nervously.

"Trixie wants to reward you for everything you've done for her," she whispered.

"Does that mean ..."

"Yes," she breathed.

Author's Notes:

This is as close to clop as I'm willing to go. The clop version is in the story titled "Sexy Times."

Second Transformation

I awoke to find myself muzzle to muzzle with Trixie, her forelegs wrapped around my withers. Her breathing was soft and steady, her warmth very comforting. "I could SO learn to live with this!" I thought to myself. The previous night's activities had made me feel more alive than I had in an extremely long time, if ever. I kissed her gently on her lips.

"Morning, lover girl," I cooed to her. She returned the kiss with quite a bit more passion.

"Good morning to you too, sunshine!" she giggled.

"I think we'd better go downstairs for breakfast -- I'm feeling very hungry," I suggested.

"Trixie wants you to stay in bed with her for awhile longer," she moaned. "Trixie is still feeling very tired."

"Don't we have some plans to make?" I asked, trying to get her to get up.

"Those plans can wait until after another session of what we did last night!" she said, laughing heartily.

"Trixie, we have the rest of our lives together to enjoy those activities," I protested. She pouted at me again. "Okay, maybe a little bit longer," I said resignedly. She giggled again, once again getting what she wanted. "I'm going to have to be more careful about this negative reinforcement," I thought. She pulled me in close again for another passionate kiss before we indulged each other's desires again. To quote Hemingway, "The Earth Moved." It took awhile for us to recover enough to venture downstairs for something to eat.

"I take it you two slept well last night?" Twilight chuckled as we all sat at the table for breakfast.

"Trixie enjoyed herself very much!" she giggled. A light blush colored her cheeks.

"Um, yes, she, uh ... taught me a few new things," I said nervously, turning my head this way and that as if to see if anypony else was listening. My blush was a bit deeper than Trixie's.

"Well, we need to start planning for the wedding. First order of business is to go to Rarity's shop to have her create a fabulous wedding ensemble for the both of you!" Twilight beamed.

"Wait! Did somepony mention a WEDDING?" a certain pink earth pony asked very loudly. "Mikey! You're back! Trixie! WOW! I gotta get started on the wedding party! Like, right NOW!" she exclaimed and seemed to disappear as suddenly as she arrived.

"Forgot to tell her I wanted a Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness cake for our wedding cake," I mused.

"I think she already knows that, Michael!" Twilight giggled. "Michael, you're probably going to need to take care of that transformation as soon as possible so Rarity can get started on your outfit."

"I know, Twilight, but I am still not sure of what color choice I should make -- not to mention the fact that I feel more comfortable as a mare than as a stallion -- and I don't even know what Trixie's preference is. I would at the very least like to make her happy. Somehow I think that a true marriage must be between a stallion and a mare, so I guess if I want to marry Trixie, I absolutely must take the role as stallion."

"Trixie knows she will be happy with you, Michael! Trixie thinks she will like your choice, regardless of what it might be."

We kicked around some ideas for what I should choose and finally settled on something I could be happy with. I just hoped it would work out better for me than the last time I had a Sun Goddess perform a transformation on me. Twilight had Spike write and send a letter to the Princess informing her of my final choice, one which was quite descriptive.

------------------------------------------

At the opposite edge of the Everfree Forest, the changeling army was regrouping for a new campaign. The bitterness of their previous loss had subsided enough for them to formulate another plan of attack. Several army commanders held a conference and formulated a strategy. One of them decided to break news to the Queen, who was still deeply troubled by the losses they had suffered. Chrysalis had designs on revenge and was waiting for the perfect opportunity to exploit a flaw in the defenses around Ponyville.

"Your Majesty, our spies in Ponyville report that a new wedding is to take place," stated one of her army commanders.

"Hmm. Perhaps we can mount an offensive and exact revenge against those ponies," she mused. "Keep me posted. Let me know of any new developments."

"Yes, your Majesty," he responded.

"Hmm. How fitting it is that another wedding will make for a perfect day for revenge!" she thought. "Those ponies won't know what hit them until it's too late!" she chuckled to herself as the commander took his leave to further the details of the new plan for revenge.

------------------------------------

After receiving the letter, the Solar Princess had teleported me to the throne room of the castle for a brief conference and to perform a transformation on me. I was quite surprised by the swiftness of the response from the letter and I informed her that even when SHE teleported me anywhere, it felt a bit jarring.

"Your Majesty, when I teleport myself somewhere, I'm prepared for the effects of that spell. When you cast it on me without prior knowledge, it's a bit unsettling."

"I apologize for that, Michael, but this matter is urgent enough for me to require your immediate presence."

I let her know about the plan for two wedding receptions, a small one in Ponyville on Hearts and Hooves Day, and a larger one in Canterlot Castle when suitable preparations could be made for a large formal wedding ceremony.

"Who made the choice of that particular day? How appropriate that a wedding be held on that day!" the Sun Goddess smiled.

"I know, Trixie was the one who suggested it, but on such short notice, there's little time for preparations for a proper wedding ceremony, unless we can get everything together in a week and a half. I have no idea of how long it would take Rarity to craft ensembles for every pony who will require them, not to mention the fact that I still need to be transformed into a stallion for those measurements."

"Michael, you'd be quite surprised at how swiftly we can get things done in Equestria!" the Alicorn chuckled. She then enveloped me in her golden aura as she lit her horn. My vision blurred as I felt my body being pulled and stretched here and there, additional mass being added from Celestia knows where and my coat, mane, tail and eyes changing colors. The transformation process took less than half a minute, but the feeling was quite intense.

"Your Majesty, if I may have a mirror to examine the changes?" I half-asked. A mirror was produced immediately and I took a look at the new me. My reflection showed my coat color to be a few shades of purple darker than Twilight's. My mane and tail were a deep golden color with bright orange highlights. My mane was shaped in a mohawk-style and my tail was tightly coiled with a fan-shaped flare near the end of it, resembling something like Zecora's mane and tail. My eyes were the same orange to match the highlights in my mane and tail. I didn't have too much of a reference for my size, but I was about half a head taller than Trixie and my body build was somewhat on the stocky side with slightly above average musculature. My horn was slightly longer, but that was barely noticeable. I also noticed my masculinity was not as pronounced as my earlier male transformation. Not enough to be obnoxious, but not too small either. I noticed that my voice was also a little bit deeper, but not quite what I'd call a baritone. I admired myself a little bit longer, smiling at the changes. "Thank you very much, your Majesty -- but what about a cutie mark?"

"What is your special talent? What did you do as a human that you specialized in?"

"Several things -- I was and still am, to some extent, a coin collector -- have been for nearly 40 years. I am into numerology, having the number 17 being my favorite number, a number I consider to be the luckiest of all lucky numbers. I was employed on and off by several different companies as a pizza delivery driver, and performed that task to some extent or other for nearly 25 years. When I was in high school, I compiled a table of square numbers almost up to 8000 ..." As my words trailed off, my cutie mark came to me, consisting of four seven-pointed stars with a circle in each one -- a gold one, a silver one, a white one, and a copper-colored one. The four stars were arranged to form a square. The stars themselves were orange to match my eyes and mane and tail highlights.

"You sound like a jack of all trades," the Alicorn mused. "I sense within you a desire for a specific cutie mark. I'm afraid I cannot help you there, Michael -- wait. You have not chosen a name for your new pony identity. Do you have one?"

"The best suggestion came from your student, Twilight, who thought that, as a male, I should carry the name of Amethyst Flame, given my color combination choices."

"That sounds like a good name. Amethyst Flame. Perhaps a bit pretentious, but it will do. You desire to be an impressive magic user, one who is quite powerful, perhaps enough to rival Starswirl the Bearded himself -- you realize, of course, that wielding such a high level of magic entails a high degree of responsibility. I will place my trust in you, Amethyst, but be warned. You must follow and obey all the laws of Equestria I have established and you must do your best to avoid earning my displeasure. Reckless use of your magic power will result in you losing your horn. Do you understand?"

"You have my word of honor, your Majesty. I will do my best to be on my best behavior and I will try to keep Trixie in line, though she has a tendency to be a little manipulative."

"You also realize that you two will have foals together. Are you prepared for the endeavors and rigors of raising those foals? I also take it you fully understand the commitment that marriage to another pony entails as well?"

"Yes, your Majesty. I would not have made this choice without carefully considering all of the consequences contained by this commitment. I will probably need some advice and assistance at times in order to help me with raising the foals, however during my marriage, I helped raise six children in some capacity or other, even though they weren't flesh of my flesh."

"You have a kind heart, Amethyst. I will return you to Ponyville to continue with your plans. I shall convene with my sister to make additional preparations for this momentous event. I look forward to seeing the two of you in wedded bliss," she smiled and teleported me back to Ponyville, in front of the Library again. I knocked on the door and Twilight answered it.

"Ah, I see the Princess took our suggestions to heart!" the lavender unicorn grinned. "She does remarkably nice work!"

"Trixie is ... most impressed! Michael, you look ... wonderful!" the azure unicorn exclaimed, trying to find words.

"Wow, Mike! Very impressive!" Spike smiled.

"Trixie, you remember the name we picked out for my new form, yes? My new name is Amethyst Flame," I stated.

"Trixie might need some time to remember your name ... Amethyst ... it sounds ... funny ... coming from ... her mouth," she said, still at a loss for words. I saw her staring at me, her eyes wide in amazement. I found myself wondering what the others would think of the new me.

"Everypony, Princess Celestia and I have decided we will hold just one wedding, to be held at the Castle. Please tell Pinkie Pie about the change in plans," I stated, matter-of-factly.

The pink party pony in question reappeared for a moment and upon seeing my new form gasped as loud as she could and disappeared very suddenly again.

"I still can't get used to that," I said with an almost bewildered expression on my face.

"Neither can I," Twilight chuckled.

"Why does she do that?" Trixie asked, almost innocently.

"Whenever there's a new pony she meets for the first time, she has to plan a big surprise welcome party for the new pony, regardless if she knows who they are or not," the lavender mare explained.

"And we didn't let her know what transformation was going to take place for me," I added.

A Party at Rarity's?

"Is Pinkie even going to know what kind of wedding I might want to have?" I asked. Truthfully, even though I had already been to a few of her parties, I still wasn't really sure what to expect -- and somewhat apprehensive of another really large party like the one that was held in the Royal Ball Room in the Castle nearly a year ago, when I was in Twilight's body for a single day and had brought a fellow human trapped in Rarity's body with me. That particular event was rather traumatic for me and Applejack probably still remembers me by the nickname she gave me that day, calling me a killjoy. If I wanted the wedding to be something nice, I would have to have a further talk with the pink party pony.

"Trixie thinks she'll be happy with whatever the pink one might plan for our wedding -- she hopes it will be as great and powerful as SHE is!" the blue mare laughed heartily. I smiled, but it was a somewhat pained smile. Twilight noticed this but said nothing about it, just giving me a very slight look of sympathy.

"I'm sure Pinkie will have something very nice for you, Amethyst," Twilight offered.

"I certainly hope so, even though I wonder how I'm going to pay for everything," I mused.

"Trixie will help you pay for it," she stated confidently.

"Have you thought about what you might do after you two get married and settled in here?" the librarian asked, changing the subject a little.

"I had been considering opening a pizzeria in order to make some money," I replied. "I wonder how much ponies like pizza..."

"If it's good, you'll have everypony in town beating a path to your door -- hope you're well prepared for all the business you'll get, Ammy!" the lavender unicorn chuckled.

"Who should I talk to about getting start-up funds?"

"I suggest you hold off on those plans until after the wedding -- anyway, we need to get going over to Carousel Boutique so you and Trixie can have Rarity get started on your ensembles! Let's get going!" Twilight exclaimed, almost excitedly. I suspect she wanted to see what sort of outfit Rarity would come up with for me and possibly even a restyling of my mane and tail. We started trotting from the Library to Rarity's boutique, but were met by a certain sky-blue pegasus who spotted me almost immediately after leaving the Library. I think it was probably my new appearance that made such an impact.

"WHOA! Who are YOU? Your mane ... your tail ... that's AWESOME!" Rainbow exclaimed.

"Hey, RD, my new name is Amethyst Flame -- you might remember me running around in Trixie's body for quite awhile."

"Wait -- you're saying ... that you were ... Michael? Really? This new you looks a whole lot more than twenty per cent cooler! So Princess Celestia changed you from Trixie into ... this? Hmm, she did a really nice job on you!" the cyan pegasus smiled broadly. Her eyes lidded a little as she ogled my new body for a moment or two. I caught her staring at me as we continued to make our way to the boutique.

"Hey, RD, I know my new appearance is quite impressive, but I never thought I'd be the one on the receiving end of stares," I chuckled. She blushed a bit and made eye contact with me, chuckling nervously. "Hey, it's all right if you want to check my new body out, but Trixie and I are to get married on Hearts and Hooves Day."

"WHAT?! YOU'RE MARRYING HER?!?!" she asked, completely flabbergasted.

"Trixie loves Amethyst, and he loves her! Do you have a problem with that?" the azure mare asked brazenly.

"Well ... it's just that ... I wouldn't have thought ..." the pegasus stuttered, still flabbergasted.

"Trixie has made her choice, and Amethyst has made his! And he chooses Trixie to be his wife!" she offered smugly.

"Whatever, dude, hope it works out for you two!" Rainbow grinned.

"We're supposed to be holding the wedding at the Castle, and you're invited to come along," I offered. "I intend to invite the other Element Bearers as well, even though I'm afraid of what Applejack's reaction might be."

"I wouldn't be too worried about that, Amethyst," Twilight offered. "AJ might like the new you, and perhaps she might have forgotten your actions last year when we had that big party at the castle for you."

"Hey, there was a second Rarity with you at that party, wasn't there?" asked the pegasus. "What happened to her?"

"After you all returned here, that Rarity and I went to another universe, encountered Nightmare Moon, defeated her, and I separated the human who was trapped in her body from her. The Princess Celestia from THAT universe teleported him to his home on Earth and me to mine. I told him I would keep in touch with him after that, but I kind of forgot."

"You defeated Nightmare Moon ... AGAIN?" asked a flabbergasted Twilight. "That means ... you defeated her ... TWICE?"

"That's about the size of it," I stated nonchalantly, grinning a little bit.

"Trixie KNEW there was something special about you!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Seriously, dude?"

"You've done so as well, not to mention defeating Discord three times!" I chuckled.

"You helped us on two of those occasions, Amethyst," Twilight offered.

"Yeah, that's true," I said, "but I think we should leave the patting each other on the back for another time. Trixie and I still need to get measured for our wedding outfits."

Applejack met up with us about halfway to Carousel Boutique. "Hey, Twi, who's the new pony?" she asked as she matched our pace.

"His name's Amethyst Flame, but you might remember him trotting around as Trixie," replied the lavender mare.

"What?" she asked then turned to face me. "So who are ya, exactly?" she asked me, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Applejack -- does the name Michael Walker mean anything to you? Do you remember that name?"

"Huh. Ah seem ta remember you runnin' around as Twilight quite awhile back -- yer the killjoy, ain'tcha!" she grinned.

"I would appreciate it if you would refrain from calling me that," I grumbled.

"So yer a stallion now -- and a rather good lookin' one at that!" AJ chuckled as her grin widened.

"Thanks for the compliment," I offered.

"So where are y'all headed?"

"To Rarity's -- Trixie and I need to get some measurements taken for our wedding ensembles," I stated flatly.

If the orange earth pony had been drinking something, she surely would have spat it out at this point. "WHAT in tarnation ya wanna do a durned-foal thing like that?" she asked me indignantly.

"Trixie is right here, you know!" she shouted angrily. "Don't tell her you're trying to ignore her!"

"Yeah, how can we forget?" asked AJ, using her trademark sarcasm again.

"Hasn't Trixie earned forgiveness from the rest of you if she has earned Sparkle's forgiveness?" the azure mare asked, a hurt expression on her face.

Applejack chuckled. "Imagine that -- the killjoy and the show-boat, getting married! You two deserve each other!"

"Trixie would appreciate it if you would be nice to her for once," she said somewhat sullenly.

"AJ, I'd curb my tongue a bit if I were you," I growled. "You're still invited to our wedding, if you'd like to attend it."

"Ah wouldn't miss it fer the world!" she laughed.

After a little more trotting and conversing, we arrived at the boutique. I knocked on the door but got no answer. I knocked again, harder this time.

"Come on in, darling, the door's open!" Rarity chimed.

I opened the door and everypony who was with me followed me inside. The room was dark as all the shades had been drawn and then suddenly the lights came on.

"SURPRISE!" shouted Pinkie Pie.

"I should have expected as much," I stated flatly. "Hey, Pinkie, Trixie and I are here to get fitted for wedding ensembles."

I heard the sound of a needle scratching a record cutting off the music immediately. Rarity spat out a mouthful of punch.

"Does it always get that same reaction?" I asked rhetorically. "Hey, Rarity, sorry about that." She trotted over to me.

"So, who might you be, darling? You're new here, aren't you?" she asked, batting her eyes at me.

"My name's Amethyst Flame, but you might remember me running around in Trixie's body. She and I are to get married on Hearts and Hooves Day at Canterlot Castle and we came over to have measurements taken for our wedding ensembles. I'm still trying to figure a way of getting money to pay for everything, though."

"Darling, you can't possibly be serious about marrying HER!" the alabaster mare gasped.

"Serious as a heart attack," I responded. I stared straight at her, a stern expression on my face.

"Well, darling, I may not be a match-maker, but my suggestion is you choose somepony else to marry," she offered.

"Trixie suggests you change your opinion of her, if you don't mind. How hard must Trixie work to obtain everypony's forgiveness?"

"Come on, everypony! We're supposed to be having a PARTY!!" Pinkie exclaimed very excitedly.

"Hope ya don't ruin this one like the last time," Applejack glowered at me.

"You sure know how to make a guy feel welcome," I muttered. "Hey, Rarity, can we get those measurements out of the way? We're supposed to get married on Hearts and Hooves Day," I addressed her.

"Now, darling, who's idea was that? That's nowhere near enough time for me to get all the ensembles ready!"

"I tried to tell Trixie that, but --" I began. Rarity grabbed me and took me upstairs to her workroom.

"Now look here, darling. I'm not one to intrude, but you have no business marrying that ... WITCH!"

I stared hard at her through eyes narrowed to slits and growled at her. "You have no business calling my future wife by that moniker!" I hissed at her through clenched teeth. "If that means she and I don't get ensembles from you, that's fine. I'm sure Hoity Toity will be happy to provide us with something presentable."

"If you don't have any money to pay ME, then what makes you think you can afford HIS fashion? I was going to provide you two each with an ensemble for your wedding, but your insulting behavior has made me reconsider, darling." Her voice was as cold as ice when she stated this.

I turned away from her and headed back downstairs. I saw everypony else enjoying themselves, Trixie included. I made my way over to her and whispered in her ear. Her face dropped at what I said.

"What do you mean, 'the wedding's off'?" Trixie cried. She turned to me and gave me perhaps the saddest expression I had ever seen on her face.

"Rarity's not making our ensembles and I have no money to pay for anything, so the wedding's off until further notice," I stated flatly. "Frankly, on such short notice, it makes me wonder what your motives are anyway."

Trixie's mood changed from heartbreak to outright anger. "If you think Trixie does not love you, then why did you do what you did with her last night? Do you understand NOTHING of love? I GAVE myself to you! Does my love mean nothing at all to you? Do you think Trixie would really want to hurt you the way you've just hurt her?"

Everypony stopped what they were doing to watch the scene unfold. I was standing there dumbstruck, not knowing exactly how to respond to her questions. Her face was a mix of emotions running from despair to rage, tears streaming down her cheeks. She sat on the floor on her haunches, holding her head in her fore-hooves, sobbing openly. I slowly made my way over to her to try to console her. I sat next to her and wrapped my fore-legs around her withers in an attempt to comfort her.

"Get away from me!" she screeched. "Don't touch me!"

I reacted to her as though she were a cobra who had just lashed out at me to strike me and I recoiled in fear, not daring to come close to her. "Trixie, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you," I offered meekly.

"Trixie does not want to marry you! Go away! Go somewhere FAR away from Trixie!" she shouted through her sobs.

"Way to go, killjoy! You succeeded in ruining another party!" Applejack yelled at me.

"You promised Trixie you would marry her!" she cried.

"I promised you I would undergo a transformation," I corrected her.

"YOU PROMISED!" she wailed. PInkie glowered at me, a very angry expression on her face.

"I think I'm done here," I stated flatly. "I think I'd better get going."

"You're not going anywhere, Amethyst," Twilight said, glaring sternly at me.

"Don't try to stop me, I have no further business here. I suggest you allow me to take my leave, if you would please be so kind."

"You and Trixie are supposed to get married! You need to do something to try to make her happy with you again! Don't leave her like this!"

"I have no idea of how to handle this situation. She does not want me, she has said as much. If that is her desire, then let her accept it. I wash my hooves of this matter," I said as anger crept into my voice.

"Trixie wants to know where you are going ... Amethyst!" she demanded. I made my way back over to her and wrapped my fore-legs around her again. She did not pull away this time or tell me to leave her.

"Wherever it is I choose to go, I want you to be there with me," I said softly to her. "I suppose I can be a bit of a bastard at times, but my feelings for you are true, Trixie. I love you, and I need you to be here for me."

"You're ... you're not ... lying to Trixie ... are you?" she asked as she dried her eyes.

"No," came my one word response. "But please answer a question for me: why do you want to get married so soon? We still haven't spent much time together," I said quizzically.

"Trixie knows what's in her heart, Amethyst. Her feelings for you are just as true as yours for her. You want Trixie to be there for you? She will always be there for you! Whenever you want her, she shall be there for you!"

"That still doesn't answer my question, Trixie," I thought. "If what you say is true, then I shall give myself to you just as freely as you gave yourself to me. I will do my best to make you happy."

"Hey, weren't we having a party?" Pinkie asked, grinning broadly.

"Pinkie, I think Trixie and I need some time to ourselves," I stated flatly.

"Okie Dokie Lokie!" she said cheerfully. "Take all the time you need! We'll keep the party going!"

"Amethyst, darling, your expression of love is quite touching -- I had no idea your love for Trixie is so strong! I'm sorry to have doubted you. If you'd like, perhaps we can go back upstairs so I can take your measurements," the alabaster mare offered.

"No, no, I hate to impose," I stated. "I have no way of paying for anything right now."

"Oh, but darling, I insist! Please!" she said and pushed me towards the staircase.

"What about Trixie's measurements? Don't you want her to come along as well?"

"One pony at a time, darling!" she grinned.

Germination

Rarity is probably notorious for taking an hour or more just to make sure a pony's measurements are correct. Her meticulous attention to detail is testament to the quality of her work and it shows with every article of clothing she has ever crafted. Since I was in a new body and had somewhat unusual measurements for a pony, it took her considerably longer to take my measurements and double, triple, and quadruple check them just to ensure a correct fit. I had to stifle giggles at times as my new body seemed to be a bit sensitive to touch, even though she did her level best to avoid tickling me -- eventually she gave in to her temptation and tickled me mercilessly, giggling and laughing at my pleas to get her to stop.

"Rarity, what if Trixie decides to come up here and sees us like this? She might get the wrong impression," I pleaded.

"You are so ticklish, darling! I couldn't resist. Now that I have your measurements down exactly, I'll get started on some designs for you. Trixie will have her turn when I'm done with you!" she chortled. She disappeared into another room to start on her sketches. I took a seat on a chaise lounge that seemed to appear from nowhere to wait on her. Trixie came into the room at that point.

"What is taking so long? Trixie grows impatient," she grumbled.

"You're not familiar with how Rarity works," I explained. "She's a perfectionist, so she insists on making sure all the numbers match when she takes measurements. It cuts down on the amount of wasted fabric and other materials. I believe the phrase 'measure twice, cut once' applies to her."

"Whatever. Trixie hopes her outfit will look nice for our wedding."

I gave her a quick kiss on her muzzle. "I'm sure it will, Trixie. I can't wait to see what she comes up with for both of us."

Pinkie Pie poked her head through the doorway. "You two coming back down to join the party again?"

"Pinkie, you know how long it takes Rarity to take measurements and sketch designs for outfits? When she gets in the zone, she can get lost for hours. I'll try to make it back down there before too much longer. Truthfully, I'm a little hungry -- is there any food left?"

"Sure is!" she grinned and popped a cupcake in my mouth, causing me to gag on it. I coughed a bit, trying to catch my breath.

"Pinkie, I can't eat a whole cupcake all at once -- I like to savor it bit by bit," I said, trying to fit my words between coughs and feeble attempts to eat some of the cupcake. She giggled at the sight and Trixie giggled a little as well. I had made a mess on the floor, wasting some of the cupcake and frosting. I used my magic to conjure some napkins to clean up the mess, placing the soiled napkins in a waste basket.

"Sorry about that, Ammy! Here, have another one," she said cheerfully, using her hoof to give me another cupcake. "Hey, Trixie, you want a cupcake too?" she asked, holding out another cupcake in Trixie's direction.

"Thank you, Pinkie Pie," Trixie said, taking the proffered cupcake in her magic aura, nibbling lightly from the confection.

"See you guys later, I'm headed back to the party!" Pinkie chimed cheerfully and left, trotting down the stairs. Trixie waited for Pinkie to finish descending the stairs before scooting a bit closer to me on the sofa. She kissed me on my muzzle after finishing her cupcake.

"Trixie can't wait to see what design you choose," she said softly. She gazed into my orange eyes and I returned her gaze. Her greyish purple eyes seemed to draw me in and I could swear I could just gaze into them for hours. I gave her a very quick and short kiss on her lips.

"I'm looking forward to our wedding -- I don't think I've ever been happier in my life than when I'm with you, my dear Trixie," I whispered to her. She blushed a bit at that, smiling very broadly.

"You make Trixie very happy, Amethyst -- to be honest, Trixie can't remember a time in her life when she has been happier either!" she giggled and returned my gesture of affection with a kiss of her own to my lips.

"I hate to intrude upon you two lovebirds, but I have finished some designs for Amethyst," Rarity offered, catching both of us in the middle of our little display of mutual affection. Trixie and I exchanged a sheepish smile, a light rouge coloring our cheeks.

"Trixie would like to see what you have designed for Amethyst," she said optimistically.

"You'll be able to see it when it's finished, Trixie -- you wouldn't want him picking out your wedding dress, now would you?" the alabaster unicorn chided gently.

"Trixie has heard great things about your designs -- she hopes you'll come up with something magnificent for her!"

"But of course! I need to take your measurements as well, but please allow Amethyst to peruse my designs so he may select his preference. I will let you know when I have finished sketching designs for your ensemble, Trixie."

She turned to me and showed me several designs, running from simple to flamboyant to outright ostentatious. I saw a design with epaulets -- and since I'm a sucker for those, I selected that one. I suggested a single stripe of bright orange to accentuate the design a little, just on the front of the jacket. I was to wear a hat as well and I suggested a thin orange headband around the base, an idea she approved. Satisfied with my choice, she took Trixie into her workroom to take her measurements.

I made my way back to the party which was still in full swing on the main level. I met up with Pinkie Pie to set up plans for the wedding ceremony and reception to be held in the Castle. Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and I discussed all the necessary preparations for the upcoming wedding, taking into account the details around catering, music, decoration, floral arrangements, and overall size of the reception, along with post-ceremonial activities. Rainbow suggested DJ P0N3 for the dances after the ceremony. I mentioned not having heard about this DJ, but was assured the music would be top-notch. Ultimately, the discussion turned toward the financial aspect, as this wedding was still going to be fairly costly.

"I'm sure Princess Celestia can help out on that aspect," Twilight offered.

"She has already proven to be exceptionally generous on my behalf, and I am truly grateful for her generosity. I wonder what preparations she is making for this wedding," I mused.

"Knowing Celestia, I believe she would be clearing her schedule for that day's activities," the lavender mare postulated.

"I hope nothing bad happens -- I want that day to be perfect!" I said with some enthusiasm.

A Week or So of Waiting

Truthfully, when I had heard Trixie announce she wanted to have the wedding ceremony take place on Hearts and Hooves Day, about a week and a half after our happy reunion, I was under the impression that there wouldn't be enough time to make the needed preparations for it. I was surprised at how efficient the ponies can be when they set their minds to accomplish certain goals and this one was no exception. Rarity had finished our ensembles on the same day she took our measurements and I was truly impressed by her design. The color scheme she used accentuated my coat, mane and tail coloration, the trim in orange to match my eyes. She told me I would have to have my mane and tail restyled for the ceremony itself, as the mohawk style was too garish for such a momentous occasion. I told her I would be okay with this as I could always restyle it later or perhaps keep it in the new style if I liked it better. I will have to admit I was quite curious to see what Rarity had designed for Trixie -- so much so in fact that she had to tell me more than a few times to wait until the wedding ceremony itself to see it, informing me that it was bad luck for the groom to see his bride wearing her wedding dress before the ceremony.

As for what Trixie and I did during the intervening days leading up to the wedding, we met with Princess Celestia for the purpose of acquiring a house we could live in, discussing ideas of gainful employment, magic studies with Twilight to improve our skills (a prospect which made Trixie bristle uncomfortably) and engaging in other activities in Ponyville to improve our public standing among the local citizenry, volunteering some time and labor to assist in some projects. We were going to incur quite a bit of debt in order to become residents of Ponyville, and we were going to have to repay that debt as best we could. When I mentioned the idea of opening a pizzeria in Ponyville, the Sun Goddess asked me how much I knew about running a business of that sort. I informed her that during my 25 years of working for various pizza places, I had learned quite a bit about the management aspects of that business as well as food safety, preparation, storage and profitability. Celestia smiled at my explanation, appearing to be satisfied I knew how to run such a business, informing me that she would like to sample the food once I had everything up and running. I assureed her she would be the first recipient of a hot and fresh pizza.

Until our wedding, we were allowed to live with Twilight, sharing the guest room bed. This made for a very cozy sleeping arrangement for us, and proved to be irresistibly tempting for the two of us to engage in certain activities which would lead to Trixie's first pregnancy. I asked her if she was ready to have a foal of her own, and she responded by telling me that she was looking forward to motherhood as long as I was there to help her in every aspect of raising our foal. I assured her I would always be there for her, to help her in any and every way possible. We informed Twilight of the possibility of Trixie giving birth, to which she was absolutely elated. I asked Twilight for some books on raising foals and I studied these intently during the days leading up to the wedding. I also asked her if I could reference the material should circumstances arise and she was more than willing to allow me this privilege.

The following day, I trotted over to Sugarcube Corner and asked Pinkie Pie about what she knew about babysitting the Cake twins, but she was so excited over the prospect of Trixie and I becoming new parents, she would talk so swiftly as to be almost indecipherable despite my attempts to get her to slow down her speaking. I eventually asked the Cakes themselves about the experience of raising foals while working, but about all they could do was wish me luck.

"Well, Amethyst, about all I can tell you is that juggling running the bakery and having to raise our twins takes all our time. I don't know what you have planned for employment after your wedding, but if it's as hectic as running a bakery --" Carrot Cake began.

"I intend to run a pizzeria, which will probably be every bit as hectic as your bakery," I stated.

"Then all I can do is wish you good luck, unless Trixie will take care of any foals you two may have," he responded. "Now if you don't mind, I still have quite a few orders to fill for our customers. Your wedding cake is something my wife and I will work on the day before your wedding. We hope you and Trixie enjoy what will be a masterpiece."

"I'm sure we will -- after having had a slice of the MMMM cake, I still remember the intensity of all the flavors. I definitely look forward to having some more of it! Thanks again, Mr. Cake!" I said cheerfully as I made my way to Sweet Apple Acres to check on the status of the catering. Applejack met me as I approached the farm house.

"Howdy, there, sugarcube! How's things with you and Trixie goin'?" she asked, smiling warmly at me.

"Hey, AJ, we're doing good, thanks for asking. I was wanting to know what you and your family have planned for the catering?"

"There's still a few days left, but we've been stockpiling the food we need to cook for the wedding. We're makin' enough fer 50, and we hope that's all we need. I trust yer gonna eat as much as ya want, Ammy?"

"Oh, but of course, Applejack, your family's cooking is the best! I will be sure to allow the guests to take their fill as well."

"Thank ya kindly for the compliment! Just be sure ya don't let everypony else eat all the food before ya get some!" the orange mare chuckled.

"I hope they don't! But I'll be sure to sample as much of it as I can. Thanks again for your generosity, AJ, I'll see what I can do about repaying you as soon as possible."

"No need for that, Ammy, the Princess has already given us a hefty stipend to cover the cost."

"Then I'll have to thank her yet again for her generosity. I continue to be amazed by everypony's gifts -- and once I get the pizzeria going, I'll be sure to return gifts as I can. Hey, AJ, you ever had pizza before?"

"Only a couple times, and even then it wasn't very good," she mused.

"I know a thing or three about good pizza, and I can tell you once I get my place going, you'll love my food!" I smiled.

"Well, I'll be lookin' forward to it, sugarcube!" she chuckled.

"I'll hold a grand opening ceremony and you and the other Element Bearers, Princesses Celestia and Luna and my new mare will all get the first pizzas out of the oven. I look forward to providing Ponyville with quality food. Seeya later, AJ!"

"Well, best o' luck, Ammy, seeya later!"

----------------------------------------------

Magic studies with Twilight were an interesting thing -- and even though Trixie didn't seem to be too interested in it -- well, truthfully, she wasn't at all interested in learning from Twilight -- it turns out that I was going to be learning magic from both Twilight and Trixie. I suppose Trixie might end up learning something herself as a result of the instruction, so I went along with it.

"Okay, Amethyst, what we're going to be practicing today is casting multiple spells across several different magic disciplines," Twilight explained. "Trixie, you might want to pay attention as well."

"Trixie wants to know what she'll learn from this -- is there any practical application of this technique for her?"

"Well, Trixie, you never know when it might be useful to be able to engage in cross-disciplinary multi-casting, should the need arise," the lavender mare continued with her explanation.

"I believe practicing these techniques will improve one's magical strength, increasing the effectiveness of basic spells used in the multi-casting as well as the power level of those particular spells," I stated, almost hesitantly.

"That is correct, Ammy, but there are other benefits as well. By using these techniques you will also increase your magical vocabulary and lead to the creation of new spells. Experimentation with these techniques can bring about some amazing results which is why I recommend you pay attention, Trixie."

"Trixie will pay attention -- she could use a few laughs," the azure mare chuckled.

"I suspect Trixie thinks she already knows everything there is to know about magic," I postulated.

"HEY!" she blurted out, glaring daggers at me. I gave her a wink and a grin, letting her know I wasn't serious about my jab. Twilight stifled a giggle.

We started out with something simple, crossing levitation with teleportation -- in this case, a medium-sized rock was used. I lifted the rock using telekinesis then teleported it five feet away. I was then instructed to turn the rock into water, then heat the water until it boiled away, then condense the steam back into water, all while continuing to keep it from making contact with the ground. Trixie seemed intrigued by my display and Twilight smiled in approval as I succeeded with the exercise.

We went on to more complex tests until I had announced that I was starting to tire from the concentration needed to perform the magic, feeling a buzzing in my horn. I had developed a slight headache and let Twilight know about it.

"You're doing good, Ammy -- I guess it's time to take a break. Trixie? Would you like to try these techniques?"

"Trixie got tired just watching -- maybe later she'll be ready to try it out."

-------------------------------------------------------

One of the fourth day of Trixie and me sharing the guest room bed, I awoke to find myself alone -- Trixie had left in the middle of the night. I went downstairs to meet up with Twilight and Spike to find out what was going on.

"Hey, Twilight -- do you know what's going on with Trixie?"

"What do you mean, Ammy?"

"When I woke up this morning, she wasn't in the bed with me," I said with some concern.

"Um, well ... you two haven't been fighting, have you?" she asked, a slight look of worry marking her features.

"No, and that's what has me puzzled. I have no idea why she would leave me in the middle of the night. Do you know where she is?"

"I think she might be in my bed," Twilight stated flatly. "You want to talk to her?"

"I think I'll do just that. Thanks, Twilight," I said hurriedly and got up from the table, making my way back upstairs to find Trixie. I opened the door to Twilight's room to find my bride-to-be still sleeping in Twilight's bed. I trotted over to her.

"Wakey, wakey -- eggs and bakey," I said, nudging her somewhat roughly to try to roust her from her slumber.

"Mmm, let Trixie sleep a bit longer, she is still tired," she moaned.

"I thought you were supposed to be sleeping with me," I said, my statement sounding more like a question.

"Trixie doesn't think she's ready to be a mother just yet -- she is scared and wants to sleep with Sparkle," she said, almost meekly. "Please don't think Trixie doesn't love you, Ammy."

I gave a rather heavy sigh and held her close. "I understand, Trixie -- I'm scared of the commitment as well. I was in an unhappy marriage for twenty years, and I know it can be frightening to enter into a long-term covenant without knowing what the future may hold. So what is it you want? Do you want me to be a mare instead of a stallion? That way you won't have to worry about having foals if that's what you're worried about."

"Trixie does not know if she's ready to get married now -- she needs more time!"

"I tried to tell you we needed to have more time together before the marriage. Now it's just a few days away, and you're getting cold hooves about it? Do you want to call it off? You know how embarrassing it will be for both of us if you do?" I asked, my voice starting to raise, almost involuntarily.

"I ... I ... Trixie is scared, Ammy!" she wailed, tears starting to trickle down her cheeks. I held her even tighter, trying to comfort her.

"Trixie, there is something I must tell you. I need you, Trixie. I will never leave you. I will always be here for you. Trixie, I love you. If nothing else, please understand that. We will face this together -- please be strong for me, Trixie. Please," I stated softly, holding her as tightly as I could, giving her a soft kiss on her lips. She smiled ever so slightly. "Trixie, please sleep with me -- I get lonely when you're not there with me. Please strengthen your resolve on this matter, for my sake."

"Trixie will try, Ammy. I ... I ... Trixie wants to be with you, but she is so scared!"

Train Ride to Canterlot on the Day Before the Wedding

There were just a couple of days left before the wedding was to be held and Trixie had indeed been willing to spend each night with me, though she seemed kind of distant -- in fact, it seemed as though she was completely different from the Trixie I knew and loved. Whenever I tried to embrace her when we were sleeping, she would rebuff my advances. "What's wrong with her?" I thought as I turned my back to her. She responded by turning her back to me, both of us sleeping on the very edge of each side of the too-small bed. I was starting to get worried and would ask Trixie on several occasions what was wrong. Her response was an almost-typical, "Nothing." I couldn't understand why she seemed so cold and unresponsive to my affection. One of the other things that confused me was the fact that she refused to use magic of any kind, preferring to use her hooves when simple telekinesis would prove much more efficient. Even her eyes seemed distant when I would gaze into them. Instinctively, I knew something was wrong with her, but I could not put my hoof on it.

--------------------------------

The day before the wedding was unusually cold and cloudy, but it was the day we were to take the train to Canterlot to prepare for the ceremony. Every pony who had an invitation from Ponyville was going to be on board the train: the Apple family, bringing the food needed for catering; the Cakes who had sent the MMMM cake along with Pinkie Pie (strictly told to prevent anypony from even tasting it); Rainbow Dash, who had informed me the Wonderbolts would be giving a performance in honor of my wedding (I told her I was deeply humbled and honored to be the recipient of such a gift); Fluttershy, who had brought Angel Bunny along with her; Rarity, who had packed a great many bags ("I intend to do some serious shopping, darling!"); and Twilight Sparkle and Spike. The lavender unicorn informed me that she even wanted her parents to attend the wedding as well as her brother and his wife. I told her I was deeply honored to be blessed with their presence.

Trixie had ridden with us on the train as well, but I had a difficult time getting her to sit near me. Every time I tried to talk to her, she seemed to retreat to another section of the train. I was starting to get seriously worried and informed Twilight about my concerns.

"I've noticed her acting quite differently myself -- in fact, she has stopped referring to herself in third pony," the librarian mused.

"Is there something you can do, some way of scanning her or something? She seems so different, as though she's been replaced by a changeling or something," I stated, my voice colored by my deep concern and confusion.

"I suppose I could scan her, though I'm afraid it would exacerbate the situation."

"I have to know, Twilight -- she means so much to me, I couldn't face the possibility of losing her."

"Okay, Ammy, I'll do it. Give me a few moments, I'll track her down for you and let you know --" she began. Trixie burst into the coach we were sitting in and glowered at me with fire in her eyes.

"Trixie has been listening to your conversation, Amethyst! If you don't trust Trixie, why are you wanting to marry her?" she asked very angrily.

"Trixie, you've been acting very strangely lately," I said, trying to calm her down.

"You say you love Trixie? She does not believe you any more!" she shouted and galloped away to another passenger car.

"I'm sorry, Ammy," Twilight said softly as she came over to me, wrapping a fore-leg around my withers. I felt a tear trickle down my cheek as I leaned on the librarian for support. I was deeply worried about losing her for real, but hoped she would come around to her senses in time for our wedding. After a few moments of allowing Twilight to console me, I strengthened my resolve to find Trixie and let her know my true feelings for her. I trotted through each of the passenger cars, the dining car, even the mail car. I was unable to locate her. I was wanting to access the first class car, but was prevented from entering it, as I had not purchased a ticket for that coach. I looked through the window to see if I could catch a glimpse of her. I sullenly returned to sit beside Twilight.

"Is she still on the train, Twi?" I asked, sadness creeping into my voice. My ears drooped, laying almost flat against my head.

"I can sense her presence, Ammy. Yes, she's still on the train, but she's definitely trying to avoid you."

"I know this might sound like a dumb question, but were you able to determine if she's the real Trixie or an impostor?"

"Her anger prevented me from doing that, Ammy. Sorry."

"I guess that can't be helped. Well, I can only hope she's there for the wedding tomorrow," I said rather glumly.

"If it's any consolation, Ammy, I'm still --"

"No, Twilight, it would be wrong. I can't do that, it would bother my conscience too much --"

"Look, I will do what I can to comfort you, Ammy. Please don't think I'm trying to persuade you to marry me instead of Trixie. I know how much she means to you, and I will do what I can to help you get her back. If nothing else, I'm sure Princess Celestia might have an answer or two, should the worst actually happen."

"Thanks, Twilight. You're the best friend a pony could ask for, and I mean that sincerely." I smiled at her and she returned a smile to me. I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, which caused her to blush. "Sorry about that, Twi, I guess I got a little carried away there."

"It's quite all right, Ammy. I know how you must feel."

For some reason or other, a snippet of a song came into my head, so I decided to sing it aloud:

"It's only love, and that is all, why do I feel the way I do?

It's only love, and that is all, but it's so hard loving you

Yes it's so hard, loving you ..."

"That's an interesting song, Ammy. Did you write that yourself?" asked the lavender unicorn.

"No, Twi, that was written before I was born by a couple of guys who wrote some very popular music in my home world," I stated. "They were among the best songwriters I've ever known of."

"I'm fascinated by the music of your home world, Ammy. Would you care to share some more of that music with me?"

"Sure, why not. I feel like singing a few songs anyway," I said, and launched into "Here Comes Your Man" by the Pixies. I then proceeded to sing a few more songs by that group and then sang a few songs of Frank Black's solo material. It was when I sang "White Noise Maker" that Twilight interrupted me.

"What's a Telstar?" she asked.

"That was the name ascribed to a man-made satellite launched into orbit around Earth a few years before I was born," I responded.

"What? Something that was put into space around the planet?"

"Yes, and it was the first of many objects to be put into orbit around my home world. We even sent expeditions to the moon for scientific investigation and exploration," I said, a slight grin making its way onto my face.

"WHAT? You mean ... man went to the moon? How long ago was that? Do they still go there? What was it like? Have you ever been there?" came a barrage of questions from the librarian.

I chuckled. "No, never been there myself. It's too expensive, and it's been more than 40 years since man last went there. I remember my father telling me when the first moon landing occurred, watching it live on TV, that I should tell my grandchildren I was there to witness history being made. 'Remember this, you'll be able to tell your grandchildren you saw it happen with your own eyes,' he told me."

"How old were you when it happened?"

"I was almost five years old, Twilight. It's about the only memory I have from that time, since nearly everything else from my memory is hazy at best. I remember having mumps when I was four, I remember going to the hospital to have a surgery performed on me when I was four, and I remember the house we moved into when we were in Florida, which was also when I was four years old. I also remember my dad being a very imposing and intimidating figure, easily able to scare me into crying even when he was not in a bad mood."

"It sounds like you had a traumatic childhood," she mused.

"I guess you could say that, Twi," I responded.

An idea came to Twilight. "Have you tried talking to Pinkie Pie? Her Pinkie Sense might be able to tell you a little better than I can," she offered.

"Sounds like a good idea, Twi. I'll go have a chat with her." I trotted to the next passenger coach where Pinkie was sitting, the cake being well protected.

"Oh, hiya, Ammy! What brings you here? Something bothering you?" the pink mare asked, noticing my expression.

"Twilight suggested I talk to you about Trixie -- she's been acting very strangely the past few days, and I don't know what's wrong with her. Has your Pinkie Sense been going off about her? Something's not right with her."

"Well, Ammy, it has! My left fore-leg has gone all wobbly, my right eye twitches a little, and I have a headache!"

"What does that mean?" I asked, hoping for some esoteric answer.

"It means I'm coming down with a cold!" she responded cheerfully.

I groaned. "So what about Trixie?"

"I dunno. Have you tried talking to her?"

"Yeah, but every time I've tried, she has avoided me. I have no idea what's going on, Pinkie. I need some answers and I'm starting to get depressed over it. I don't want to lose her! We're supposed to get married, for Celestia's sake!"

The pink party pony came over to me and wrapped a fore-leg around my withers. "Hey, don't be sad, we're gonna make tomorrow your best day ever! I'm sure Trixie will be ready for the wedding! She's probably just a little scared or something, I'm sure she'll come around and realize how much she loves you, Ammy!"

"I certainly hope so, Pinkie, for my sake. I would be so embarrassed if she doesn't walk down the carpet with me."

"She'd better! She made a Pinkie Promise to you, didn't she?"

"Yeah, she did. I think she knows how serious that is if she breaks it."

"Well, if she does, I wouldn't want to be in her hooves! I'll make sure she knows better than to break a Pinkie Promise!"

"Don't hurt her too much, okay, Pinkie? I still love her deeply," I pleaded.

"I won't kill her, silly billy! I'll just scare her a bit so she knows better next time," the pink earth pony grinned.

"Okay, I'm gonna head back to the other car and talk to Twilight a bit longer. See ya later, Pinkie."

"Okie dokie lokie! Have fun!" she giggled.

Talking to Pinkie Pie seemed to cheer me up a bit, but then again, her bubbly personality is something that will perk anypony up. I trotted back over to Twilight and sat next to her.

"Did Pinkie Pie tell you anything about her condition?" the librarian asked me.

"Nothing conclusive, just that I need to be a little more patient, I guess. Maybe I should talk to Rarity to see if she knows what's going on," I mused.

"Sounds like a good idea, Ammy. I would suggest you talk to the others as well, maybe you might even run into Trixie again and get some answers from her yourself."

"Thanks for the suggestion, I believe I will do just that. Seeya in a little bit, Twi."

"Glad I could help you, Ammy," she smiled softly.

I trotted around the train, talking to each of the other Element Bearers and informed them of my situation. Each of them had let me know that they too had suspected something was wrong with Trixie, but couldn't determine with any certainty what it was. I saw Trixie a few times, appearing to be eavesdropping on my conversations, then angrily accusing me of trying to cheat on her with every mare on the train. I tried to explain to her my suspicions, but she would have none of it. Eventually, I made my way back to the coach Twilight was still siting in, her muzzle deep in a book. I took a seat next to her and waited for the train to pull into the station.

"Whatcha reading, Twi?" I asked.

"An Illustrated History of False Teeth," she responded.

"I heard something about a guy named Lemming of the British Dental Association wanting that book," I chuckled.

She slammed the book shut, her cheeks a bright rouge from embarrassment. "We don't like to talk about the BDA," she muttered.

"I'm not going to ask," I stated with some amusement tinging my voice.

Just then an announcement was made. "Attention all passengers: the train will be pulling into Canterlot Grand Central Station in five minutes. Please remain seated until the train comes to a complete stop."

Preparations and a Bachelor/ette Party

After the train had stopped, and all of us had gotten our items and baggage, we made our way to the Castle. Princess Celestia had anticipated our arrival and sent quite an entourage to assist us with all the material we were bringing with us. I tried to get Trixie to trot beside me, but she galloped ahead of everypony and dashed as quickly as she could toward the Castle. I was starting to get a little angry, perhaps a bit nervous as well. Twilight trotted beside me with Spike on her back.

"You know, Twilight, I'm starting to have doubts about this. I half-way wonder if marrying her was such a good idea to begin with," I stated sullenly.

"Well, Ammy, you've been after her for this long, why give up now? If she's not the real Trixie, perhaps Princess Celestia can find the real one for you," the lavender mare offered hopefully.

"I should be able to detect Trixie's magic signature, but I can't pick it out with all the other magic users in Equestria. I'll see if the Princess can help me, but considering how busy she usually is, I don't know if she'll make time for me. I sure hope she can help me, though."

"Tell you what, Ammy, I'll have Spike send her a letter informing her of your suspicions and we can formulate a plan of action from that point."

"Sounds like a good idea, Twi," I said softly, smiling at her.

Twilight instructed the young dragon to write a letter to the Sun Goddess addressing my concerns and asking for some advice on how to proceed. The response was fairly swift, simply stating to trust instinct and allow events to continue as scheduled and that the matter would be resolved in due course. Celestia's response also included reassurances that certain measures would be taken to ensure my state of well-being and that I should not worry too much.

"She always was a bit cryptic with her explanations," I stated with a hint of exasperation in my voice.

"I would place my trust in the Princess, she seems to have the right answers nearly all the time," Twilight said in an attempt to assuage my unease.

We arrived at the front gate of the Castle to see Trixie in a heated exchange with one of the Royal Guard unicorns. As soon as we arrived, he opened the gates for us and she dashed in as quickly as she could. A Royal Guard unicorn stopped her in his telekinesis, though.

"You are to stay with your entourage, Trixie," he instructed her. His voice was deep and gruff, his appearance almost intimidating due to his large size. Trixie protested vehemently at this treatment.

"Hey, Trixie, shouldn't you be trotting by my side?" I asked her, flashing her a quick smile.

"You're next to Sparkle! Trot with her, Trixie does not care!" she shouted back to me angrily. "Maybe you should marry HER instead of Trixie!"

I turned to the lavender mare and stated, just above a whisper, "She shouldn't tempt me like that," and then giggled a little. I saw a light blush come across Twilight's cheeks and she tried to stifle a small giggle of her own. Trixie continued to maintain her distance from all of us, trotting beside a Royal Guard who was leading our entourage. We were shown to our guest rooms and informed that dinner would be served in about an hour. The train ride had taken several hours and we had already missed lunch, though I wasn't particularly hungry.

"Hey, Twilight, do ponies have bachelor parties? I was kinda curious about that," I asked, almost facetiously.

"I don't know what you're accustomed to on your homeworld -- did you have a bachelor party before your first marriage?"

"Well, no -- Brenda and I got married in a courtroom by a justice of the peace -- we couldn't afford a proper wedding, so we just took care of legal formalities," I stated flatly.

"I'll go see if my BBBFF can arrange for a bachelor party for you," the librarian offered.

"Isn't he married already? What would his wife think about him going to such a party?"

"Yes, he is, but his wife knows about your marriage tomorrow, so she'll allow him a small indulgence as long as he behaves himself!" she chuckled. "Besides, since you've never been to one before, I'm sure you need the stress reduction that it'll offer. We'll set up a bachelorette party for Trixie! You're okay with that, aren't you?"

"Yeah, perhaps it'll put her in a better mood for the wedding tomorrow," I said optimistically. "At least, I hope so."

"Oh, I'm sure it will, Ammy, and if that doesn't work, perhaps Pinkie Pie can brighten her mood for you."

"Thanks for your help, Twi, glad to know I have you for a friend. I'm going to take a shower and get ready for dinner -- seeya later!"

"See you soon, Ammy." Twilight made her way to her room which was down the hallway from mine. There was a part of me that wondered if the lavender unicorn would be spending time with her mentor. I was about to turn the water on in the shower when I heard another knock at my door.

"Hey, Amethyst, my sister tells me you were interested in having a bachelor party," said a white stallion with two-tone blue mane and tail.

"Shining Armor, what a pleasant surprise it is to make your acquaintance once again," I said brightly. "Last time you saw me, I was in Twilight's body."

The Royal Guard Captain thought pensively for a moment. It took him a little bit to remember the incident when I had my human wife with me when we encountered him. A smile came to his face. "You had the name of Michael, didn't you? So what happened with you and ... your wife?"

"It's a long story, Shining, perhaps I'll tell you later. So if we're going to a bachelor party, where's it being held, and who else is coming with us?"

"There's a club we're going to visit, and Applejack's brother is coming along with a couple of off-duty Royal Guardsponies."

"This ought to be interesting," I mused.

"I believe you'll approve of the entertainment," he chuckled. He left to go visit his sister at that point. I took a quick shower and fussed with my mane and tail for a bit before making my way to the Grand Dining Hall for dinner.

I was rather surprised to see every chair at the very long dining table occupied. Spaces had been reserved for Trixie and me to sit next to each other, but she would have none of it. She sat about as far away from me as she could at the opposite end of the table. I was completely mystified by her behavior, but figured everything would turn out okay for the ceremony itself. Once again, a great variety of foodstuffs were presented to us to sample from, impressing me with the quality and taste as well as the texture of the food as well. That which appeared to be made of meat was actually textured vegetable protein, made with a mix of hay, soybean, corn and whatever other vegetable happened to mix well with those three depending on the desired flavor and texture. The sauces used to enhance the flavors of the foods were everything from sweet to piquant to downright hot and spicy.

"Wow, this is some of the best food I've ever eaten," I commented. "If there were restaurants that served this kind of food quality, they'd be rated at five stars!"

"This, coming from a four-star pony," chuckled Rarity, which drew some chuckles from the rest of the Mane Six who sat across from me, except for Twilight, who sat between Princess Celestia and myself. Twilight smiled politely at the comment.

"Thank you, Amethyst, my chefs are quite skilled at food preparation," the Sun Goddess responded to my compliment.

"Your Majesty, I just hope things work out okay for Trixie and me," I offered. "But I still cannot fathom her bizarre behavior."

"Have some patience, Amethyst, trust me when I tell you that beneficial circumstances shall arise as events progress."

"I place my complete trust in you, Princess Celestia," I replied. She and Twilight smiled in approval at my comment.

Presently we finished eating and I left the table fully satisfied. I trotted over to Shining Armor to ask about the bachelor party. He gave a big grin in response. I trotted over to Big Macintosh to see if he was joining us. He gave a quick "Ee-yup" and followed us.

"Let me reconnoiter with my friends so we can travel together. This club isn't far from the Castle, so you don't have to worry about drinking too much -- if you drink, that is!" he laughed.

"Depending on what happens, I may need a drink!" I chuckled.

"I've let the club owner know you're the guest of honor, so the featured entertainer will pay special attention to you."

"Um ... Thanks?" I offered meekly.

"Now, now, don't be too worried, she won't take things too far," he said, still chuckling slightly. We trotted along a hallway to the corridors reserved for Royal Guards. Shining called out for two of his buddies who were off duty now and would accompany us to the club. They trotted over to us and greeted us warmly, surprising me with a strong hug.

"This the lucky stallion?" one of them asked, pointing a hoof at me.

"Yeah, that's him," Shining replied, grinning broadly. "We've got a special treat for him. Let's get going, don't want to be late now."

We left the Castle, making our way down well-lit cobblestone streets towards a darker section of Canterlot -- not as well lit, the stones of poorer quality. We continued trotting towards our destination, but it sure seemed like it was a lot further away than what Shining had told me.

"I thought you said this place wasn't too far from the Castle," I complained.

"Well, it's not that far for me," Shining chuckled. "Well, if it's any consolation, we're almost there."

The club was little more than a store-front painted black from top to bottom, no windows, and a black door with a peep-hole at eye level. Shining gave a quick patterned knock of seven strikes of his right fore-hoof. Sounded like the traditional "shave and a haircut" knock. I chuckled softly at this. The door opened and a very large burly dark brown stallion with a very close-cropped mane and stubby tail allowed us to enter the establishment. He gave me a wicked grin.

We made our way to some seats which had been reserved for the five of us, around what appeared to be a raised platform about three or four feet above the floor. There were three poles which ran from the floor of the platform to the ceiling, placed at strategic intervals. I immediately recognized what this place was.

"A strip joint, Shining? Really?" I asked, almost incredulously.

"It was what we could manage on such short notice," he chuckled. "Trust me, Ammy, this will be worth it!"

"I certainly hope so," I responded almost indignantly.

We hadn't even sat down for two minutes before very loud music with a heavy bass beat started coming from loudspeakers adorning the walls. A deep baritone voice boomed out of the speakers.

"Gentlecolts, may I present for your edification tonight's featured entertainer: The Hot and Sexy Xerxei!"

An azure unicorn mare came out of the mist created by a fog machine. She was wearing a very sexy nurse outfit, her mane and tail dyed a bright crimson red. Her eyes were a giveaway, though. I recognized her immediately as we made eye contact. She grinned seductively at me and gyrated her hips to the bass beats. The music was so loud that even as I shouted her name, my voice was drowned out by the heavy beats. She winked at me and made her way over to me. She turned and wiggled her hindquarters very provocatively not more than three feet away from my face. I was almost completely convinced that this was Trixie herself, but I recognized a particular scent which contrasted sharply with Trixie's normal scent. "She may look like Trixie, but this is not her." I thought. I racked my brain trying to identify the particular scent but was drawing a blank on it.

"Trixie" continued her dancing, even going so far as to give me a lap dance in front of everypony, which drew loud whistles of approval from everypony present. Shining gave me a very broad grin. "You sly dog, you!" he chuckled.

"Uh, Shining, that's not Trixie," I said to him.

"Yeah, she is! Just look at her!" he laughed.

"No, no, she smells funny," I protested.

"Your mind is playing tricks on you, Ammy! Enjoy this! It's for you!"

"I need to check with Twilight on this -- maybe she knows this scent," I thought.

--------------------------------------------

"Hey, Trixie, you ready for your bachelorette party?" Pinkie asked her.

"Trixie is tired -- she thinks she'll go to bed early tonight. Busy day tomorrow!" she said quickly and made her way to her room.

"You know, she's sure been acting strange," Pinkie said softly to Twilight.

"That's all Amethyst has been talking about," the lavender mare replied.

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

"Hey, Ammy, what'd you think of Xerxei?" the white unicorn stallion asked me. "She sure knew how to get your blood pumping, didn't she?"

We trotted back to the Castle at a relatively leisurely pace. "There's something about her that just doesn't seem right, Shining. I half-way wonder if she might be a changeling. The last time there was a wedding at the Castle, the Queen and her Army got involved. I have a sinking feeling in my gut that history might repeat itself once again," I stated flatly.

"And if it does, the Queen is going to get her flank kicked again!" Shining Armor laughed confidently. "She should know better than to try to mess with us!"

"Considering the fact that Trixie's been acting weird lately makes me wonder if she too has been replaced by a changeling. If that's the case, I'm really worried for her. I hope she's okay."

"Well, I'm sure Princess Celestia can help you with that matter as well, Ammy. Let's hurry it up a little, it's getting late and we'll need to get some rest for tomorrow."

"Ee-yup," came a response from Big Macintosh.

We started trotting a bit faster to get back to the Castle, mostly in relative silence except for the occasional comment about a restaurant or some other food vendor's stall, most of which were empty given the lateness of the hour. I had much to think about and sleep wasn't going to come easy for me tonight. My adrenaline in anticipation of the wedding ceremony kept my mind racing. We made it back to the Castle in little more than half an hour, then made our way to our respective rooms. I trotted down the hall to Twilight's room and knocked. Spike answered the door.

"What do you want, Ammy? Do you know what time it is?" the dragon asked in a very annoyed tone of voice.

"I needed to ask Twilight to see if she could scan for changeling activity," I replied with deep concern.

"Can it wait until morning? It's too late for me to wake her."

"Okay, Spike, I guess it can. I think there's some dirty work afoot, and I don't like it at all." I turned back toward my room but then another idea came to me. I decided to visit the Royal Throne Room to see if Princess Luna might be able to help me, so I trotted in that direction. I was stopped by a Royal Guard unicorn who prevented me from venturing further.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked a Royal Guard mare.

"I seek an audience with Princess Luna," I offered.

"The Lunar Princess is not receiving visitors at this late hour. Please return to your quarters. You must rest for your ceremony tomorrow."

I tried to step around her. "Please! It's very important! I think Trixie might have been replaced by a changeling! I need to be sure, and I think Princess Luna can help me!"

The mare blocked my path, stepping to match my attempt to bypass her. She was having none of it. "Return to your room, Amethyst. You may address your concerns tomorrow with Princess Celestia."

I hung my head and sullenly returned to my room to get some sleep. At least the bed was quite comfortable ...

------------------------------------------------

It took quite a while for me to fall asleep, and my first dream that night involved me and Trixie trotting down the aisle to meet the Sun Goddess who was to conduct the ceremony. We were at the point where we were to exchange rings, and then I watched in horror as Trixie transformed into Chrysalis, the Changeling Queen. At that point, chaos ensued as everypony gasped. I watched Princess Celestia use her magic against Chrysalis, only to see a repeat of what happened the last time that challenge occurred. Then worse occurred: countless numbers of changelings swarmed into the throne room where the ceremony was taking place, grabbing ponies left and right. I turned to angrily face Chrysalis.

"I can't believe you ruined what was to be the happiest day of my life," I said to her incredulously.

"I can't believe you didn't plan for this occurrence," she chuckled. "They always said revenge is a dish best served cold."

I tried to strike her with my right fore-hoof, but she easily blocked my attack. "How foolish do you think I'd be to allow you to try a physical attack against me? I am far more powerful than you think!" She laughed, and used her magic against me. I felt myself being immobilized by her magic, then hypnotized by those glowing green eyes of hers, then a slimy substance enveloping my body before I lost consciousness.

I woke up in a cold sweat after that nightmare. "Whew, what a terrible dream," I said aloud to myself. I laid back down again to try to resume sleeping.

My second dream involved Trixie and me finding ourselves back in Rarity's basement, with me strapped to a table and Trixie being suspended on a hook about five feet above me and ten feet away from me. Slight trickles of blood dripped from Trixie's rear hooves onto the floor. Both of us had been stripped of our horns so neither of us could use magic. Rarity informed us that we were both going to die, but that I could prolong the occurrence of my death by asking Rarity to administer electric shocks to Trixie.

I had to shake myself awake from that nightmare. "Not again, not Rarity," I said to myself. "This is getting ridiculous."

My third dream involved Trixie and me some time in the future, having been married for quite a long time, possibly as long as my previous marriage. Trixie and I were having yet another argument about nothing special, but that she accused me of cheating on her with Twilight Sparkle. I tried to calm her and told her that I would never cheat on her, but then Twilight came in through our front door, looking like she was eight months pregnant with a foal.

"Hey, Ammy, I'm going to name her Garnet, like you asked me to!" the lavender unicorn grinned.

"Trixie KNEW you were cheating on her!" the azure unicorn screeched. She lit her horn and used her strongest attack spell against me, giving me no time to react. My body was reduced to a pile of dust, as she had been practicing attack magic for such a long time that her attack magic had grown extremely strong.

"Uh, Trixie, Big Macintosh is the father of the foal I'm carrying -- Ammy had given me a suggestion for the name," Twilight offered meekly. Upon hearing this, Trixie broke down, sobbing and wailing loudly.

"Oh, Celestia, WHAT HAVE I DONE??!?!" she wailed.

I woke again in a cold sweat. "I don't think I'm gonna get any sleep tonight," I muttered to myself. I lay back down and rested, trying to keep from having any more nightmares.

What Love Hath Brought Together

The door to my room was opened rather brusquely as Twilight burst in. "Ammy! Wake up! You've got an hour or so to get ready!" she exclaimed.

"What about Trixie?" I asked.

"Pinkie and Fluttershy are getting her ready! I have to talk to Princess Celestia, but I will return to help you. Looks like you had a rough night last night, Ammy -- better take a shower before you get dressed. Here's your ensemble," she stated and telekinetically placed the outfit on the dresser directly opposite the bed. She then turned and left, trotting toward the throne room.

I made my way into the shower, noticing even the subtle touches of elegance adorning the plumbing fixtures. I turned on the water, allowing the warmth to envelop my body. I used telekinesis to lather my coat, mane and tail with shampoo, using several scrubbing brushes to thoroughly clean all my hair. I was careful around my lower abdomen and had to rear up on my hind legs to make sure all the shampoo was rinsed out. I mindlessly sang aloud while showering:

"I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you,

And all the roads that lead you there are winding,

And all the lights that light the way are blinding,

There are many things that I would like to say to you but I don't know how..."

My singing was interrupted by another knocking at the door. I finished rinsing off, turning the water off, and wrapping a towel around my midsection. I opened the door to find Twilight and Trixie from the other universe standing at the door. I allowed the two of them to enter as I toweled off in front of them.

"Um, Michael? Do you still go by that name?" the Other Twilight asked me. She gawked at me a little.

"So, what brings you two here? Are you here to be part of my wedding?" I asked, a grin on my face.

"What? You're getting married? Today?" Trixie asked in shock. "Why didn't you tell me?"

I hung my head, my ears drooping. "Well, if it's any consolation, your counterpart here has been acting very strangely, as though she is not herself. Truthfully, I owe you an apology, but because you're part of another universe, I thought you'd be too busy with your affairs. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Trixie."

"I accept your apology, Michael, and as for my counterpart not acting herself, I don't know what to tell you. How soon is the wedding?"

"In about forty minutes, more or less. I have to get into my ensemble here," I said, levitating the clothes, opening them, and putting them on my body. I stood before a mirror to check myself out. The two mares smiled in approval. "Oh, and another thing -- I don't go by my human name anymore, my new name is Amethyst Flame."

"You always did have a flair for the dramatic," Twilight giggled. "Whoever made that for you did a wonderful job!"

"That would be Rarity," I stated proudly. The Twilight from this universe made it back to the room to check up on me.

"What? What are you two doing here?" This Twilight asked in surprise.

"Our Princess Celestia sent us to seek his help again," the Other Trixie replied. "But it appears we will have to wait until after his wedding, since the ceremony is to start fairly soon."

"Well, let me fetch Rarity to help with his mane and tail -- he can't be looking like THAT when he walks down the aisle!" This Twilight said with a little exasperation. She teleported away then returned almost immediately with Rarity.

"Darling, your coiffure! It's absolutely dreadful! Here, let me help you with that," the alabaster unicorn offered, using her magic to shape my mane and tail into something quite attractive.

"A pompadour? Really, Rarity?" I asked as even more exasperation crept into my voice.

"I think it looks simply smashing, darling!" she giggled. The Other Trixie and Twilight chuckled softly.

"I think it looks nice," offered this Twilight.

"Oh well, I guess it can't be helped. Let's head to the throne room and get on with the ceremony," I stated flatly.

"Why the sour mood, Amethyst?" asked Rarity as we trotted towards the throne room.

"I'm still concerned about Trixie," I replied matter-of-factly.

"I'm right here, you know," the Other Trixie stated, a small grin on her face.

"Don't tempt me to ask for YOUR hoof in marriage, Trixie -- I was talking about your counterpart in this universe."

"Oh," came her curt response.

After about ten more minutes of trotting through hallways we made it to the throne room. The Royal Guards were a little surprised to see two Twilights, though one with Trixie's cutie mark distinguished her from the other.

"Trixie, why aren't you in your wedding ensemble?" one of the guards asked.

"I'm from the other universe, and unfortunately, I'm not the one getting married," she responded sullenly. "Amethyst, I wish you had told me earlier."

"I'm sorry, Trixie. I didn't want to hurt you," I said glumly.

"Well, I suppose it's for the best. I hope the two of you live a long and happy life together," the azure mare sighed.

We entered the Royal Throne Room to see Princess Celestia sitting on her throne, a warm smile gracing her features. She raised an eyebrow when she saw the two visitors from the other universe, but beckoned them inside the room anyway.

"Amethyst, please approach me. I have something I need to give you," the Alicorn stated. I trotted over to her and she levitated my blue diamond amulet to me, placing it around my neck. "You may need this," she whispered in my ear.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders had been designated as the flower fillies for this wedding and Big Macintosh as my best stallion. He stood not far from me, smiling warmly. I returned his smile, mine a bit wider than his. I tried to spot This Trixie in her wedding dress but didn't see her. I walked toward the back of the aisle, past the many ponies who had gathered for the ceremony. Princess Luna and Princess Cadance stood on either side of the Sun Goddess, and they too smiled warmly at me. Shining Armor stood beside Big Mac.

"Ammy, I have a specific location to watch the ceremony," This Twilight told me. She trotted over towards Princess Cadance and stood near her. Rarity trotted behind Twilight and stood about fifteen feet to Twilight's right. I noticed the other Element Bearers take strategic locations in the room.

"Um, Ammy, if I may call you that," Other Trixie began, "why are your friends taking those specific positions?"

"Something big is going to happen, Trixie. Perhaps you could stand near the back of the room and watch?" I half-asked.

"This ought to be interesting," the Other Twilight mused softly.

I stood at the back end of the red carpet delineating the center of the aisle and waited on This Trixie to show up. After about fifteen minutes of what seemed like interminable waiting, the mare of my dreams trots slowly into the room, wearing a truly breathtaking dress -- except for the fact that it doesn't fit her correctly -- it appears to be draped loosely about her withers and hind legs, the train ruffled a little too much on the floor. She turns to me but does not smile as she makes her way to my side. I smile warmly at her.

"Glad to see you could make it to your wedding, my love," I said softly to her. Music started playing for us at this point.

"Let's get this over with," she said tersely. As she trotted beside me on our walk down the aisle, I couldn't help but notice that same particular scent that was emanating from Xerxei in the club last night. I chose to remain silent, still smiling as we came to a stop in front of the Sun Goddess, who continued to smile warmly at us. The music stopped and Princess Celestia cleared her throat.

"Ladies, fillies and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to celebrate a momentous occasion. Today being Hearts and Hooves Day, it also serves as a perfect day to join a new couple in wedded bliss. Before the actual ceremony itself, is there anypony here who would choose to prevent these two from being joined together forever in marriage? If so, let that pony speak now or forever hold their peace," Celestia began. The room was deathly silent save for the breathing of ponies and the very faint sound of snickering from the mare beside me. I raised an eyebrow in her direction as I turned my head to meet her gaze. Her eyes flashed green for a split second.

"As there is no pony who wishes to forbid these two in marriage, I shall ask Amethyst if there is anything he would like to say to Beatrix before the exchanging of vows and rings."

I took my cue at that point and turned to Trixie. "Trixie, my love, I would like to say this to you: from the moment we first met, my feelings for you have blossomed greatly. The time we have spent together has made me happy and I truly feel blessed to have somepony as beautiful as you to be my wife. Though I have been married before, I feel that you can provide me with the love and happiness I have been craving for many long years. It is my hope that you will be there for me when I need you, that you will be there to comfort me when life gets me down, that you will be there for me every morning when I wake up. Trixie, you mean so much to me and there is so much I want to give you. You are the reason for my happiness and without you, I don't know if I could face the world with the confidence I know I can when you are with me.

"Trixie, I am willing to give myself completely to you -- I give you a solemn vow that I will always be there for you when you need me, that I will be the one whose shoulder you can cry on, that I will be the one who will be your sword and your shield. I will do my best to make you happy and keep you happy for as long as you live. I can only hope that you will show me the same resolve to be as dedicated to loving me as I will to you. Trixie, I love you more than life itself and I would be willing to put my life in danger, to sacrifice myself for you if it meant keeping you alive. Trixie, my love, I need you more than I love you and I want you to be there for me always. Please tell me you feel the same way about me."

Everypony stamped their hooves in approval of my speech, an applause which lasted a good minute or so. As the applause died down, everypony's attention was drawn to Trixie, who stood in stunned silence.

Let Nopony Tear Asunder

Trixie cleared her throat loudly, trying to find some words to say. Everypony stood with baited breath, the anticipation and tension making the room feel considerably heavier. Tears started to form in her eyes as she turned to face me, another green flash coming from them.

"I ... I ... I can't do this," she said softly as her tears started to well up and spill over her cheeks. She had said it so softly that only Celestia and I had heard her say it. Both of us frowned at this statement.

"What was that, my love? You can't do this?" I said aloud so everypony could hear. My face darkened a little.

"NO! I CAN'T!!" she screamed. "How could you profess your love to me like that? Don't you know who I am?" she cried as she dropped her disguise. Everypony gasped simultaneously as the form of Trixie was replaced by the Changeling Queen herself -- except for the Solar and Lunar Princesses and myself. I was half-expecting it, actually.

"I have heard they call you Chrysalis," I stated flatly. "The Queen of the Changelings. So what made you decide to crash my wedding? And where is the real Trixie?" I asked angrily.

"Your "love" is in a safe place, and you are welcome to join her, along with everypony else here!" she shouted gleefully. She flapped her wings and flew up toward the ceiling of the throne room. "I will have my army take care of all of you!"

Princess Celestia enveloped the Queen in her golden aura and forcefully brought her back down to the floor to stand beside me once again. The golden aura held her in place as the Queen struggled against it. "You underestimated us, Chrysalis. You have made a terrible mistake coming here and a bigger one by abducting Amethyst's bride. If you return her safely to us, no harm will come to you."

"You realize of course that such a request is impossible for me," the Queen stated flatly, glaring daggers at the white Alicorn. "I can't trust you, anyway."

The Element Bearers stood at the ready, waiting for a signal to cast their magic. The Queen turned to me.

"So, Amethyst, would you care to marry ME instead of Trixie?" she asked in a saccharine voice, leering at me.

"What I said to you were words meant for Trixie, not for you. Again I ask you. Where. IS. TRIXIE!?!" I shouted in her face.

"Be thankful I don't bite your face off, whelpling," she snapped at me. I lit my horn at this point.

"Amethyst, calm yourself. Chrysalis, you have one more chance before I have the Elements use their magic against you. Return Beatrix safely or face banishment," Celestia admonished sharply.

"I will do no such thing! And you can't scare me with threats of banishment!" Chrysalis screeched. "Attack them, my children!"

Suddenly dozens of changelings swarmed into the throne room, swooping and diving towards the ponies who scattered wildly amidst the chaos. The three Alicorns present used their magic to freeze all the changelings in mid-flight, their bodies falling to the floor. The doors flung open and more changelings scampered into the room, but they too were easily subdued by Alicorn magic.

"Elements! Now! Use your magic!" Celestia's voice thundered through the room. The Mane Six started levitating, and oddly enough, the Other Trxie and I too started lifting into the air. The Queen tried to break free from Sun Goddess' telekinetic hold but was not strong enough to do so. As our bodies levitated above the floor, we started glowing with the magic of the Elements of Harmony, a rainbow hued vortex surrounding the Queen and myself, since I happened to be in the midst of the magic itself. I let out a cry of surprise to find myself and the Queen face to face as the vortex swirled around us, keeping us close together. She turned her gaze to meet mine with a look of abject terror on her face.

"Help me, please," she pleaded softly.

"You should have brought my wife to me, Chrysalis," I responded.

As the vortex continued to spin around us, the changelings watched in shock as their Queen simply vanished and I returned to the floor of the throne room. I strode up to the Sun Goddess and stood at eye level to her. "That's odd. Why am I at her eye level?" I thought.

"Your Majesty, that was ... unusual. Shall we locate Trixie and rescue her?" I asked. I noticed my voice had a bit more resonance to it for some strange reason. Everypony present gasped again at my new appearance, but both Luna and Celestia simply smiled.

"Well, Tia, it looks like your plan worked. So what do you have in store for our new Prince?" the Lunar Princess asked. Her sister continued to smile calmly and gave her a knowing wink.

"What do you mean, Princess Luna?" I asked incredulously.

The Other Trixie galloped to where I was standing. "Amethyst? What has happened to you?"

The other Element Bearers came forward to meet me at this point, all of them asking similar questions and Pinkie Pie asking if the wedding was still on. The Other Twilight also trotted up to where I was, although she was the last one to make her way to me.

"Wow, you became an Alicorn!" she remarked. "Now you can REALLY help us!"

"What was the nature of your visit?" Celestia asked the Other Trixie and Twilight.

"Um, something similar to what just happened here, your Majesty," Trixie stated. "We were beset with a changeling menace in our world as well."

"Your Majesty," I began, but was interrupted by the Sun Goddess.

"You are no longer permitted to call me that, Michael," she responded. "You must refer to me only as Celestia."

"Forgive me, your Majesty, but I simply cannot do that. Shall I assist the other Trixie and Twilight with their predicament and return to this universe to resume what was so rudely interrupted here?" I asked. I noticed my coat had turned an almost pure white and that wings had appeared on my back. It felt weird. "And one other thing -- why do you refer to me by my human name?"

"Well, Michael, I can't call you Amethyst if you are no longer in that form," Celestia chuckled.

"But I'm not in a human body, either," I protested.

"Then find a new name for your new form," she suggested. "Let me know what you wish to be called."

"I never was any good at picking out good names," I said sullenly. "I suppose you can call me Michael until I make a final choice on a new name ... Celestia." It felt funny for me to call the Sun Goddess by only her name. I didn't like doing that.

"Very well then, Michael. Please assist the visitors from the other universe with their matter and return as soon as possible. There are certain lessons I will have to teach you since you are a new Alicorn. Please be swift with this task, I don't have all day to be waiting on you."

"What about the Element Bearers?" I asked.

"You have more than enough power to deal with their changeling invasion, Michael. This task should be quite easy for you."

"What about my Trixie? My wife-to-be?"

"I will address that matter personally -- she will be here waiting for your return."

"Thank you, Celestia. Trixie? Twilight? Looks like we've got some changelings to dispatch," I stated. The two unicorns approached nearer so I could drape my wings around them and teleported to their universe, landing directly in front of their Library.

Scaring Them Off

Of course, when we arrived, I hadn't taken into account the time difference between the two universes, so it was after midnight when we got there. "I'm going to have to talk to your princess about this," I stated flatly.

"Would you like to come in and get a little sleep?" Twilight offered, a bare hint of a smile on her face.

"Don't have time for that now, Twilight. We've got a Queen to deal with," was my terse reply.

"Awww," she complained.

"Come on, Twi, we'll have plenty of time for that later," Trixie giggled. "So, Michael, how are you to find the Queen?"

"She has a particular magic signature -- as an Alicorn, I have quite a few tools at my disposal. Truthfully, I did NOT want to be changed into an Alicorn -- it's too much responsibility for somepony like myself -- and I will see if I can have my Princess Celestia change me back."

"You can talk to our Celestia, maybe she can help you with that," Trixie suggested. "Anyway, I'm sorry about your ruined wedding. Maybe we can make it up to you somehow?"

"Thank you for your offer, Trixie. Are you sure you want to accompany me on this task? It could be quite dangerous."

"That's why we were sent to your universe, Michael. We did not anticipate seeing you transformed like that, though."

"Be that as it may, I wonder if you two need some rest -- I'll take care of the changelings myself."

"What are you planning to do to them?" asked Twilight.

"I may have to kill some of them to get the Queen's attention," I said darkly. The two unicorns gasped in shock as I said those words -- apparently, the Queen must have heard them as well, as she seemed to materialize behind me. "What are you two gawking at?" I asked them innocently. They pointed a hoof at something behind me and fled back into the Library. I turned around to see what it was.

"Do NOT threaten my babies!" the Queen shouted in my face. I raised an eyebrow.

"You know, you've got a lot of nerve showing your face around here," I spat.

"This place belongs to me and my army!" she grinned. "So I could say the same to you!" She tried to hypnotize me with her iridescent green eyes. I mirrored her gaze so she appeared to be hypnotizing herself, so she stopped. "What trickery is this? Who are you?" she asked indignantly.

"I have been selected to protect the ponies -- and my name is not important. You and your kind need to leave Ponyville at once -- unless you have a death wish," I said, narrowing my eyes to slits, my visage darkening considerably.

"You can't frighten me! And don't you DARE threaten ME!" she screeched. "Attack them, my children!"

Dark shapes flew through the sky in our direction as a great many changelings approached. I lit my horn, glowing a brilliant yellow, readying a massive mesh of static electricity. I wasn't going to kill them, just give them an incapacitating shock. As they came closer, I unleashed my spell, which raced through the sky to impact the approaching army. The mesh widened, covering about a third of the swarm, then the electricity in the mesh impacted the changelings. The ones who took the brunt of the shock fell from the sky, landing with soft thudding noises as their bodies hit the ground.

"MY BABIES!" the Queen screamed. She turned to me, an expression of pure rage contorting her features. "You're going to DIE for THAT!" She readied her strongest attack against me. I anticipated this and nullified it. "WHAT? Why is isn't it working?!"

"It only works if I allow it to, and right now, I'm not letting it work for you," I grinned. An evil smile had crept onto my face, and on an Alicorn, that could be a truly terrifying sight. The Queen started backing away from me slowly. I approached her as she continued backing away from me. "I gave you a chance to resolve this peacefully," I stated flatly. "And you ruined that."

"My children need sustenance! We cannot live without it!" she pleaded.

"I know what passes for sustenance for you and your kind -- this make you parasites in my eyes. Understand this: these ponies are under MY protection. You harm them at your peril. I give you one last chance to take yourself and your army back where you came from, and should you be foolish enough to attempt a return, you will all face certain destruction. Do I make myself clear?"

"Okay, okay, we'll go. But what I want to know is this -- where did YOU come from?"

"I don't have to tell you that. Now go before you make me even angrier than I already am!"

The Queen took to the sky and commanded her army to retreat. They flew off in the direction of the Everfree. I watched them fly away until they had passed the treeline. There were about a dozen changeling bodies still laying on the ground where my earlier attack had taken some down. They were still alive, so I revived them and told them to fly past the Everfree to follow their Queen and the rest of their army. They did so with extreme haste.

I returned to the Library and knocked on the front door. Twilight answered it, Trixie right behind her.

"So how did it go?" the lavender mare asked.

"I scared her away and let her know if she returned I would obliterate them," I responded flatly.

"That seems a little harsh," observed the azure mare.

"They would intend your destruction, so I told them they would share the same fate if they tried it again. They are parasites and I find them most repugnant," I said, crinkling my face to illustrate a foul smell.

"We should inform the Princess of your success, Michael," said Trixie.

"You two can do that in my absence. Right now, I need to return to the other universe and reconnoiter with my Celestia." With that, I lit my horn and teleported back to the throne room in the other universe. As Celestia had indicated, Trixie was waiting for my return. "I wonder what she'll think of the new me -- I hope I can have Celestia change me back," I thought.

Stuck in This Form

"Trixie is so happy to see you ... Amethyst?" the azure unicorn cantered over to me and tried to embrace me, but since I was a good two feet taller than her, she ended up wrapping herself around the upper part of my fore-legs, nuzzling against the lower part of my neck. My golden collar impeded her from a full embrace.

"Trixie, certain ... things ... happened in your absence," I stated flatly. I turned my attention to the Sun Goddess. "Celestia, is it possible for me to be returned to my previous form as a unicorn?"

"I wish I had better news for you, Michael, but unfortunately, once you have been transformed into an Alicorn, you cannot revert to your previous station as a unicorn. If you like, you are able to change your appearance to match that of your previous one, however that will not change the fact that you are now and forevermore an Alicorn. How you choose to proceed with your responsibilities will determine whether you are a friend of mine, an ally, or perhaps something ... less than that. Be that as it may, if you wish to marry Trixie, the wedding may resume if you like."

"Trixie? Do you still wish to marry me?" I asked her.

"Trixie does not know what to call you ... and she does not know if she can marry you like that," she said sullenly.

"I want you to know that I love you, no matter what decision you make. I would like to repeat my earlier speech to you, though it was the Changeling Queen who was impersonating you," I said softly.

"What did you say to Trixie?" the azure mare asked.

I repeated to her what I had said earlier. This brought tears to her eyes. "Trixie is very happy to know you love her so deeply! Trixie would be honored to be your mare, but she does not know if she can -- Trixie has been thinking..." she said as her words trailed off.

"Where were you while Chrysalis was acting in your stead?"

"She had sealed Trixie in some green slimy goop, but with the assistance of Princess Celestia, the great and powerful Trixie was able to make her triumphant return! But Trixie has been thinking about what it might mean to marry a Prince, and she is not sure if she should."

"I am willing to marry you, my love. The decision is entirely yours, and if you're not ready right now to make that decision, I shall wait for an answer when you are ready. Princess Celestia, where is everypony else?" Trixie smiled at me, but it was a demure smile, one which seemed to hold an inner sadness.

"We are holding the reception party in the Grand Ball Room. You two are welcome to join in the festivities if you like," she responded. "I shall escort you there. Michael, if I may ask you a question, why do you wish to be returned to a unicorn?"

"The responsibilities of being an Alicorn are perhaps too great a burden for me, your Majesty. I am deeply honored and humbled to have been granted such status, but truthfully, this is something I never anticipated, nor did I really want. It pains me to know that I will now live forever, and will be entrusted with a very high level of responsibility," I stated rather glumly.

"You have proven to me already that you are more than capable of handling such responsibilities for the most part, and even though you have made a few mistakes, to be honest, even I have made mistakes in the past. I firmly believe you will be able to meet this new challenge you have been presented with."

"One of the other problems I will have trouble dealing with is watching everypony I know and love age and die before my eyes. It will make me very sad to see them go long before I want them to," I said as I tried to maintain my composure.

"Yes, I can see where that would be a problem. As I'm sure you're probably aware, I have lived for centuries and I have witnessed countless ponies live, age, and die before my eyes. I will tell you this: every single pony's death, regardless of whether it be to old age or otherwise, brings a tear to my eyes, even after all this time. It is an indisputable fact that you will have to experience such sadness for as long as you shall live. That is one of the lessons I wish to teach you, Michael. I will teach you more in the morning -- please stop by my bedchambers before dawn tomorrow, I have something very important to teach you at that time."

"What, are you going to teach me how to raise the sun?" I asked incredulously. Trixie started to open her mouth to say something but was cut off by Celestia's response.

"Yes, Michael, and in case you hadn't noticed, your cutie mark has changed ever so slightly." I turned to notice that my four stars had changed from orange to bright yellow, the circles in each one the same white to match the color of my coat. The stars had also aligned themselves into a diamond shape, with at least one point of each star touching the point of another. "One other thing: once I have finished teaching you what you need to know, you will no longer be allowed to stay in my realm -- you will have to return to your homeworld to serve as its Solar Regent."

My jaw dropped, apparently seeming to unhinge. "WHAAAAT??!?" Apparently, Trixie's reaction was very similar to mine as I watched her jaw drop as well.

"Well, you certainly can't serve as Regent of the Sun in MY realm," she grinned.

"I was hoping to make a new life with Trixie," I stated sullenly. "If I HAVE to return to my homeworld, I won't be able to do that."

"Perhaps she might like it in your homeworld," Celestia offered.

"Trixie is of THIS world, not mine," I replied with some exasperation.

"Trixie, would you like to join Michael when he returns to his homeworld?" asked the Sun Goddess.

"Trixie knows next to nothing about Michael's homeworld other than what he showed her -- and Trixie does not like what she saw there!" the blue mare replied.

"Celestia, there are no ties to bind me to that world," I protested.

"You certainly can't stay HERE any longer than I want you to," was her response.

"Anyway, how do you know I have become a Solar Regent for my planet? Who's to say that that world still doesn't revolve around its Sun, its Moon revolving around it? Who's to say I need to return to that world to serve the purpose of raising and lowering both Sun AND Moon?" I asked, which seemed to annoy the Princess.

"It would appear to me that you still have a great deal to learn, Michael. For now, I suggest that you and Trixie attend the reception and meet with the others. I will devise a syllabus for your lessons while you two enjoy yourselves. Please understand I do this not to disappoint you, Michael, but to prepare you for your new duties. You do not have to like it, but it serves as your new obligations as not only an Alicorn, but as a Solar Regent as well. You are free to explore as you wish for now, Michael, but I require your presence at my bedchamber before dawn. Please don't disappoint me by being tardy."

Disappointment

The prospect of having to serve as the Earth's Solar Regent hit me like a ton of bricks as I sullenly trotted away from the Sun Goddess. Trixie trotted behind me but caught up to my side.

"Michael, I suppose you know your way to the ball room -- if you do not wish for me to accompany you, I understand. Please remember what I requested of you. Do not be late, for your sake," admonished Celestia.

"Yes, your Majesty," I replied without turning my attention to her as I continued to trot towards the ball room.

"Trixie wants to know what you're planning on doing now, Michael," she said quizzically. She looked up at me almost expectantly. I was still lost in my thoughts and didn't answer swiftly enough for her liking. "Well, Michael? Trixie does not like being ignored!"

"Sorry, Trixie, I got lost in thought there for a few moments. I am thinking about what I can do to go back to being a unicorn. I do NOT want to be an Alicorn!" I exclaimed in exasperation.

"Why not? Trixie would be thrilled to be an Alicorn!" she giggled.

"You probably would until you realized what being an Alicorn actually entails -- a very high level of power requires a great deal of wisdom to use that power responsibly. And as you heard, Alicorns get to live practically forever. If I had known that my decision to be you would lead to my transformation into this form (I pointed a hoof to my chest) I would have thought twice about having my car transform me into you. I wonder if the Celestia in the other universe might have an answer for me -- perhaps I should get a second opinion," I mused.

"Trixie thinks she liked you better when you were her," she offered. "Trixie thinks you were happier when you were in her body."

"I enjoyed being you, Trixie -- it was quite a lot of fun, even if you did try to kill me," I chuckled.

"Trixie is sorry for that, Michael! Trixie's mind was under the control of that amulet! Please do not remind her of what she did! How many times does Trixie have to tell Michael that she is sorry?" she asked in exasperation.

"And I already told you I forgave you for attacking me." We arrived at our destination at this point. "Hello, everypony!" I smiled as we made our way into the ball room to meet up with the wedding guests. Pinkie Pie was the first to greet me.

"Hey, Mikey! Trixie! Did you two exchange vows and rings and things? Are you two officially married now? You wanna play pin the tail, Mikey?"

"I don't think they play "pin the tail" at wedding receptions, Pinkie, and sorry to disappoint you, but no, we didn't exchange vows or rings. Trixie is having second thoughts about getting married -- but we can still enjoy ourselves anyway. I have a lot on my mind, Pinkie, so I need to talk to the others for awhile. Hope you don't mind." The pink party pony seemed to deflate at this news.

"Okie dokie lokie," she said flatly. "But if you don't mind my asking, why not? Trixie? Don't you wanna marry him? He looks so nice like this, he looks almost like the Princess! I'm sure he'd be able to make you happy, don't you think?"

"Trixie just got rescued from somewhere -- and she has a lot to think about. Trixie thought she was ready to get married until that weird black pony attacked her and covered her with that icky green slimy stuff. Trixie will let Michael know when she is ready to marry him."

I trotted over to where Twilight was chatting with her friends and her brother and foal-sitter. They were discussing what had happened with the Changeling Queen and what had happened to me. Twilight saw me first.

"Oh, hi, Amethyst -- how did things go in the other universe? I see you didn't waste much time there," the lavender mare grinned.

"I guess I'm going by my human name until I find a good name for my new form, so you may address me as Michael. I managed to scare off the Queen and her army over there, but let them know if they ever decided to come back to Ponyville that I would ... dispose of them," I stated flatly.

"So how do you like the new you, darling? Your mane and tail look marvelous!" Rarity smiled, admiring my bright yellow and orange ethereal mane and tail which billowed in the solar wind.

"You might not believe this, but I did not want to be an Alicorn. It's too great a burden for me," I explained.

"You might think being an Alicorn means all work and no play," Princess Cadance offered, "but you'd be surprised that once you get used to the "workload," you will have considerably more free time than you'd imagine. If you're so concerned about maintaining a high level of decorum, Michael, it will come naturally to you as you adjust to your new status. Don't worry too much about it, it's not as bad as you think!" the pink Alicorn giggled. "And once you have become an Alicorn, I would recommend against wanting to revert to your previous status -- if you do, you might find yourself wishing you hadn't."

"Thank you for your reassurance, Princess Cadance. Maybe I should think twice about my desire to relinquish my Alicorn status. Celestia is going to teach me how to raise the Sun in the morning, if you can believe that," I grinned. This elicited a gasp from everypony who heard me say it. I chuckled softly at their reaction.

"Oh, your cutie mark!" Twilight exclaimed as she noticed it. "You have four suns as a cutie mark! No wonder Celestia's going to teach you how to do that! I can't believe you've become a Solar Regent! I am so happy for you!"

"Thanks, Twilight. Rarity, I'm sorry about the ensemble you made for me. I apologize that we couldn't have a proper wedding. And I also apologize for one other thing -- that when Celestia has finished teaching me what I need to know, I will no longer be allowed to stay here in Equestria." This statement drew more gasps.

"Michael, perhaps I might be able to persuade Princess Celestia to let you stay -- you have become a good friend and I don't want you to leave," Twilight stated with some sadness tinging her voice.

Author's Notes:

Sorry about the short chapter length -- am still working on getting home internet going again. It may be a few more days before I get another chapter posted.

Just One Dance

"If you don't mind, I think I'll have a slice of cake," I stated optimistically. I noticed that some of the other ponies had already been taking slices of the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness cake which had been specially prepared for the wedding. Atop the cake stood a couple of figures -- one of Trixie and one of me as Amethyst Flame. I noticed Trixie staring at the cake, a puzzled expression on her face. I watched as several different emotions played across her features before a tear trickled down her cheek. I could sense her eyes searching the room for me and when we made eye contact, she trotted over to me.

"Hey, Trixie, care for a slice of cake?" I offered. I smiled warmly at her.

"Trixie does not feel like eating," she said rather sullenly. My smile faltered at this point.

"I know this must be hard for you to take," I said softly and wrapped my right wing around her in an attempt to comfort her. "But I want you to know that I will always love you, Trixie. Please understand that no matter how long I live, you will always hold a special place in my heart. Take as much time as you need, Trixie. If Princess Celestia forces me to leave, then let her know when you have made your decision if it takes that long. I am sure she might be willing to let me return in that event."

"You make Trixie happy when you say things like that, Michael. Trixie appreciates your love very deeply and she will let you know when she is ready, but please, Michael, give Trixie some more time to get herself back together."

"Take all the time you need, Trixie, as I have plenty to spare. I will have some more words with Princess Celestia in the morning. Right now, I suggest you try to enjoy yourself, even though it might prove to be difficult. I would also like to make one more request, Trixie -- I would like for you to share a dance with me if you would be so kind, please."

"Trixie does not know how to dance," she said, blushing ever so slightly. I thought I saw a hint of a smile cross her lips.

"Then follow my lead," I said, smiling broadly. As if to suit my intention, a slow dance song started playing. I stood on my hind legs and embraced Trixie as best I could. I used magic to make myself smaller to match her size better so we could dance together holding each other in our fore-legs. I led her back and forth, swaying ever so slightly, holding her tightly against me. I felt her warmth against me and kissed her lightly on her muzzle. Her blush deepened a bit, but she returned my gesture of affection by kissing me on my lips -- a short kiss, but one which let me know her feelings for me. I smiled warmly and whispered "I love you Trixie" in her ear, whereupon she kissed me again with a little more passion.

"Trixie likes your new size and hopes you can maintain it for her -- Michael makes her feel so nice like this!" she smiled and kissed me again.

"I suppose I can do this for you, Trixie, my love," I grinned. "I like to see you happy, because it makes me happy to see you happy as well!" I kissed her again as we continued to dance. Our steps were somewhat awkward, but everypony was cheering us as though we had actually consummated the marriage. Truthfully, I felt truly happy at this point -- it didn't matter to me whether we were married or not, the feeling of holding my love in my fore-legs, our love for each other being so freely expressed, the look in her eyes -- I felt as though if I had died at this point, it would be the pinnacle of my existence. A tear trickled down my cheek as I smiled at her. "Oh, Trixie, I love you so much!"

"Thank you so much, Michael, for making Trixie feel so happy! Trixie loves you as much as you love her! Maybe even more so!" she giggled and kissed me again.

"Trixie, will you be my mare? Forever?" I asked her, almost hesitantly. I gazed into her greyish lavender eyes longingly.

"Trixie says YES! She WILL!" she exclaimed, almost excitedly. She embraced me as tightly as she could and gave me a very long and passionate kiss on my lips.

A very loud cheer erupted in the ball room upon Trixie's announcement and the Sun Goddess reappeared, practically right next to us. Using her telekinesis, she placed our rings on each other's right fore-leg to symbolize our bond of marriage. Almost anticlimactically, she stated, "I now pronounce you mare and stallion!" and an even louder cheer went up. Now I could truly die happy.

But if I did, I'd be pretty upset.

"So, Michael, it looks like you got your wish," Celestia mused. "So what made you change your size? You can change yourself back, I assume?"

"Of course I can, your Majesty. I changed my size to facilitate my dance with Trixie -- I must admit, I feel so special when the two of us are about the same size, able to hold each other tightly in our embrace, able to gaze into each other's eyes -- I don't think I have ever been happier in my entire life."

"Just remember, of course, that you must meet me at my bedchambers before dawn. I'm counting on you, Michael, so don't forget, please," she admonished.

"Perhaps you could send a courier to wake me before dawn so you can ensure my timeliness," I chuckled. "Trixie and I might be spending quite a bit of time tonight getting caught up on certain ... activities," I grinned and gave a knowing wink to the Solar Princess. She smirked at me in response.

"So I take it you two will be needing a room in the Castle tonight? I can spare a deluxe accommodation for you two. I will see to it that you receive a wake-up call and escort at the prescribed time. For the time being, enjoy yourselves -- you have earned it!" Princess Celestia smiled warmly at us and teleported away, presumably to her bedchambers. Trixie and I trotted over to Twilight and the others.

"I'm so happy for you two!" Twilight grinned. The others present expressed similar sentiments, talking over each other in the process. Trixie and I were all smiles, grinning, giggling a little.

"Hey, Trixie, how about a slice of cake? Where I come from, it's customary for the two newlyweds to share a slice of cake," I grinned.

"Trixie IS feeling a little hungry," she mused.

I used my telekinesis to cut a slice of cake, place it on a small plate, take two forks and levitate the plate and forks over to us. I allowed Trixie to use her telekinesis to take a fork, whereupon she cut a small piece of cake with the fork and nibbled on it. She smiled in response to the flavors of the cake mixing on her palate. For me, it had been quite a while since I had last sampled the MMMM, and once again upon eating it, I was rewarded with the intensity of the flavors which seemed to explode in my mouth.

"This one's even better than the last one I had sampled more than a year ago," I observed.

"When was that?" Twilight asked. "I don't remember you tasting that kind of cake that long ago."

"That was when I was in your body for a single day, Twilight -- we pulled a prank on Pinkie Pie and Rarity that day," I chuckled. "And Pinkie was able to procure a slice of MMMM cake for me, much to my amazement."

Some of the ponies heard me say this and asked questions regarding that incident and I tried to explain it as best I could, though my memory of it was somewhat hazy. I assured them that being Twilight was quite a bit of fun, but also required a fair amount of respect on my part -- after all, I didn't want to embarrass her or tarnish her reputation.

"Trixie wants to know this -- did you enjoy being Trixie more than you did being Twilight?" the azure unicorn asked. Twilight was taken aback almost as much as I was by this rather direct question.

"To answer your question, Trixie, yes, I enjoyed being you just a little more than I did being Twilight -- but then again, I was Twilight for only a day. I think if I had been allowed to remain Twilight for longer, I might have enjoyed it more."

This answer seemed to satisfy both of them, though Twilight seemed a little crestfallen by the answer. Trixie appeared to have a smug grin on her face.

"Trixie, shall we retire to our room? I feel a little sleepy," I stated as I tried to defuse what could be a tense situation between the two of them. Trixie turned her attention to me and nodded, giving a sly wink to Twilight as we left the ball room.

Back to School

Trixie and I were escorted to a room not far from Celestia's bedchambers and practically next door to Luna's bedchamber. The odds were pretty good that I would meet up with her in the pre-dawn morning. That was not what was on my mind at the moment, as Trixie and I had the night to ourselves. I continued to maintain my reduced size to match Trixie -- there seemed to be something almost magical about the two of us being similarly sized, but I could not determine what it was. Even so, the passion and love we shared with each other that night defied description. Every single superlative could be used and found wanting in its attempt to adequately describe those feelings we had for each other. The night seemed to pass by far too quickly for my liking when I heard a knocking at the door.

"Princess Celestia requests your immediate presence, Michael," came a male voice from the other side of the door. Trixie had wrapped herself around me and I was forced to untangle myself from her embrace.

"Mmm, Michael, please stay with Trixie awhile longer! Please!" she moaned. I gave her a quick kiss on her muzzle.

"I promise I won't be long, Trixie. We can pick up where we left off when I return!" I chuckled.

"Pinkie Promise?" she asked, still half-asleep.

"Yes, Trixie," I replied quickly as I trotted out the door. "I hope this doesn't take too long," I thought as my escort led me to the Sun Goddess' bedchamber and knocked on her door.

"Please enter, Michael," came her voice through the door, still closed. I used my telekinesis to open the doors and entered to see the white Alicorn still laying in her huge bed which dominated the center of the chamber. I was surprised to see the two Princesses laying in the same bed and raised an eyebrow at the sight.

"I had no idea you two were so close," I observed nonchalantly.

"Ah, I see our fledgling Prince has arrived," Celestia chuckled. "Good. You're just in time for your first lesson. Luna will teach you how to lower the Moon."

"Tia, are you sure this is a good idea? We don't want him to strain himself so much so early," the indigo Alicorn stated softly.

"Michael, assume your standard form if you would please," Celestia stated flatly. I performed the requested action, matching the Sun Goddess for her size. Luna smiled at me as I returned to my normal Alicorn size. "Good, now follow Luna to her post where she normally lowers her Moon. Luna, I believe he is fully capable of performing such tasks -- he will be called upon to do so in our absence from time to time."

"Thank you for having so much confidence in me, your Majesty," I stated solemnly.

"You waste time with your pleasantries, Michael. I am fully cognizant of your abilities, strengths, and weaknesses -- this is why I am teaching you certain lessons. When you return from learning how to lower my sister's Moon, I will instruct you on raising my Sun -- a task which will test you severely, but one I am certain you have more than enough power to pass. Now hurry, Michael, time is short."

"Follow Us, Michael," Luna advised. I followed Luna from her sister's bedchamber to hers and then out onto a balcony overlooking Canterlot. I saw Luna's Moon hanging low in the western sky, ready to be lowered below the horizon.

"Reach out for it with your magic, Michael, and lower it gently. You will know when to stop when you encounter stiff resistance upon trying to lower it further. That is Our Moon's resting place, and it shall stay there until the night returns."

I reached out with my magic, almost gingerly embracing the Moon with it. The Moon surprised me with its mass and weight, but lowering it proved relatively easy until I reached the resistance point. I could feel something pushing back really hard against my magic as I found the Moon's resting place. Luna checked my progress and smiled in approval.

"You performed quite well, Michael. We shall put away the stars, but that will be your next lesson from Us tomorrow morning. Follow Us back to Our sister's bedchambers for your lessons from her. For Us, it is time for Us to rest."

I followed the Lunar Princess back to her sister's bedchamber, now noticing the two of them exchange a few words. I waited patiently for Celestia to lead me to her balcony where she performed her task of raising the Sun. Presently she bade me follow her as Luna returned to her bedchamber. The Lunar Princess appeared to be rather tired, but I decided not to inquire as to her state of fatigue. Celestia's balcony was on a higher level than Luna's, and had a panoramic view of Canterlot and the surrounding environs. To say the view from this balcony was breathtaking would be a blatant understatement, but that was not the purpose I was here.

"Okay, Michael, you might remember using your magic to reach out to the Moon. Well, understand that the Sun is considerably larger and further away than the Moon, and raising it requires considerably more magic than lowering the Moon. So before we begin, you will need to extend your magic further away and below the horizon. Have you found my Sun yet?"

I could sense it -- the mass was enormous! The heat radiating from it, though it was still below the horizon, was already quite intense. "Celestia, I have found your Sun. I know from my human teachings that the Sun is gigantic -- a million Earths could be placed inside it and there would still be room left inside for more."

"Good. Now that you have found it, try to lift it -- gently!"

I enlarged my aura, my horn glowing a bright yellow as I gradually took more and more of the Sun's massive weight into it. I started to lift the gigantic orb with my magic, slowly, ever so slowly. Sweat was starting to bead on my neck and trickle down as I continued to lift the Sun. My horn glowed brighter and brighter still -- and as I used more magic to push the Sun above the horizon, my body started glowing a bright yellow as well. "It's ... very ... HEAVY!!" I shouted, practically forcing the orb into position.

"Maintain control, Michael! Don't force it!" the elder Alicorn admonished sharply. "You must be gentle! You cannot relax until my Sun is in its proper position!"

The strain was starting to get to me, though. I grabbed hold of the orb once again, moving it gently into is specific location. I was dripping flop sweat from my body as I struggled with the Sun. Upon placing it into position, Celestia smiled at me.

"Not bad for your first time, Michael. You'll find it becomes easier with practice. Since you have expended nearly all your magic with these two tasks, I shall allow you to return to your honeymoon suite so you may rest. I shall request your return later today so I can instruct you on proper use of your wings -- I'll bet you've always wanted to learn how to fly!" she chuckled.

"Thank you, Celestia," I stated, relief from the stress of raising the Sun coloring my words with exhaustion. I made my way back to the room Trixie and I had stayed in. Trixie was still laying in bed, almost eagerly awaiting my return.

"Michael looks like he spent all his magic," the azure mare observed. "Trixie wants you to lay with her again, but make yourself small for her, please."

I tried to do that, but my horn fizzled when I tried to cast the spell. Trixie gasped when she saw this. I was too tired to do much of anything, so I laid down upon the bed to get some rest. Trixie laid on top of me, perhaps in an attempt to comfort me, but I could feel her tears on my neck as she silently sobbed. "It's going to be all right, Trixie, don't let it worry you too much. I can feel my magic starting to replenish itself already. I just need to get some sleep, 'coz I'm feeling pretty tired."

Learning to Fly

My sleeping was interrupted by Princess Celestia entering our room and nuzzling me awake. Trixie had embraced me again, her muzzle against my neck, her fore-legs clasping my mid-section tightly. She had a smile on her lips as she hugged me tightly. My wings and fore-legs were wrapped around her body as I held her close.

"Michael, I have need of your services. My students informed me of your success in dealing with the Changeling Queen and her army, however, there is a new threat to my realm. A certain very powerful dark King from the Crystal Empire is threatening the stability of Equestria, and I need your assistance."

I mumbled something in my hazy half-asleep state about having already raised the sun and being too tired to do much of anything else for awhile.

"What? My counterpart here made you raise her Sun? Why would she do ... oh, your cutie mark. I should have noticed that earlier. I don't know how long you have been in your current form, but if my counterpart would teach you to raise her sun, she must have a great deal of confidence in you. I would like to talk with you again soon, perhaps in my realm. Other than that, I am sorry to have troubled you -- I believe my students and I should be able to deal with this matter appropriately."

"Make a crystal heart out of poison joke for him," I muttered in my half-lucid state. "Trick him into eating it and don't give him a cure..."

The Solar Princess from the other universe chuckled at the suggestion and teleported back to her universe.

I allowed myself to drift back into sleep, but not before giving Trixie a quick kiss on the lips. "Sweet dreams, lover girl," I whispered to her while she continued to snore lightly, her smile widening a little. Before too much longer, I was woken again, this time by Celestia again.

"Michael, it is time for your next lesson. I will be teaching you the proper use of your wings for flight," the Sun Goddess said cheerfully. "I'm willing to wager you've never flown before."

"Only in an airplane," I mumbled through my sleepiness.

"Well, Michael, there's a reason you have wings -- which I see you have wrapped around your wife -- and today I will be teaching you how to use them to fly under your own power. So I need for you to get out of bed and follow me back to my balcony."

I got up from the large bed and rubbed sleep from my eyes and followed Celestia once again. Standing on her balcony and looking out across the landscape during the day gave another stunning panoramic vista. I felt the the wind rushing through my wings, a feeling which I found truly exhilarating. I spread my wings wide to get the full effect of the air currents flowing around, above, and below my span. I could sense my new muscles tensing in anticipation, almost involuntarily moving my wings up and down in an attempt to gauge however much strength I would need to achieve the necessary lift and resistance to allow me to fly. The sensation was quite intense, instilling within me a feeling of giddiness. I smiled broadly as the Sun Goddess watched.

"I see you have instinctively adapted to the wind current. Good. That is the first step, Michael. I suggest, since this is the first time you have attempted to fly, that you crouch in your stance. You should leap into the air and flap your wings a little to become accustomed to the wind's resistance. Try gliding at first, riding the wind current."

I crouched a little, continuing to feel the wind resistance and currents. I jumped up, allowing the current to hold me aloft as I glided as best I could. I flapped my wings in a front-to-back motion, grabbing for air to propel myself forward. Truthfully, I wasn't doing very well, as Celestia admonished me that I was gaining too much altitude. I allowed myself to descend, gliding through the air in a slow descent. I must have panicked upon the first sensation of actually falling, unable to control my flight to the Solar Princess' satisfaction. She used her telekinesis to grab my body, my limbs flailing wildly in an attempt to right myself and regain control. I was returned to the balcony we had initially been standing on. I hung my head in disappointment.

"You're going to need some more practice, Michael, but I'm sure that after a few more tries, you'll be flying around with more confidence and skill soon enough. When you have mastered flight, you will never want to return to your previous status as a Unicorn, of that I am fairly certain!" Celestia chuckled.

It took me a few moments to recover from the shock of free falling, a sensation which was quite terrifying. "Um, Princess, I request a short break before resuming this lesson, if you would be so kind," I said, still shaking a little.

"Certainly, Michael. When did you last eat? Would you care to join me for lunch?"

"I haven't eaten since last night, so food and drink sounds quite good right now."

She beckoned me to follow her to the private dining area she usually shared with her sister and had her chefs prepare some food for us. I requested hay pancakes, which I had become accustomed to eating, a scrambled egg and a glass of orange juice. Since Celestia had already had breakfast earlier in the day, she was going to eat lunch at this point. We had a short discussion of what else I was going to be learning, more flying practice, more practice raising and lowering the Sun, new spells to learn, studying in the Royal Archives, and what Trixie would be doing while I was staying at the Castle. Apparently, Trixie would be learning new magic as well as helping around the Castle with various tasks as she was assigned, though I mentioned she would probably complain bitterly about being given work to do. The Sun Goddess stated that the labor would be in exchange for our extended stay at the Castle as well as covering our meals as well. When we were done eating, we returned to her balcony once again.

"Are you ready to try again, Michael?" Celestia asked, She looked at me expectantly, smiling softly. Her multi-colored mane and tail billowed rapidly in the wind current or maybe it was the solar wind blowing it in the opposite direction. My bright yellow and orange mane and tail were being blown about likewise.

"I believe so, Celestia," I stated with a little apprehension. I spread my wings to their full extension once again, the wind buffeting them as I steadied my stance. Once again I crouched slightly, leaping into the air to get a feel for the wind. I flapped my wings harder and faster in order to get a good rhythm going, then moved forward, accelerating and gaining altitude as well. The Solar Princess flew after me, trailing me in order to make sure I didn't lose control.

"You're doing good, there, Michael!" she shouted at me. "You might want to slow it down a little!"

A blue blur passed me in the opposite direction, then changed it's vector and returned in my direction. A familiar cyan pegasus with chromatic mane and tail approached me while I was flying.

"WOW! Awesome, dude! I KNEW Celestia was gonna teach ya how to fly! Pretty cool, huh?" asked a very excited Rainbow Dash. "Hey, wanna race?"

"Rainbow, I'm just now learning how to fly, and you want me to race you? Fastest flier in all Equestria challenging ME to a race? That wouldn't be fair!" I called to her. She giggled and laughed and flew off to Ponyville. I followed her down to the ground, but found that landing was going to take some practice as well. I thought I could flap my wings and glide in to a landing like I've seen geese do, but I ended up rolling a few times before coming to a very ungraceful stop. The cyan pegasus laughed at my failed landing attempt.

"Looks like you're gonna need some more practice LANDING as well!" she chuckled. The Sun Goddess landed gracefully a short distance away from us.

"Your Majesty!" Rainbow exclaimed and bowed deeply before her.

"Michael, we need to depart for the Castle. You will be able to visit your friends here in Ponyville from time to time, but right now I have more lessons to teach you. I suppose Rainbow Dash can teach you the finer aspects of flight at a later time, but we DO need to return to the Castle." She turned her attention to the cyan pegasus. "I hope you're keeping an eye on the weather, Rainbow Dash."

"Yes, Princess Celestia, I am -- and I'll get back on it right now!" she exclaimed as she took to the sky once again, pummeling stray clouds here and there.

"Michael, since you flew all the way here, I'm sure you can fly all the way back to Canterlot," the Solar Princess smiled at me.

"I'd be tempted to teleport, Celestia, but you are correct. I have to get more flying practice in, and hope I don't end up doing another rolling somersault when I try to land on your balcony again," I responded.

I leaped into the air once again, and this time I was able to fly a bit better. It seemed to get easier with practice, and the rush of the wind around me was quite thrilling as I flapped my wings against the resistance. I tried to fly faster which agitated the Sun Goddess, still trailing behind me.

"Don't go so fast! Save your strength!" she shouted after me.

Truthfully, I felt like a kid who had been given a brand new toy and wanted to play with it as much as I could. I felt myself laughing at the feeling of flying. Celestia's earlier words were proving true -- I definitely did NOT want to give THIS up! It felt way too good and I wanted to keep on flying, but the Castle was already coming into view rather quickly. I gained more altitude to make it to Celestia's balcony once again, then slowed my approach and descent, gliding in on the wind current, flapping my wings to keep myself aloft. I bent my knees to make a landing, but still ended up tripping onto my face. At least I didn't end up somersaulting on the floor.

"I'm going to have to work on landing a bit more," I stated flatly, rubbing my muzzle with my right fore-hoof.

"You can practice more of that later, Michael," she chuckled. "I would like to take you on a tour of the Royal Archives, but I have Day Court to attend to. Would you care to observe the activities of Day Court? You never know when I might ask you to cover for me, should the need arise."

"Your counterpart from the other universe came to me earlier when I was trying to recover from raising your Sun this morning. She mentioned something about needing my assistance to deal with some rogue King and a Crystal Empire," I stated flatly. The Sun Goddess raised an eyebrow.

"Why didn't you apprise me of this situation earlier, Michael? If it's King Sombra she's talking about, you should assist her in whatever way you can. That one is quite dangerous, and dealing with him will be difficult."

"I told her to fashion a crystal heart out of poison joke and feed it to him," I stated. "As well as informing her that after raising your Sun, I felt very tired and needed some time to recover." Celestia glowered at me, frowning.

"I suggest you travel to her realm and deal with that problem properly, Michael. I don't know how well my counterpart can deal with such a dangerous threat, and since you have proven yourself to be quite capable of dealing with these matters, you would do well to assist her and her ponies. Go now, and help them. I will await your return."

Equestria? Earth? What Next?

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when I teleported to the other universe Equestria -- and once again, the time difference threw me off. I was intending to have some words with the Solar Regent for this universe as my internal clock told me the sun should still be up. I teleported to Canterlot Castle to meet with Princess Celestia for this universe, making it to the throne room. I lit my horn for illumination, creating a large ball of bright yellow light, thoroughly lighting the entire room. The throne was empty, so I trotted through the hallways to make my way to Celestia's bedchamber. Since this castle was considerably smaller than the other one in the "good" universe, it took me only about five minutes to make it to the Princess' room. I opened the door to see the Sun Goddess sleeping, breathing lightly as she slumbered. "I wonder how long she's been sleeping," I silently mused to myself. My ball of light caused enough illumination to wake her.

"Who dares disturb my slumber?" she asked loudly. She glanced around to see me standing at her doorway. "So I see you finally decided to show up. What exactly have you been doing for the last several hours? Learning how to fly?"

"As a matter of fact, your Majesty, yes --" I began.

"I want you to show me what you learned from my counterpart -- I want you to raise my Sun for me, or at least show me you can do that."

"I suppose I can give it another try, but as I might have told you earlier, doing so took a lot out of me," I explained. "Did you want me to do that right now? What about that dark King?"

"He's already been dealt with. Show me what you have learned, Michael -- raise my Sun for me!"

"Very well then, your Majesty," I stated flatly as I slowly trotted towards the window door leading to a balcony. I used my magic to search for the Sun, and upon finding it, lifted it gently into place. For some reason or other, in this universe this Sun seemed to be smaller and easier to maneuver into position. Celestia got up from her bed and made her way to stand beside me and checked my work.

"You have done well, Michael. Was it as difficult to do this as it was for my counterpart?"

"Are you sure the suns are equal in size and distance? Doing this here seemed to be much easier for me than in the other Equestrian universe," I said, matter-of-factly.

"Frankly, Michael, I wouldn't know for sure. I would have to consult with my counterpart in that other universe to see if there's any difference. Have you tried flying in this universe yet?"

"No, I haven't. Perhaps I should give it a try to see how it might work here," I offered.

"Then why not show me what you have learned in that regard as well!" she chuckled. I crouched slightly and leaped into the air again, flapping my wings to gain altitude. This also seemed much easier in this universe, and I flew all the way to Ponyville. I decided I wanted to pay everypony a visit, since I hadn't seen anypony except for Twilight and Trixie in this universe since my birthday. As I approached the little town, a bright pink pegasus met me before I made it there.

"Who are ya? What're ya doin' here?" she asked. Her expression was one of surprise mixed with some anger.

"Diane, it's been quite awhile," I replied. "I was running around in Trixie's body for awhile before I was ... promoted," I chuckled. I decided to try to land in front of the Library at this point, so I glided in again. This time, I landed quite well.

"Yer still a rookie at flyin'," she chuckled. "So, yer ... Michael, right?"

"You remembered! Good! I wanted to pay all of you a visit once again -- I haven't spent much time in THIS universe, but I would like to get caught up on all that's been going on here lately."

"Well, things have been pretty calm 'round here since ya helped us defeat Discord," Diane stated.

"Princess Celestia mentioned something about King Sombra," I stated.

"Yeah, but she 'n Twilight 'n Trixie took care of 'im, so ya don't have ta worry 'bout 'im now. So what's it like bein' an Alicorn?"

"Well, I was not happy at first -- I didn't really want this level of power and responsibility -- but I think I'm starting to grow into it. I still need more flying practice, but the sensation is exhilarating!"

"Well, I'm glad ya like it now -- I wonder how fast ya can fly!"

The two unicorns in the Library heard our conversation and exited the tree to meet us. A few pleasantries were exchanged.

"So, Michael, you came back. We were hoping you'd have shown up earlier, but we were able to address the little problem we had," Trixie stated flatly.

"And I do mean 'little'," Twilight chuckled.

"My apologies for a lack of timely appearance -- I had just gotten done raising the sun in the other universe, and it had taken so much of my magic to raise it that I needed to rest and recover. As a matter of fact, I have arrived here now after raising the sun here," I stated with some degree of pride tinging my words. This announcement drew gasps from the assembled group of ponies, who proceeded to bow before me.

"I appreciate your gestures of respect, but that is not necessary right now. Please accept my apology for not being here for you -- my state of fatigue was no excuse for me not to assist you, and for that I am sorry."

The Sun Goddess arrived at this point, gliding in and pulling up for a quick landing. "I accept your apology, Michael. I must admit, I am quite impressed by your abilities. So what do you plan on doing now?"

"Your counterpart in the other universe has more lessons for me, Celestia. I suppose you might be able to provide me with some lessons as well. There was one other matter I was meaning to ask you about -- did Applejack ever get her apple farm back? Last I heard, she was working an orange farm a fair piece away from here."

"Yes, she was given her farm back. The story of how she and her family were swindled out of it made me quite angry, and I felt compelled to address that matter in short order. She and her family now run both farms, employing a number of ponies at both farms to assist with all the necessary work entailed by such a large operation," the Solar Princess stated, smiling gracefully. "I notice you wear a ring on your right fore-leg, Michael. Does this mean you have gotten married?"

"Yes, Princess -- in that other universe, Trixie is now my wife and wears a similar ring on her right fore-leg," I said, beaming a bright smile. "We got married yesterday as a matter of fact."

Trixie hung her head, her ears drooping and tears started to well up in her eyes. "I was hoping you might remember what I had told you earlier, Michael -- I know it is wrong of me to cry over this, and I know I should wish you and my counterpart the best of luck, but to know that it is her you chose still saddens me," the azure mare said sullenly.

"My apologies, Trixie -- I'm sorry to have caused you such sadness. But mark my words -- if your counterpart treats me the way my human ex-wife did for a long enough period of time, I will return for you, and I will make THIS Equestria my home," I stated solemnly.

"Don't hold your breath, Trix," Twilight giggled. "I don't know your counterpart very well, but if she attacked him with all her might and he still forgave her, I think that makes him a little weak -- that, or he was so smitten with her charms --"

"That's enough, Twilight," I said firmly. "I've spent enough time with the other Trixie to know she will never try what she did earlier, most especially since I'm an Alicorn now. Rest assured, any altercations will be settled quickly and firmly. I don't think she wants to mess with somepony who can raise the sun," I chuckled.

"Speaking of your human ex-wife, Michael, have you checked up on her lately? Do you know what she's doing these days? Aren't you curious to know what might be happening on your home world?" asked the Sun Goddess.

"I might be more concerned about the vehicle I magically enchanted about a year ago or so," I stated. "As for my human ex-wife, well ... I seem to recall when I received the divorce decree from her that she wanted me to take her with me, though I only think I might have heard her say that."

"I would be interested in meeting her," Celestia mused.

"I have no interest in seeing her again, and frankly, Princess, if you knew what she was like for real, meeting her would be the last thing on your mind. She was the most psychologically abusive person I have ever known -- though I suppose I could bring her here, though she would have to be transformed into a pony, or maybe a zebra..." I mused.

"If you get that vehicle back, I'd like to go for another ride in it!" Twilight exclaimed almost excitedly.

"I might just do that, Twilight. I think the main reason for me to find that vehicle is so I can prevent anyone from misusing the magic enchantments I placed on it back when I was in a copy of your body. Depending on its location and condition, I may decide to take it back into my possession, though I haven't decided what to do with it at that point. I also believe I might check up on my human ex-wife to see how she's doing. If nothing else, there's a part of me that feels somewhat guilty for having forsaken her, though the way she treated me over the years left me feeling dejected and frustrated."

"I would like to join you, Michael," Twilight offered. "I want to learn something about the human world you came from."

Using my magic, I changed my appearance to resemble something closely approximating my former human form. The sudden transformation caused every pony to recoil in fear, save for Celestia, who raised an eyebrow at me.

"It would have helped had you announced your intention before effecting that change," she admonished me.

"My apologies, Princess, but this is something I must do alone, and in my human form at that. I cannot have any ponies accompanying me, no matter how curious they are about my home world. Sorry to disappoint you, Twilight." The lavender mare showed an expression of slight sadness, then pouted and gave me her best sad puppy-dog eye look.

"I see you can do that as effectively as my new wife," I chuckled. "But I'm sorry, I MUST do this alone." With that, I allowed my aura to glow more brightly and teleported to Earth, and more specifically, San Rafael, California, the place where I last had seen Brenda.

----------------------------------------

I noticed it was late afternoon, the weather quite warm, a light breeze wafting in from the west. There were a smattering of puffy cumulus clouds drifting by lazily in the sky. I knocked on the door of the apartment, or at least the one I though she was in the last time I had been here and some guy answered the door.

"Have you seen Brenda?" I asked him. He glowered at me, giving me a very angry look. His size was quite intimidating, his appearance even more so.

"Who the Hell are you, and what do you want with my wife?" he asked in a very menacing tone of voice.

"I was married to her about a year ago," I stated flatly.

"So what, you want to take her back?" he grinned. He had four gold overlays with a diamond in one on his upper teeth. His breath reeked of meat with burnt onions. I wrinkled my nose in disgust at his halitosis.

"No, sir, I was just wanting to see how she was doing. Since you're her new husband, I will take my leave. I just hope she doesn't drive you up the wall with her attitude. Good luck to you, sir." After saying that, I teleported to the sidewalk leading from the parking lot to the stairway leading up to the second floor level of the apartment building. He stood at the doorway, mouth agape and eyes comically wide in surprise.

At this point, I decided to search for my vehicle's magic signature. Locating it, I teleported to a spot near it after making certain this would not place me in danger. My vehicle had been relocated to a salvage yard, so heavily damaged that I was afraid it could not even be magically repaired. To see the van in such bad shape brought a tear to my eye, but I decided I needed to take it with me, though I wasn't exactly sure why I should.

I scanned the junkyard for another vehicle I could use for supplying additional mass for the purpose of rebuilding my van, levitating it next to the van. Concentrating, I used magic to meld the two vehicles together, then rebuilt the interior of the van, then the exterior, restoring the paint job, the tires and rims, the glass, the trim, and then the interior mechanics, including the engine, transmission, catalytic converter, and everything else that had either been stripped or damaged. I used more magic to bring the vehicle back to life, so to speak. I decided to craft a titanium key for the locks and ignition, one which resembled a key for a previous car I had owned -- an Infiniti Q45. Perhaps I had been thinking too hard about that vehicle, as the new TS took on an appearance vaguely resembling that car.

I think I might have spent too much time admiring the finished product as one of the employees of the salvage yard spotted me and the gleaming new TS. He ran toward me, his expression one of pure rage.

"What the FUCK do you think you're doing?!" he shouted at me.

"Getting my car back," I said nonchalantly, opening the driver's door and getting into the car. I put the key in the ignition and turned it on, cranking the car to life. The new 4.5 liter V-8 rumbled to life, then ran smoothly and quietly. The smell of a new car was invigorating, but that wasn't to last for long. The guy screamed at me to get out of the car, then took a baseball bat to it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," I admonished him. He ignored me and proceeded to swing the bat at the windshield. "Why is it always the windshield first?" I thought. "They never learn, do they?"

"Activating self-defense mode," came a cheery female voice from the car's speakers. The car started glowing purple, enveloping the guy holding the bat with a purple aura. The guy seemed to stop in mid-swing, standing motionless.

"Was that a freeze spell you placed on him?" I asked.

"Yes, Michael -- it will wear off in about five minutes. Where would you like to go?"

"Canterlot Castle, Equestria, if you don't mind," I stated nonchalantly.

"Target destination acquired. Preparing to teleport," came the cheerful voice.

"Just like old times," I silently mused to myself as the car glowed purple again, then there was the familiar white brilliance before the car materialized in the central courtyard of the castle. It was now night-time, the moon high in the sky and thousands of stars twinkling. The chill air registered on the car's display, an ambient temperature of 34 degrees Fahrenheit. Princess Luna teleported beside the car, her expression one of deep puzzlement.

"We have many questions for you, whatever it is you are," the indigo alicorn stated.

I exited the vehicle, turning it off, then placed the key under the driver's floormat before locking the vehicle back up. I then used my magic to transform myself back into my alicorn form. "Luna, I don't know if you've ever seen an automobile before, but that's what this is," I said, pointing a hoof at it. "And the form you saw me in before I changed back is what a male human looks like, to some extent."

"Our sister has been worried about you -- she feared you might have fallen to the dark King, She wanted to teach you how to lower her Sun, but she took it upon herself to perform that duty. She will send for you in the morning, Michael."

I apologized to the Lunar Princess and informed her of my travels and the details regarding my decision to reclaim my vehicle. She was intrigued by my travel back to my home world, but let me know Celestia might be unhappy with my decision to bring the car with me. I told her I was tired and needed to rest -- hopefully I could reunite with my new wife again. Luna let me know Trixie's whereabouts, so I teleported to where she was. She was in bed, sleeping again, her body seeming to twitch and jerk a little as she slept. I think she might have been having a bad dream, so I laid down in the bed next to her, wrapping my wings around her, then drawing her in for a closer embrace. Her tension seemed to disappear as she sensed my presence and embraced me in return.

"I love you, Trixie," I whispered in her ear as I let myself lose consciousness and drift off to sleep.

"Love you too, Sunshine," she mumbled as she wrapped her fore-legs around me.

What Do You Need A Car For?

I was woken out of my slumber by a knocking at the door -- it was still dark out and I was still quite tired from yesterday's events. The knocking grew a bit more impatient as I spent more time than necessary to answer it. I used my telekinesis to open the door to see a rather annoyed Royal Guard unicorn mare glowering at me.

"The Princess does NOT want you to be late!" she admonished.

"Very well then, I am coming. Tell her to keep her shirt on," I grumbled.

"Why should the Princess keep her shirt on when she does not wear one?" the guard asked quizzically.

"That's a turn of phrase meaning that she should not be so impatient," I chuckled.

"This is no time for bad jokes," the guardsmare said stiffly. I followed her to Celestia's bedchamber once again, and was allowed entry.

"Michael, I was worried you might not have made it back, though my sister informed me of your return. I will request you both raise AND lower my Sun for me to demonstrate what you have learned," the Solar Princess stated flatly. She was still laying in her bed, but this time was alone.

I cracked my neck to loosen myself up a little. I was silently hoping to myself that this time would require less effort on my part as I made my way to her balcony. I steadied myself, setting my hooves and prepared my mind for the task at hand. I glanced to the west to see that Luna had already lowered her Moon, so at the very least I wouldn't have to do that. Once again I located the massive orb, sensing its mass and warmth. I allowed my magic to flow through my horn, channeling more magic into it. Gently, I lifted the orb into its position, and even though the effort was somewhat tiring, it was a bit easier knowing what to expect. Not as easy as raising the Sun in the other universe, but not as hard as the previous day's attempt.

Satisfied that I had performed the task, I returned to Celestia's bedside. "I suppose I should ask you to validate my attempt, Celestia. I am not sure if I placed the Sun in the exact location it should occupy," I offered.

The Sun Goddess rose to her hooves and casually trotted to the balcony. Using her magic, she sensed the placement of her Sun and moved it ever so slightly to the left. "You did quite well, Michael, but I will have to teach you the finer points of proper positioning to preserve punctuality for the pony populace. There IS a certain schedule to keep, after all," she chortled. "My sister also informed me that you have procured your vehicle from your human home world. I would like to know what possessed you to retrieve it."

"My purpose in regaining possession of the vehicle was to prevent someone from inadvertently misusing its magic enchantments," I stated. "I also wanted to keep it as a memento of sorts, a souvenir, a reminder of what I once was."

"Perhaps it can be displayed in our Royal Museum," the Solar Princess mused. "I would suspect you have no further use for it as you are able to use magic yourself to perform the same actions as your vehicle, and with better efficiency at that."

"That is true, Celestia -- but the vehicle also plays music through its multimedia system, music which is stored on an internal hard drive disk which holds ten terabytes of storage," I stated matter-of-factly.

"If you returned to your home world to obtain this vehicle, would I be wrong to assume you decided to visit your former wife?"

"I tried to visit her, but it would appear she re-married, as I was unable to see her."

"So it would appear there truly are no ties to bind you to your home world. Did you check the positioning of your Sun for that world? I would suggest you return and let me know if circumstances have changed for your home world if you haven't."

I hung my head to signify that I had not checked on the Sun. "I apologize, Celestia. Please give me a moment to return to my home world so I can find out whether or not my presence there is needed," I said with some disappointment. The Sun Goddess registered my crestfallen expression by giving me a stern look.

I teleported back to Earth to check on the Sun. My landing point was the front yard of the house Brenda and I had once owned -- I hoped my trespass would go unnoticed, but I figured I would only be here for a moment or two. The Sun was still fairly high in the sky, so I decided to see if I could move it with my magic. I searched for it, reaching out, further and further. I continued to scan the reaches beyond the planet, my magic extending further and further still. I could not sense the Sun's location with my magic, so I decided on another strategy.

I teleported to a newspaper stand, but not before I changed my appearance back to a human one, with a nondescript pair of blue jeans and white t-shirt. I picked up a newspaper to see if anything unusual had been printed. Aside from the usual drivel about corrupt politicians and pointless conflict in other parts of the world, nothing extraordinary was listed. I flipped through all the pages of the newspaper and found nothing unusual about the Sun.

"Ya gonna stand there all day, or are ya gonna buy a paper?" the guy behind the counter asked.

I reached into a front pocket of my blue jeans and magically produced a one dollar bill to give the newsstand clerk. "Here ya go," I stated flatly and handed him the bill.

"Thanks, buddy. Seeya around!" he chuckled.

I walked down the street and around a corner before teleporting yet again, this time to the rooftop of a highrise in Chicago. Once again, I searched for the Sun and was unable to locate it. Satisfied that I had conducted a thorough search, I teleported back to Celestia's bedchamber. I transformed myself back into my Alicorn form.

"Celestia, I searched for the Sun in my home world and was unable to locate it with my magic. I suspect that nothing has changed on my home world to require my services there. It is my hope that I will be able to remain here in Equestria with Trixie -- I would like to raise some foals with her, if that's not too much to ask."

"I have some bad news for you, Michael -- Trixie will not be able to carry any foals for you as you are now an Alicorn. When you were still a unicorn, she would have been able to conceive, but your genetic make-up is different as an Alicorn."

I fell to my haunches and held my head in my fore-hooves. I saw the Sun Goddess frown, but it was one of compassion as opposed to one of anger. She trotted over to my side and wrapped a wing around me.

"I know this is hard for you to take, Michael, and I'm sorry this news disappoints you so much. Is it so important for you that you and your wife have foals together?"

"I would like that honor, your Majesty," I said, perhaps a little too hastily. The Solar Princess sighed softly, holding me a little more closely to her with her left wing.

"Trixie was wondering where you were, Michael," she said angrily. "So what honor would you like with the Princess? Is Trixie not enough of a mare for you?"

"Celestia says we can't have foals, as my genetic code doesn't match with yours," I stated flatly.

"Trixie is not ready to be a mother just yet, Michael -- is your desire for her to give you a foal based on selfishness?" she asked, frustration coloring her words. "Trixie wants to know why you and the Princess were holding each other!"

"I apologize, Trixie. I was merely trying to console your husband when I told him the bad news that you cannot carry any foals for him," Celestia offered.

"Trixie thinks that's good news," she chuckled. "Trixie will let Michael know when she is ready to be a mother, and not any time sooner! Michael, come here! Let's return to our room, we need to talk!"

I trotted over to her side as we left the Solar Princess' bedchamber to return to ours. I wasn't sure how much longer we were going to be staying here, but until we were asked to leave, I figured the room would be ours for the time being. I wasn't sure what to expect from Trixie, considering her mood.

I'm a Magician, Not a Housekeeper!

Once we had returned to our room, Trixie used her magic to close the door and lock it.

"Where have you been? Trixie has been worried sick about you! Weren't you supposed to be with the Princess, learning new things? What have you been doing?" she asked, her anger almost palpable.

I told her about my activities, learning how to raise the sun, traveling to the other universe to check up on King Sombra, traveling to Earth to retrieve my vehicle, raising the sun in the other universe, learning how to fly and other things. Her anger seemed to dissipate a little.

"You got your car back?" Trixie grinned. "Trixie wants to go for a ride!"

"We could, if I were to change you and me into humans and teleport to my home world where we could take a nice long drive," I offered.

"Trixie wants to know what it would be like to be a human," she mused. "Trixie is getting tired of having to do scut work around the Castle -- Trixie is a magician, not a housekeeper! Doesn't Celestia have enough ponies to keep the Castle clean, neat and orderly?" she asked out of frustration.

"I will ask Celestia about assigning you tasks more suited to your talents, Trixie, but as long as we're staying here, we have to exchange something to pay for our stay. I'm sorry to hear they decided to make you do such menial tasks."

"That sounds acceptable. Trixie grows impatient with having to stay in this castle, Michael! She wants to go back to what she was doing before -- The Great and Powerful Trixie wants to perform for ponies again -- and she wants YOU to be there for her if things go bad for her!"

"My new responsibilities may preclude me from being able to attend your shows or assist you in that matter, Trixie," I stated flatly. I saw the azure mare's expression turn from one of sadness initially to one of anger. She glowered at me.

"If Michael is unwilling or unable to be there for Trixie, perhaps Trixie made a mistake in marrying Michael!" she exclaimed as her anger seemed to intensify.

"Canterlot is large, Trixie -- perhaps you can perform magic for ponies in various districts of the city -- the food's good here, too, as I'm sure you remember. How about the spa? Remember that? And if nothing else, I'm sure I can arrange for some free time for us to take my car for a ride," I suggested. As I mentioned these things, I saw Trixie's expression soften, then she smiled.

"Trixie remembers the spa -- and she would like such treatment once again -- but how is Michael supposed to pay for it?"

"I suppose I could ask Celestia for some money to do so -- but I'm not sure what I could do to repay her, other than perhaps assisting her with her duties in some sort or other. I have a feeling she wants me to attend Day Court and observe the proceedings -- maybe she wants me to be a stand-in, should she desire a break from her routine," I mused.

"And what makes you think you can handle matters of state?" asked the Sun Goddess as she entered our room.

"Princess Celestia! How long have you been listening to our conversation?" I asked with great surprise.

"Long enough, Michael. If you two would like to go to the spa, I can make arrangements for you both. Michael, indeed it is my desire to have you observe Day Court in my presence -- your estimation that I occasionally need a break is correct, and even though Luna can sit in my stead during Day Court, she finds it rather taxing to do so for an extended period of time. With enough discipline, you should be able to capably demonstrate your knowledge and adeptness at dealing with the issues of politics in Equestria. If you do well enough, I will allow you to remain in Equestria indefinitely."

Trixie gave me a hug when she heard this. I smiled at the Princess and said, "I shall do my best, Celestia."

"I'm sure you will, Michael. I will give you two a small pouch of bits so you two may enjoy yourselves for the rest of the day. Michael, I will need you to return before sunset so you can use your magic to lower my Sun. You have missed two days for that task and I shall not be happy if you make it three."

"What time do you normally lower your Sun?"

"Usually about 6:30 or so. Don't be late."

I turned to Trixie and smiled. "Looks like that gives us about nine hours, Trixie. Celestia, I will be back before six then. Thanks again for your generosity," I said, smiling at the Sun Goddess, who returned my smile with one of her own. She returned to her bedchamber as Trixie and I took a shower and ate breakfast before leaving for the spa.

The treatments for stallions are a little different from those for mares but otherwise not too much. I was surprised to discover that since I was now an Alicorn, granted royalty status, that I was given my treatment for free. I insisted on paying for it, though. The massage included some preening of my wings, a unique feeling if ever there was one! The hooficure was nice, too. I didn't get a mudpack or beauty treatment, but the sauna and hot tub relaxed me further. Trixie met up with me as our pampering was finished simultaneously.

"Trixie keeps forgetting how nice that feels," she said, smiling softly at me.

"You're not the only one," I chuckled. "So, are you feeling a little hungry? Care to get a bite to eat?"

"Yes, but Trixie is not in the mood for Prench today. Pick somewhere else, Michael."

I spotted an interesting looking cafe and motioned for Trixie to follow me to it. Some of the patrons were seated at outdoor tables conversing quietly. A chocolate brown earth pony mare with darker brown mane and tail approached us.

"Table for two, your Majesty?" she asked, bowing before us.

"I am not the Princess, ma'am, but a fledgling Alicorn. Yes, please, a table for two."

"Yes, of course. This way, please," she stated with reverence and seated us at one of the empty tables outside the cafe. She provided us with menus and asked us for our drink preference. I simply requested water and Trixie asked for coffee with a hint of cinnamon. We perused entree choices and gave our orders to the hostess, who once again bowed graciously before trotting back to the kitchen. Our entrees included salad, which was brought out to us first.

"Trixie wants to know how long we will have to stay in Canterlot," she mused.

"You don't like it here very much, do you?"

"Trixie is getting bored here -- she wants to get back on the road -- and she wants you to accompany her on her travels!" she smiled.

"I will discuss this with Celestia -- she still wants me to observe Day Court with her for awhile -- and I believe she wants me to get in more practice on raising and lowering her Sun. We might have to stay here for quite awhile, but I promise you that once we're free to leave, I shall join you on your journeys around Equestria -- and perhaps even into the Crystal Empire -- I would like to visit those lands and the ponies there." Trixie beamed at my statement as our entrees were brought out to us and my glass of water was refilled.

"Trixie is pleased to hear this! Trixie has been working on improving her show -- she can't wait to impress you, Michael!"

"Truthfully, Trixie, I have never seen one of your shows -- I'm sure I will be impressed even if you mess up," I chuckled. Trixie frowned.

"Trixie will NOT mess up!" she pouted.

"Just kidding, lover girl!" I laughed. She blushed partially out of embarrassment and managed to crack a smile.

"Trixie is looking forward to getting back on the road, sunshine!"

"I just hope this learning process doesn't take too long," I mused. We both finished eating and I paid the check, leaving a twenty per cent tip for the hostess.

"She reminds me of a certain human female waitress I remembered from a long time ago," I offered. Trixie gave me a side-long glance.

"What do you mean by that, Michael?"

"It had to have been about 30 years ago or so -- when a friend of mine and I were dining in a restaurant in a town about an hour's drive from my hometown. She was ... impressively built, to be blunt."

"Trixie thinks you should think about Trixie, not some earth pony hostess!" she admonished me.

"Relax, Trixie, you're the only mare I dream about -- I was just stating an observation, not expressing a desire. Regardless of your exterior appearance, I will always love you for who you are on the inside -- and nothing will ever change that, Trixie. I don't want you thinking bad about me please. If nothing else, please remember I love only YOU and nopony else will ever replace you in my heart." The azure mare gave a big smile and hugged me as best she could. "I guess I should resize myself!" I chuckled and used my magic to make myself her size again, then hugged her tightly in return, giving her a light kiss on her muzzle.

"Trixie loves it when you do that!" she grinned. "Tonight, sunshine ..." she whispered in my ear.

Dinner Date

"I see you managed to make it back in good time," the Solar Princess stated calmly. "Please return to your normal size, Michael."

"Yes, your Majesty," I replied. She glared at me. "I'm sorry, Celestia," I stated with reverence, bowing deeply.

"There is no need for such a display, Michael. Please remember that we are equals now and you have an obligation to maintain a level of decorum befitting your new status. I find it somewhat distressing that you continue to act as though you are still subservient to me."

"In a way I am, Celestia -- you have many times my experience and wisdom -- and even if I live ten thousand years, I will still not approach your level of experience and wisdom."

"I'm not that old, Michael!" she chuckled. "I wouldn't have chosen you to be an Alicorn if I didn't see your potential -- which is nearly that of my faithful student's. She is next in line for a promotion to Alicorn status, but I warn you: don't breathe a word of it to her, or I shall be very angry with you."

"Angry enough to revoke my Alicorn status?" I asked, mock surprise coloring my features.

"Don't get any ideas, Michael -- I can do that, but I would also banish you to the Moon for ten years if you did."

My jaw dropped in shock. "I thought you said you couldn't change me back!"

"I lied. But I need you to be able to do my work for me -- I need a break some times, and you're fully capable of doing my job for me. Trust me, Michael, there are different levels of status for Alicorns -- we may be quite powerful, but Solar Regents are the most powerful. Twilight will not be at that level, but she will be close -- and also capable of raising and lowering the Sun as well, though it will be quite taxing for her to do so."

"My lips are sealed, Celestia -- I give you my word on that. I would also like to reiterate my earlier concerns about --"

"What's done is done, Michael -- I have made my decision and you must abide by it -- unless you'd like to spend the next ten years on the Moon."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it, Celestia. I must admit I enjoy flying, though."

"I thought you would," the Sun Goddess smiled. "Now, you remember how to raise my Sun. Lowering it is similar to lowering the Moon, just that the Sun is heavier, of course."

We trotted out to the balcony once again and I used my magic to locate the Sun and lowered it into its resting place until the following morning. This task proved to be a bit easier than I thought it would and Celestia smiled in approval.

"If you'd like, you may return to your unicorn-sized form. I understand Trixie appreciates you being her size far more so than when you're in your standard Alicorn form. Be that as it may, I need for you to be in your standard size when you raise and lower my Sun -- unless you wish to over-channel your magic."

"I take it that over-channeling is bad?"

"That would be an understatement, Michael. You could lose your ability to cast magic or even die if that happened."

"Oh," came my curt response.

"You may return to your room, Michael. I trust you and Trixie enjoyed yourselves earlier today?"

"Very much so, yes, Celestia -- although Trixie has expressed some concern about the duties and tasks she has been asked to perform -- she would like to perform magic and resume her travels around Equestria -- she also desires my companionship so as to dissuade any unnecessary heckling she may face during her performances."

The Sun Goddess smiled warmly. "Of course, Michael. I will see to it that she is assigned tasks and duties that are more in line with her abilities, which should keep her from becoming too bored while you two are guests at my Castle -- and when I feel you are ready to do so, you will be free to accompany your wife on her travels -- though I may request your services from time to time. I believe you will find Equestria to be full of ... very interesting experiences. Your travels will also broaden your horizons, as I'm sure you've only visited Ponyville and Canterlot so far. I would also like to be informed on a regular basis on the progress of your sojourn and how you adapt to Trixie's lifestyle.

"Tomorrow will be your first day observing Solar Court -- I will also request you raise my Sun for me again, as you will need more practice until I'm fully confident with your performance of that task. Until the morning, you are free to do whatever you wish. One other thing -- I would also like to show you the Royal Archives so you can develop an appreciation for the teachings and writings of past scholars -- it will also serve as a learning process for you, Michael. You are free to leave now."

"Thank you very much, Celestia. I must admit to great curiosity about all of Equestria and the Royal Archives. I believe Trixie may be hungry -- I know I am -- so we will head to the dining hall for a bite to eat, then retire to bed. Thank you once again for your hospitality, Celestia," I said and gave a slight bow to the Sun Goddess. She smiled warmly at me as I turned to leave her bedchamber, returned to my smaller unicorn size and made my way down the hallway to our suite. Trixie was laying on the bed, waiting for me.

"Trixie is hungry, Michael -- let's get something to eat," she suggested.

"I thought you might be, Trixie. Celestia has told me she will look into reassigning you and that I will be allowed to accompany you on your travels through Equestria once she feels I'm ready -- I don't know how long that will be, but you'll get to travel again and perform your magic show. I look forward to watching it --"

I was tackle-hugged by the azure unicorn who proceeded to kiss me on my lips. "Trixie is happy to hear that, Michael!" she exclaimed as she continued to kiss me. "I love you, Michael," she whispered in my ear.

"Love you more, lover girl," I whispered in hers. She blushed deeply at that. "C'mon, let's get something to eat."

We trotted to the dining hall, a distance that required a good ten minutes of trotting through hallways and down a couple of staircases. We discussed future plans as we trotted, though I continued to receive stares from some of the ponies who watched us. My guess is that they were somewhat surprised to see a white Alicorn who was no larger than the azure mare, still wearing his regalia and hoof-guards. I softly chuckled as they stared.

"Trixie wants to know what's so funny, Michael," she half-asked.

"Do you see the way the other ponies stare at me? I suspect they think I'm the Princess, but they notice my smaller size and are puzzled by it. I find their reactions somewhat amusing."

"Trixie thinks you're supposed to stay large while in the public eye -- and that your small size should be reserved just for Trixie!"

"You have a point there, Trixie. Give me a moment, please," I stated, and returned to my standard Alicorn size. Some ponies witnessed this and stood with their mouths open, then proceeded to bow before me. Trixie giggled a bit.

"Trixie thinks everypony else is jealous that she was able to marry a Prince!" she chuckled.

We finally made it to the dining hall and took seats next to each other. We ordered our dinner and chatted while we ate. I was quite happy to be able to communicate so freely with Trixie -- I hadn't experienced that kind of love in a very long time, not to mention the fact that this azure mare seemed to complete my happiness whenever I gazed into her eyes. I spent perhaps a little too much time gazing into them while we were eating.

"Michael, what are you staring at?"

"Trixie, I cannot help but gaze into your eyes -- you have made me so happy, I just wish I could have you live as long as I will -- I want you to be with me for a very long time -- far longer than your lifespan will allow."

The azure unicorn hung her head, a tear falling from her eye. "Please don't remind Trixie of her mortality, Michael -- Trixie married you knowing she would not live as long as you, but she knew what she was in for. Trixie simply wanted to push those thoughts out of her mind -- she is more concerned about you, Michael, and how you will feel when Trixie dies of old age. Trixie wants to know if she will be your only true love or if you will find somepony to take her place soon after she dies."

I leaned close to her and kissed her on her muzzle. "Trixie, I will be very sad to see you die -- and it will take a very long time for my heart to heal from that wound. You will always be first and foremost in my heart, Trixie -- I will love you always, long after everypony is but a faint memory in my mind. I will always carry a piece of you with me, Trixie, my love. I just wish you could carry a foal or two for me -- that would complete my life and make me even happier than the day you told me you would be my mare forever."

"Oh, Michael ..." Trixie said very softly. A couple of tears spilled over her cheeks as she nuzzled me. I returned her gesture and softly whispered in her ear. "Trixie thinks she might be willing to carry a foal for you, Michael -- she thinks she might be ready to be a mother now."

"I have been told that you cannot bear a foal for me, Trixie -- but that doesn't mean we can't try!" I chuckled.

"Trixie hopes we can try lots of times!" she giggled, blushing lightly.

"I'm sure we will, Trixie," I laughed, giving her a playful kiss on her lips. She returned my kiss with one of her own.

We finished eating dinner and made our way back to our suite, admiring the decorations adorning the walls and ceilings as well as the ornate designs woven into the carpet. Once we were back in our suite, I returned to my smaller unicorn size for Trixie.

We didn't get much sleep that night.

Escalation and Transformation

It was while I was laying in bed with Trixie, who had wrapped her legs around me, that I started contemplating what Celestia had told me. My body called out for sleep, but my mind was racing. Something inside me started to burn -- I think it was because she had lied to me and casually admitted to it without even bothering to apologize. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. The angrier I became, the warmer my body became. Trixie moved off of me unconsciously, my body heat radiating a bit too much. Beads of sweat had formed on most of Trixie's body, so she instinctively pushed the blanket off. The cool air helped her a little and her breathing returned to normal.

"C'mon, Michael, Trixie wants you to cuddle her some more," she cooed lightly in her sleep.

"There'll be time for that later, Trixie -- I can't sleep," I muttered. She turned over again and started snoring lightly. She curled herself a little tighter, but I ignored her movement. I was seriously wondering how I was going to confront the Sun Goddess -- and the idea of openly defying her was giving me butterflies in my stomach. "I might be a powerful Alicorn, but will my power be enough to defeat her?" I thought. "She lied to you, Michael! What are you going to do about it? Are you going to let her get away with that?"

Time seemed to drag by as I laid in the bed. I leaned over to Trixie and gave her a kiss on her forehead and whispered in her ear, "I hope you forgive me for what I'm about to do. No matter what may come to pass, I will always love you, Trixie."

The words hadn't left my lips more than a minute and there was a knocking at our door. I was being summoned to raise the sun again, but my mood was a thunderstorm. My stomach was in knots and my knees trembled a little as I rose to my hooves to make my way to the Sun Goddess' bedchamber. I only hoped that this would not be the last time I visited her there.

"The Princess wishes to see you in her bedchamber, Michael," came the voice from a female guard from behind our door as she knocked on it once again. I heaved a sigh of resignation as I trotted slowly to the door and opened it.

"Lead the way, please," I stated flatly. My hoof-steps seemed to echo more loudly in my ears as I followed the guardsmare down the hallway, though I was trotting on carpet, which seemed to do a very inadequate job of muffling the sound. I heaved another sigh as we made it to her door. The guard opened the door for me and I entered slowly.

"Something troubling you, Michael?" asked the Solar Princess. She smiled warmly at me in an attempt to comfort me.

"As a matter of fact, Celestia, there is. I have spent last night contemplating what you have told me earlier -- and I am deeply distressed and disturbed by your casual admission of mendacity with regard to an earlier concern of mine." My expression showed no emotion behind the words, though perhaps a slight amount of anger might have been noticeable.

"So I lied to you. I have my reasons, Michael. You shouldn't let that bother you. Now please raise my Sun for me."

"That's just the point," I stated, my anger becoming evident. "You didn't bother to apologize for lying to me -- you just simply admitted it in a very dismissive and condescending manner. That's what offends me more than your desire to have me act as your stand-in from time to time. What also offends me is the fact that you manipulated me into becoming an Alicorn, even though I did not want the responsibility of that status and told you as much."

"The hour grows late, Michael. Raise my Sun for me."

"That's your job, not MINE!"

The Sun Goddess sighed and then rose to her hooves. Silently she made her way to her balcony and very abruptly raised her Sun. The light reflected off her face to show a rather haggard expression, and her displeasure with me was more than evident.

"Your defiance has been noted, Michael. I need a moment to determine an appropriate punishment for your insolence."

"So this means you're revoking my Alicorn status?" I asked.

"Maybe. But given the fact that I forced this on you without your approval -- I was under the impression you were capable of handling such responsibilities. I had assumed, given your potential, that you would make an admirable choice as not just an Alicorn, but a Solar Regent at that. That was why I created that specific amulet you wear as part of your regalia -- speaking of which, I demand its immediate return --"

I removed it with my telekinesis and placed my circlet, torque, and hoof-guards on the floor in front of her fore-legs. "You can keep it, for all I care. I never wished to be an Alicorn -- I was happy while I was still a unicorn, even when I was in a copy of Trixie's body. Trust me when I tell you that I will serve you faithfully as a unicorn, so long as you refrain from openly lying to me again --"

"My actions and motives are my own, Michael, and don't you forget that! I have lived far longer than you, and you cannot hope to comprehend the game I play --"

"Oh, so I am nothing more than a pawn to you --"

"I had intended to make you a much more substantial piece on my chessboard, but if that's the role you are to play, then by all means, feel free to be returned to the status of a pawn --"

"You disgust me, your Majesty," I spat at her.

Celestia chuckled. "I was hoping to get that response from you, Michael. I know your origin -- and I know a great deal about your past -- and I also know a great deal about your home world, and the behavior of your species. You wanted to prove that you were better than a majority of those you left behind, but your behavior has proven to me otherwise. I believe I have come up with an acceptable punishment for you -- I am going to transform you back into your original human form and return you to your home world --"

"NOOOOO!!!" I screamed, using magic to amplify my voice. I was only hoping this might get the attention of Princess Luna, and that perhaps it might bring about her hasty arrival. My guess proved correct as she teleported into her sister's bedchamber. My scream was also loud enough to roust Trixie from her slumber, and she came galloping as quickly as she could into the room.

"Michael, what is the matter?" asked Luna. Her expression was one of worry.

"Would you be kind enough to talk some sense into your sister? She wants to send me back to my home world, and as a human at that. I have nothing left there and no one to help me, either." I witnessed Trixie drop to her haunches at this mention, her ears drooping.

"Tia, what is the meaning of this?"

"It would appear my assessment of our fledgling Prince was ... incorrect."

"Thou wouldst condemn him to his death?"

"Luna, he openly defied me!"

"Michael, is this true?" Luna asked sternly, addressing me with her gaze.

"Luna, your sister admitted to openly lying to me in a dismissive and condescending manner, and failed to apologize for this oversight. Then she expects me to do her job for her --"

"Tia, thou shouldst know that thou mustn't tell untruths to Royalty. He may be a fledgling Prince, but he's still Royalty. Perhaps thou regardeth him as your colt and failed to remember his status as Royalty."

I stood in stunned silence as I witnessed Celestia hang her head in shame. My mouth opened in surprise.

"I'm sorry, Michael. I tried to push too much responsibility on you too quickly. You may have your regalia back, if you wish."

"Your Majesty, I request you return me to my old unicorn self, Amethyst Flame. I do not wish to remain an Alicorn any longer than I absolutely have to. Knowing that you have the ability to reverse the change, I humbly request you do so. NOW. PLEASE."

Luna opened her mouth to protest and Celestia heaved a very heavy sigh.

"Michael, I am extremely disappointed by your decision, but if that is what you wish, then I shall do so. It has been so long since I last had an extended break from my duties, and I was merely hoping that with your potential and intelligence that you would be the one who could provide me with that break."

"When you say 'extended break,' what exactly do you mean?" I asked out of idle curiosity.

"About ten years, I believe. I don't suppose that would be too much to ask of you, would it?" the Sun Goddess asked pensively.

I laughed. Hard. "I suspect for you that ten years is merely a drop in the bucket. For me and Trixie, though -- a decade is a loooong time. Let me make this compromise for you, Celestia -- forgive me, Trixie -- I promise I will provide you an extended break from your duties after Trixie dies of old age -- if I'm allowed to live that long. But until then, I wish to be with Trixie, to accompany her on her travels, to have a few foals with her and help raise them, and live a happy life with her. After that, then I will be happy to serve you as you wish. Does that sound agreeable to you, your Majesty?"

I witnessed both Princesses smile, Celestia smiling more broadly than I had ever seen. The Sun Goddess lit her horn, her golden aura enveloping my body. I could feel myself being transformed, becoming smaller. I looked down at my coat and saw it return to the purple I had worn before my ascension to Alicorn status. Trixie watched in amazement as this transformation occurred. I watched her mouth my name "Amethyst" silently and beamed the biggest smile ever.

"You have seventy years, Amethyst. Use them wisely, enjoy them. Make lots of foals and be happy. And when your seventy years are up, I shall come calling for you, Michael. Do not disappoint me this time."

I turned toward the Sun Goddess and saluted her firmly. "You have my word, your Majesty."

"Trixie is so happy! Thank you so much, Princess Celestia! You too, Princess Luna!"

"Tia, this pleases Us greatly. Trixie? Amethyst? You both are welcome to return to Our Castle any time you wish," the Lunar Princess stated, smiling warmly at both of us.

"Princesses Celestia and Luna -- you both have my sincerest thanks. I believe Trixie and I shall take our leave -- and if you don't mind my asking, where is my car?"

"Your vehicle is in the main courtyard, Amethyst. I trust you will write to me and inform me as events progress?" the Sun Goddess half-asked.

"You have my word, your Majesty. Come on, Trixie, let's be off," I stated, holding her left fore-hoof. She grinned at me as we left the Castle and got into my car. I had the car teleport us to Ponyville so we could have a reunion of sorts. After saying our good-byes to Twilight and the others, I hooked Trixie's caravan to the tow hitch on the back.

"Okay, Trixie, we're off. Where do you wanna go?" I asked, smiling warmly.

"How about Hoofington?" she asked.

"Okay, good. Never been there. Hope it's nice!" I chuckled.

"Oh, you're going to love it!" she giggled.

Off to Hoofington

Did I tell you that Equestria's infrastructure is bad? I mean REALLY bad! In fact, we hadn't even gotten five miles outside Ponyville when we were forced to turn around. I drove the car back to Ponyville and parked it behind the Golden Oaks Library, and unhooked Trixie's caravan. Twilight expressed some degree of curiosity about this.

"Um, Amethyst? Why did you come back?" the lavender unicorn asked.

"The road is so bad that I cannot drive the car on it -- the way I see it, there are two ways -- either we go on hoof or we have the car teleport us from one location to another. The only problem with doing that is that other than some ponies who have seen the car either here or in Canterlot, nopony else has ever seen the car, and they would either freak out over seeing it or try to damage it in some way or other. So I'm leaving the car here for the time being, Twilight. I just hope you can keep it safe for me, if you would, please."

"I'll be sure to protect it for you, Amethyst -- but I must ask you one other thing. How did you change back?"

"A-heh. You might want to ask your teacher about that -- I think you'll find her explanation most amusing. Suffice it to say Celestia and I had a little ... disagreement of sorts. That's why I tried to make our last round of good-byes quick, because even though I want to see much more of Equestria than just Ponyville and Canterlot, there's a part of me that wishes to remain here. I promised Trixie I would accompany her, though, so we have to get going. We've already wasted an hour in the car, and on hoof pulling the caravan it will take the better part of a day or so to reach Hoofington."

"Okay, then, Ammy. Take care, you too, Trixie. Good luck to you both! Please come back soon!"

Trixie and I worked together to pull her caravan -- I had no idea it was so heavy -- and we slowly made our way toward Hoofington. One of the other problems about traveling in Equestria is that there are substantially more dangers to face than on Earth. The worst I had faced on Earth would be a vehicle break-down of some sort or other, or perhaps a flat tire. In Equestria, though, the dangers were far more substantial. Trixie and I chatted with each other as we pulled her caravan. I asked her lots of questions about what she had faced on her travels and she regaled me with several tall tales about facing off against Manticores, Diamond Dogs, Timber Wolves and the occasional Hydra.

"Oh, come on, Trixie -- a Hydra? Really?" I asked in disbelief.

"Oh, well, uh ... Trixie DID run into a hydra!" she protested.

"You DO realize just how big those accursed things are, don't you? I suspect you probably ran away from it as fast as you could. If WE were to face one, well ... I'm not even sure how to deal with it myself!"

"Trixie was in the Everfree Forest when she stumbled upon the sleeping Hydra. Thinking she could best the giant, she readied her strongest spell! Trixie was going to prove herself the strongest and most powerful magician in all Equestria by taking one of the four heads as a souvenir -- but her spell did not work as she had planned. The beast awoke and roared louder than thunder, then chased the Scared and Frightened Trixie until she reached a clearing, whereupon a Zebra mare chanced upon her and allowed her into her hut until the danger had passed."

"Well, we're not traveling through the Everfree, so I don't think we need to worry about running into a Hydra," I stated confidently.

"Well, Amethyst, the Everfree is huge! We're going to be traveling near enough that some of the meaner creatures in there might find us."

"I hope you've been practicing your magic over the past few weeks," I said with a hint of apprehension.

"Trixie hopes you remember some of what you learned as an Alicorn," she said, echoing my trepidation.

"I hope my decision to be returned to my former unicorn self doesn't turn out to be a bad one."

"Trixie hopes she gets to live another seventy years!"

We kept going back and forth with our conversation about hopes and fears for quite awhile. As it turned out, we didn't really have to worry much as we made it to Hoofington about ten hours later. We decided to set the caravan about two miles outside of town so we wouldn't be too easily noticed. It was time to rest -- pulling the caravan had taken a lot out of me and I was dog tired.

We entered her caravan, which oddly enough, was substantially larger on the inside than on the outside. I considered it something along the lines of the TARDIS, the conventional wisdom regarding interior dimensions of that vehicle being somewhat similar to Trixie's caravan. I didn't bother asking her about it as we laid down on a mattress on the floor and pulled a blanket over our bodies. I had a little trouble falling asleep, so I asked Trixie a few questions.

"So what all are we going to be doing tomorrow?"

"We will be visiting Trixie's mother's house. She can't wait for her to meet you!"

"What's her name? What's she like?"

"She is known as Midnight Lulamoon -- Trixie thinks her mother might take a quick liking to you," the mare mused.

"Technically she is my mother-in-law," I stated flatly. "Where I come from, there is a long line of comedians who made light of just how disagreeable some mothers-in-law could be."

"Trixie wants you to be on your best behavior -- please don't embarrass her in front of her mother!"

"I will do my best, Trixie. I just hope she's nice," I offered as I snuggled up to her a bit more closely. She sighed contentedly as I laid against her back, my right fore-leg wrapped around her mid-section. She seemed to fall asleep very quickly like that, as I heard a light snoring coming from her. It took a bit longer for me to drift off to sleep as I was fairly anxious to see what the morrow would bring.

A Most Horrible Dream

A/N: I must warn readers that this chapter contains graphic descriptions of violence and gore, which some may find offensive and/or disturbing. This has also been rewritten as a dream sequence.

Trixie and I chatted with each other as we made our way through Hoofington to her mom's house, which seemed to be on the other side of town from where we had stashed her caravan.

"I hope she has some breakfast ready, I'm starving!" I grinned. "I wonder what she looks like..."

"Trixie thinks her mama will have something ready," she mused.

Before much longer, they arrived in front of a relatively small one-story bungalow painted a light green with a thatched roof and white trim.

"Trixie, how long has it been since you last saw your mom?" I asked with some hesitation.

"Trixie thinks it's been about five years or so since her mama kicked her out of the house."

"Do you think she'll look upon us kindly? If it's been that long..."

"Trixie thinks her mama will be happy to see that she is married now." She knocked on the door with her right fore-hoof. An older very dark blue mare opened the door. She forced a smile upon seeing us, but allowed us inside.

"Midnight Lulamoon?" I asked, maintaining a respectful tone.

"Ah, so my daughter has told you my name. And you are?" she asked, her voice raspy and harsh. I wondered how long she had been smoking as I noticed an ashtray full of crushed cigarette butts.

"I am Amethyst Flame and your daughter and I very recently got married. We happened to be traveling and thought we'd pay you a visit," I offered kindly.

"Please, take a seat," she said, gesturing over to a couch in the front room. "My daughter seems to have good taste in stallions. Amethyst Flame, eh? Cute name."

"Mama!" Trixie protested.

"Well, Trixie, it's been about five years, hasn't it? Why haven't you written? Why haven't you come back sooner?" asked Midnight in a somewhat irritated tone.

"Trixie has written, mama! Don't tell me you never received Trixie's letters? Trixie has been traveling all over Equestria trying to prove herself as being the most powerful sorceress of all -- she has been working to make something of herself!"

"Trixie, dearest, please stop referring to yourself in third person when you are in my presence. I find it very annoying," her mother complained.

"Mama! Trixie -- I -- have been doing that for so long that it takes a great deal of effort for her, I mean, me, to change the way Trixie -- agh! I talk!"

I had to stifle a giggle at Trixie's pained attempts to stop using third person. Midnight appeared a bit more irritated by her oldest daughter's speech pattern.

"Trixie, at least try a little harder. Would you two care for something to drink?"

"Water is fine for me, ma'am," I stated.

"Tr -- I will have some coffee with a dash of cinnamon," Trixie replied.

"Of course. You haven't changed much, have you, Trixie?" her mom chuckled as she entered the kitchen to get our drinks. It seemed like it took longer than necessary for her to return, a glass of water and a cup of coffee in her telekinetic aura. She set the drinks down on the table in front of us and we sipped casually on them, chatting about recent events. For some strange reason, I was starting to feel a little sleepy and light-headed. My vision started to get blurry.

"Y-you p-put ... s-something ... in m-my ... w-wat--" I tried to speak, but fell unconscious onto the floor.

"W-what ... d-did ... y-you ..." Trixie said as she lost consciousness.

-----------------------------------------------

When I came to, I was in a very dark room and couldn't see anything at all. There weren't any windows in the room and there didn't appear to be any light filtering in from a door. Instinctively I lit my horn to cast an illumination spell -- except that when I tried to do that, a sharp shooting pain hit the top of my head.

"Aaa-ow!" I shouted, the pain searing through my skull. I felt some sort of liquid lightly dribbling down my forehead.

At the sound of my cry, the room was suddenly illuminated with an intensity that hurt my eyes. I tried to move my right fore-leg to shield my eyes and found that I could not move it or any of my other legs. I tried to lift my head so I could see what was going on, but apparently my neck had been strapped down to a cold stone table. Strong straps held my legs in place as well, though I couldn't see them.

"Aha! The stallion is awake!" came a raspy female voice.

"Where am I? What's happened to my head? Why does my right flank hurt like that?"

I heard her chuckle a little. "Well, you're in my basement for one thing -- oh, and if you think you're getting out of here, you can get that thought out of your head right now. As for why your head and right flank hurt, well, I've decided to take a couple of souvenirs from you," she said, levitating my horn and a diamond-shaped piece of my coat which featured my cutie mark of four suns. "You have a unique cutie mark -- I suspect it has a great deal more significance than you're willing to admit. It will make a very nice addition to my collection!"

"You're not going to get away with this!" I shouted at her defiantly. "When Trixie finds out about this --"

I was interrupted by derisive laughter. I felt the table being lifted by her magic, now placing me in a vertical position. She rotated the table around to show me something that made my jaw drop -- Trixie's body was laying in the corner nearest the table, her cutie marks cut off in rectangular shape, her horn broken off, a massive puddle of blood around her body, streaming towards the center of the room. As the shock of seeing my new wife's dead body wore off, tears of anger started streaming down my cheeks. I let out an involuntary cry of anguish and screamed her name.

"Trixie found out too late, Amethyst -- she can't help you now," Midnight said very icily.

"What kind of monster are you that you would kill your own daughter?!" I nearly screamed at her. "You killed my wife!"

"Maybe you don't understand what I had to endure, Amethyst. When she turned 18, I told her she was to leave the house and never return. I meant what I said."

"So why kill me?"

"I can't leave any witnesses. There is something else I would like to show you," she said, maintaining her icy tone. She rotated the table again. The wall to my right had a patch-work quilt of cutie marks she had taken from her previous victims. I lost count after about 40 or so. The wall to my left had a display rack with various body parts also taken from said victims. I saw about 20 unicorn horns and at least 10 pegasus wings. Apparently she had killed a griffon as well, as I saw what appeared to be the wings, claws, beak and tail of some large bird-like creature. A bit further back, but still easily visible was a large white canvas that had several statements on it. I silently read them for a moment before a fresh shock hit me. My mouth opened again, my eyes going as wide as they could, the pupils diminishing to pinpricks.

"Yes, you're going to die, Amethyst. Don't beg me for mercy, don't ask me to let you go, don't do anything to make me any angrier than I already am."

I couldn't help but whimper and cry Trixie's name a couple of times.

"You say her name one more time and I'll cut your tongue out! You like that?" she growled at me. "And the same holds true for ANY of those statements on the canvas back there!" As she said this, she had a rather large knife in her deep blue aura. She moved closer to me, to my left side facing me. She stood near my midsection, using the table to balance herself on her hind legs. I followed her gaze down to ... oh no. Not that...

"Please ... Please ... No ..." I whimpered.

In a fit of rage, she screamed nearly as loud as she could. Using her telekinesis, she pulled my jaw apart and my tongue out as far as it would go. She made the knife slice about half my tongue off, blood spattering on her face as she cut it off. I tried to scream as the pain overtook me, my tears streaming down my cheeks like rivers of sadness and pain.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO BEG!!" she screeched. The knife flicked across my face a few times just for good measure, inflicting large gashes in my cheeks, ears and muzzle.

"AAAAH! AAAAAAAHH!" was about all I could spit out as my mouth filled with the blood from my severed tongue. I coughed a few times to keep from choking on my blood.

"The reason I'm not going to tear your eyes out ... just yet ... is that I want you to see everything I'm going to do to you!" she cackled. She took a cleaver from out of somewhere and lined it up with one of my hooves. There was a part of me that wondered if that would allow me to slip that leg from out of the strap holding it down after she chopped it off, but the straps were so strong and secure that the leg in question would remain secured even after she chopped its hoof off. I watched in horror as the cleaver was brought down with immense force and completely severed the hoof of my right rear leg. I wailed as loudly as I could, though doing so caused more blood to choke me. I coughed and sputtered to expel the blood, which flowed down the front of my body.

Almost as an afterthought, she took the other knife in her aura and cut off my glans, causing me to emit a high-pitched shriek of extreme pain. Blood gushed from this wound, making a large puddle on the floor under my body. The blood loss was starting to make me feel very faint at this point and I lost consciousness again, my body going into full shock.

"Somepony help me please," was the last thought that ran through my mind before my spirit departed my body. I could only watch helplessly as she took another knife and plunged it into my heart and pulled it out just as rapidly, causing a massive spray that seemed to cover everything in the room. My lifeless body spasmed and jerked wildly as the muscles contracted violently. The deep blue mare cackled in maniacal glee at having brought about the deaths of two more ponies.

-----------------------------------

"Luna, did you just feel something happen? I believe I might have heard a cry for help," the Solar Princess stated with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Tia, We felt this disturbance just as you have and We have heard his cry," she stated solemnly. "I was trying to warn you against granting our fledgling Prince his desire. It would appear he has been lost."

"Luna, we must find him if we can. Let us start in Ponyville -- I believe Twilight may know which direction he and his wife chose to travel."

The Royal Sisters immediately teleported to the Golden Oaks Library to meet with Twilight. Rather impatiently, Celestia tapped on the front door several times.

"Princess? It is unlike you to knock so hard so many times," said the astonished librarian. "Both of you? It must be something VERY important!"

"Indeed it is, Twilight. We need to know where Amethyst and Trixie chose to go -- we feel something truly terrible has occurred," the white Alicorn stated, trying to mask her concern as best she could.

"Um, he said something about Hoofington," Twilight replied. "What do you think may have happened?"

"Twilight, We would like you to accompany Us," the Lunar Princess requested.

The three of them then teleported to Hoofington, where Twilight spotted Trixie's caravan. The three of them then inspected the caravan to find it empty.

"There are still traces of their magic here," Celestia observed. "I shall search to find the most recent location of the magic signature."

They teleported yet again, this time stopping at the front of Trixie's mother's house.

"The trace leads here," Celestia stated flatly. "They must be inside somewhere."

Princess Luna knocked on the front door and waited. Moments passed with no answer. Celestia then knocked on the door.

"Open up, whomever it is who lives here! Princess Celestia commands it!"

A few more tense moments passed and there was still no answer. Princess Luna exhaled sharply and used her magic to blow the door off its hinges.

"Luna, was that strictly necessary?" asked her sister.

"We felt that the matter was of such importance that any further delay --"

"Enough, Luna. You have made your point. Hello? Anypony in here?"

An eerie silence filled the front room, but the first thing that caught the attention of them was a spilled glass of water and cup of coffee. The scent of cinnamon from the coffee told Twilight exactly who had been drinking it.

"Trixie was here," Twilight observed. "And I'm pretty sure Amethyst was with her as well."

While the three were pondering the next course of action, the sound of a door being opened further inside the house caught their attention. They waited for a moment to see a blood-spattered dark blue unicorn mare enter. As soon as she saw the Royal Sisters, she froze, her eyes going wide as saucers.

"Who are you?" Celestia asked her. "Are Trixie and Amethyst Flame here?"

"Um ... your Majesty ... I am ... Trixie's mother, Midnight Lulamoon," she replied, hesitation and fear coloring her words.

"Where are they?" asked the Lunar Princess. The blue mare turned her head to her left, as if to look behind her. The Royal Sisters observed this faint motion of her head and proceeded in that direction. In the kitchen, there was a door leading down into the basement. Twilight followed, but was turned back by Luna upon making this grisly discovery.

Princess Celestia emerged from the basement, her expression one of bewilderment. In a sense, she looked as though she were about to vomit.

"I have been alive for a very long time, yet I have never seen such a grotesque display of cruelty," the white Alicorn stated, her words almost shakily coming out of her mouth. Luna glared at the dark blue mare, who was now trembling and cowering in fear.

"Midnight Lulamoon. You are under arrest for the murders of your daughter, Trixie Lulamoon, and her husband, Amethyst Flame," Celestia stated firmly. Using her magic, she removed the dark blue mare's horn and bound her. "Luna, we will need to retrieve the bodies, and identify the cutie marks of those whom she has killed previously."

Twilight was about to enter the basement to see the sight for herself, but was abruptly stopped by the Lunar Princess.

"Twilight, We feel it is best you not see what that room looks like. Verily, the sight turns OUR stomach, so We can only imagine your shock at seeing such brutality."

"Yes, Princess. How bad is it?"

" ... We'd rather not say. Even describing it ..." Luna began, but let her words trail off as freshly reminding herself of the horror made her wince yet again. "It is best not to think about it, Twilight. They will receive a proper funeral."

---------------------------------------

A forensics team was sent to the house to collect the remains of Trixie and Amethyst, along with the cutie marks and body parts of Midnight's previous victims. A state funeral with full honors was held in Canterlot for the newlywed couple who had been so brutally murdered by her mother, who had been placed in a cell in the Dungeon to await her certain execution.

In all, Midnight had killed 48 ponies and a Griffon, who had yet to be identified. Her execution was carried out three days later.

Meeting Midnight

"Aaaaahhh! AAAAAAHHH!" I woke up screaming, startling Trixie something terrible.

"What? What is it?" she asked, trying not to sound as terrified as me.

"Bad dream ... about ... your mama," I said shakily. I noticed it was still dark outside.

"Turn over, Amethyst, Trixie will make it all better for you," she cooed. I rolled over onto my left side and she cuddled me from behind, resting her right fore-leg on my barrel. She slowly lowered her hoof further down my body to try to ease some of my tension, though where she went with that hoof of hers made me forget all about the bad dream.

We woke to the sun's rays beaming in through the window of the caravan, so we decided to get up and get going at that point. Trixie suggested leaving the caravan a couple of miles outside of town before going to meet her mother and I tentatively agreed.

"We can bring the wagon back in when Trixie is ready to do her show," she stated.

"It just seems like a duplication of effort," I protested mildly.

"Trixie has her reasons," she said flatly.

We began trotting through Hoofington, receiving a few harsh stares from some of the townsponies who recognized one of their more infamous residents. Trixie noticed this, as did I, but she told me to pay them no mind. Presently we arrived at Trixie's mother's house, a relatively small one-story bungalow painted light green with white trim. The roof of the house, like so many others, was thatched grass.

"Trixie, if I had known your mom was all the way on the other side of town, I would have recommended parking your caravan on that side," I stated with some exasperation.

"Trixie does NOT want to be seen pulling her caravan through town! It's bad enough that she gets stared at by so many ponies around here and Trixie does NOT want to cause any trouble!" she exclaimed, her level of exasperation nearly matching mine. An older chubby dark blue unicorn mare stuck her head out of a front window to hear who was talking so loudly and spotted us. She opened the front door to greet us.

"Trixie! It's been five years!" her mother exclaimed excitedly, giving her a big hug. She glanced in my direction and addressed me. "Well, who do we have here? A fine young stallion, if I do say so myself!" she grinned.

I returned her grin. "Ma'am, Trixie has told me your name is Midnight, if I'm not mistaken. My name is Amethyst Flame, pleased to make your acquaintance," I said, offering my right fore-hoof.

"My, my, and such good manners, too! Well, Amethyst, my daughter told you correctly, I am indeed Midnight Lulamoon! And the pleasure is all mine, my dear! Please, won't you two both come inside?" she asked, an almost unmistakably sultry tone to her velvety voice. There was a part of me that wondered how much older she was than her daughter, but it is impolite to ask any female her age, regardless of whether or not she is human or pony.

"I would be delighted, ma'am. Trixie?"

"Trixie is coming, don't rush her, please," she replied tersely.

"So, Amethyst, why are you with my daughter?" she asked as she took a seat in a chair in the front room. She motioned for us to sit on the sofa near the chair she was sitting in.

"Ma'am, Trixie and I just got married less than a week ago," I said, smiling warmly at my new wife, who seemed to be frowning.

"Is that right? Well, congratulations! I was wondering when Trixie was going to find her special somepony," she grinned. Trixie seemed to flinch at this subtle jab.

"Trixie is very happy with Amethyst, mama. She knew she would find her stallion one day."

"And how did the two of you meet up? Amethyst, would you mind telling me about yourself? Where you came from? What you do for a living? And what possessed you to marry my daughter?"

Her last question caused me to give her a side-long glance as I scrunched up my face for a quick second. "She likes to play too much," I thought to myself. "Ma'am, this is a fairly long story -- do you have time?"

Trixie gave me a very pained look as if to ask me not to go into extensive detail, so I tried to keep it short. I told her about spending my birthday night at Rarity's boutique in Ponyville, having a bad dream and galloping back to the Library where I had a special vehicle waiting for me and running into Trixie that night, offering to have her accompany me on my travels. I continued with my explanation, but her mama appeared to lose interest in my story, so I stopped.

"Ma'am, if you don't mind, may I have a glass of water? I'm rather thirsty," I stated.

"Of course, Amethyst. Trixie? Do you want anything?"

"Just a coffee with a hint of cinnamon, mama."

Midnight left the room and headed into the kitchen to fetch our drinks. While she was gone, Trixie glared at me in disapproval.

"You don't need to tell my mama everything, Amethyst. We have a show to perform later, and Trixie does not want to do her show in the dark."

"Very well then. I'll wrap this up when she returns," I stated.

"Here you go, Amethyst, Trixie. So how did the wedding go? How about the honeymoon?" she grinned.

"You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you the Queen of the Changelings was impersonating Trixie, and in the process of defeating her, I was transformed into an Alicorn."

The dark blue mare gasped in astonishment. "But ... if you were an Alicorn, why aren't you now?"

I chuckled at her question. "Princess Celestia and I had a little disagreement, and I requested a change back. I feel I am much happier as a unicorn, and I believe Trixie is happier to have me being close to her size. As an Alicorn, I was nearly as big as the Sun Goddess herself -- and while that had its advantages, it also carried with it far more responsibility than I felt confident in handling."

"You know, dear, if I had been given such a gift, I would never have returned it! You astound me, Amethyst!"

"However, Celestia told me that I will be going back to being an Alicorn in about seventy years." Trixie shot me a look. "Sorry, Trixie."

"What do you mean by that?" her mama asked, some irritation in her voice.

"It would appear that I have been given a very long lifespan, regardless of whether I'm a unicorn or an alicorn. Unfortunately, that means I will most likely outlive Trixie, even though we'll be together for seventy years ... I hope. It is my desire to provide you some grand-foals, if that's not a problem with you."

Her expression became much brighter at this mention. "Oh, I would simply love to see any foals you two may have! Amethyst, I trust you will take good care of my Trixie -- don't make her sad, for me, please."

"I will do my best, though there will be times when we have our disagreements," I stated solemnly.

"I understand -- Trixie's father and I had many such disagreements before he left and never returned," mused Midnight.

"Mama, we have a show to put on -- we need to get going!" Trixie said impatiently as she rose from the sofa. She motioned for me to follow her as she made her way to the door.

"Very well then, Trixie, I won't keep you waiting any longer. Please write, and if you're staying in town for awhile, please visit more frequently."

"Yes, mama."

"Nice meeting you, Midnight. I hope we might see you again soon," I offered as I followed Trixie out the front door.

"Don't be a stranger -- come back soon, please!" she said as she waved us off.

We trotted back across town to retrieve her caravan so we could set up the show in the town center.

Amethyst to the Rescue

We pulled the caravan into the center of Hoofington, much to the consternation of the townsponies. Some of them threw tomatoes at us from their windows as we passed along a residential street.

"We could always turn back, you know," I offered. A tomato landed on the ground in front of my right hind leg as somepony shouted at Trixie to get out of town.

"You are here with Trixie! You promised to protect her!" she protested as a tomato hit her left hind leg. More tomatoes hit her caravan, making thumping noises as they hit their target. The cobblestones grew slick and pulling became somewhat more difficult. Presently we arrived in the town square and set up the stage.

"I've got a bad feeling about this, Trixie," I stated with some apprehension. A crowd of ponies was starting to gather, many of them with angry expressions on their faces.

"The show must go on, regardless," she responded. She went behind the red curtain of her stage and made her entrance. I stood off to the right side of the stage to gauge the crowd's reaction. Quite a few of them already had lettuce and tomatoes ready to hurl at the show-mare. She then made her appearance on the stage in front of her audience.

"Ladies and Gentlecolts, prepare to be amazed by the magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie!" she shouted, lighting off an intense pyrotechnic display. She proceeded to produce flowers from seemingly out of nowhere and showered the audience with them. Before she could get any further, though, the audience started hurling tomatoes and lettuce, loudly booing her with as much gusto as they could. I used my magic to erect a barrier to protect her from their projectiles. One of the audience members noticed me doing this and asked me why.

"Because she is MY WIFE," I stated loudly. Some of the closer ponies perked their ears in my direction.

"Shouldn't you be on the stage with her? Get up there and take your medicine!" one of them shouted at me. I teleported onto the stage beside Trixie, who had lost her concentration because of how loud the booing was. I glared at the ponies, who seemed to stop for a moment.

"You now gaze upon the Awesome and Astonishing Amethyst!" I shouted at them. "The Great and Powerful Trixie is MY WIFE!" I lit up a massive pyrotechnic shower, which then turned into candy and rained down upon the audience. Some picked up the candies and tasted them, applauding at the display.

I turned to Trixie, who grinned at me. "Give 'em candy, and they'll be eating out of your hooves," I said to her.

"How did you do that?" she asked me.

"I picked up a few spells from Twilight," I grinned. The audience started to grow restless again, so Trixie tried to perform some more of her magic. For some reason or other, they weren't interested in what she did, so I decided to try something else. I persuaded Trixie to work in tandem with me juggling fiery orbs between us using our telekinesis. We steadily increased the number of flaming balls until there seemed to be too many to count. I saw Trixie strain from concentration, so I turned the orbs into hoofballs, gently lobbing them towards the audience, which drew some more applause. Of course, armed with new weapons, they were readied once again.

"Everypony who has received a hoofball, I want you to throw them all at once towards me!" I shouted at them. There were gleeful shouts and laughter as the balls were hurled towards the stage. I used more magic to turn them into birds, which flew away into the sky. Trixie glowered at me.

"How dare you show Trixie up on her own stage? Some husband YOU are!" she exclaimed indignantly. I decided to play along to see how the audience might react.

"Your magic is far better than mine, Trixie, I could never hope to show YOU up!" I stated in mock surprise. The audience chuckled.

"Trixie will show you just how much better her magic is than yours!" she shouted at me, grinning as she almost instinctively knew what was going on. She created a bouquet of flowers. "Come over here and smell them!"

I trotted over to take a moment to smell the flowers, whereupon a gush of water issued forth from them, splashing my face. The audience chuckled again at this display.

"Thou hast offended me, thou brazen witch!" I shouted at her, trying to stifle my laughter. "Open this can of toffee!" I said, giving her a long cylindrical can with a metal top to it. She opened said can and a pair of green cloth covered springs ejected themselves from the can, eliciting a gasp of mock horror from the show-mare. She retaliated by slapping a cream pie in my face. I created a rain cloud to wash my face off, then moved it over Trixie and doused her with water. At this point, the audience was roaring with laughter.

"Amethyst! They're not supposed to be laughing at Trixie!"

"If you make them laugh, they'll love you, girl! That's why I chose to change the show into a comedy of sorts. Look, they're tossing money up on the stage!"

"You two make a great pair! Do you have more?" asked a tan stallion at the front of the stage.

I turned to Trixie. "I'm going to show them something really impressive, Trixie -- I'm going to change both our appearances simultaneously. I hope you're willing to let me do this for you -- the effect will only be temporary."

"As long as you don't hurt Trixie, she is ready."

"Ladies and gentlecolts, feast your eyes upon my greatest of magic tricks!" I shouted to the audience. I lit my horn, levitating myself and Trixie above the stage, ascending to a height of about twenty feet. She started panicking and I told her to remain calm. Using a different spell, I changed the color of our coats to pure white, then made a pair of wings grow out from behind our withers, then made our manes and tails appear to billow in an ethereal fashion as I slowly lowered us back to the stage. The audience was wowed, to say the least.

"Michael, what have you done?" asked the show-mare.

"Here, take a look at the new you," I chuckled, creating a mirror so she could see. She gasped in astonishment.

"Y-you made ... Trixie ... a p-princess?" she asked.

"Only temporarily. It will wear off in about five minutes," I replied flatly.

"Will you do this for Trixie in each town we perform together?"

"But of course, it will be part of the act."

Trixie turned her attention to the audience, who appeared to be bowing before us. She used her magic to amplify her voice. "The Great and Powerful Princess Trixie commands your respect!" she exclaimed, her voice reverberating throughout the town square. The audience members began bowing even more deeply for her.

"You may rise," I stated loudly to the audience. "That concludes our show for today. Please show your enthusiasm by donating whatever you think is fair for our performance, and thank you once again for coming to see our show!"

As the audience dispersed, a good many left bits on the stage for us to collect. Five minutes later we reverted to our original forms and none of the audience remained as they went about their daily activities. I collected the money and put it into a pouch and helped Trixie reconfigure her stage back into the caravan.

"Amethyst, I had no idea you could do THAT!" the show-mare grinned. "Trixie loves being a Princess!"

"I thought you might like that. So where are we off to now? Maybe we should stock up our supplies before we head off to the next town."

"Trixie thinks that's a good idea -- we should head to Baltimare next, but it will take a few days to get there."

Unexpected Sickness

Trixie seemed to enjoy having me perform on stage with her and our revamped magic show got similar responses in each town we visited -- and as it turned out, news was spreading faster than our travels were taking us. As a result of the positive word of mouth, we would be greeted very warmly in each town we visited. Another pleasant surprise was that the amount of money we were collecting for our performances continued to increase, thus allowing us to save a fair amount of it for unexpected emergencies. Trixie's self-confidence likewise increased with our popularity, but about a month or so into our travels, she started complaining about being sick every morning.

"Amethyst, what's wrong with me? Why do I feel sick like this?" the show-mare asked. Before I could answer, she had trotted away from the caravan to expel the contents of her stomach in a nearby bush.

"I think you might be pregnant, Trixie," I stated.

"WHAAAAT?!"

"Don't tell me Trixie is not ready," I chuckled.

"NO! Trixie is NOT ready!"

"Perhaps we should see a doctor," I suggested.

"Trixie will take care of this on her own! She does NOT need a doctor!" she protested vehemently.

"We're not far from Manehattan -- I heard that there are some really good doctors there -- and I want only the best for you, Trixie!" I smiled warmly at her.

"Trixie knows you mean well, Amethyst, but she is scared of doctors, especially if she is p-pregnant," she said somewhat nervously.

"Okay, Trixie, we'll hold off on seeing a doctor until you feel the need to. Since we're fairly close to Manehattan, is that where we're going next?"

"Trixie thinks that's a good idea -- let's go to Manehattan!"

"You know, if we're going to be performing in Manehattan, we'll have to come up with something big to really wow them there. I believe they have become jaded on simple traveling magic shows, so there needs to be something really spectacular to impress the daylights out of them."

"Trixie can think of many things to do that -- but what about you? Your Alicorn spell seems to impress the locals every time you do it!" she exclaimed, a hint of disbelief still coloring her words.

"Like I told you before, it's a glamour -- something you should be able to do fairly easily."

"But the levitation thing! And doing the Alicorn spell at the same time!"

"Twilight said something about cross-disciplinary multi-casting, do you remember?"

"Trixie has done magic like that before, but not on that large a scale!"

"Well, you just need to practice it some more, then -- eventually you'll get really good at it. I think I've got an idea to try for our next show," I mused.

We continued chatting as we traveled that day, making our way slowly towards Manehattan. I noticed an odd chill in the air as we approached what appeared to be a natural stone bridge. Upon closer inspection, we saw something shimmering under the stone bridge.

"What is that, Amethyst? Trixie has never seen anything like it before."

What greeted our eyes was what appeared to be a vision from my human home world -- a four lane highway under a freeway overpass and in the distance were fast food restaurant logos on long tall metal poles. A certain red trapezoid with a pair of stylized parabolas in yellow meeting in the center forming a makeshift letter "M" caught Trixie's eye.

"I don't believe this. It's human culture at it's worst, Trixie," I groaned.

"Trixie is curious to know about it," she mused. "Trixie wants to see it for herself!" she exclaimed as she excitedly tried to pull me along with her caravan towards the vision.

"Trixie, stop. I think it's a trap -- I think somepony is trying to bait us into going through there. Let me try something," I stated cautiously as I telekinetically picked up a small rock and hurled it at the vision. Ripples spread outward from the rock's impact point, like concentric waves in a pond. The vision blurred, then shattered into thousands of shards, seemingly exploding from the impact point. I forcibly pushed us down to the ground with my telekinesis to avoid both of us being cut. A few of the shards embedded themselves into the front of the caravan, about where our heads would have been.

"Trixie wants to know how you knew that was a trap!"

"Somepony probably read my mind and erected that vision as if to have me think, 'Hey, a hamburger from Mickey D's sounds like a good idea right about now'."

"Mickey D's? What's that?"

"It's a restaurant that serves sandwiches made with dead cow meat and dead chicken meat, although the quality of said foodstuffs is dubious at best. Since I haven't eaten meat in several months, I believe the taste would be ... most unpleasant."

My explanation appeared to have Trixie on the verge of disgorging the contents of her stomach yet again as I saw her face change a couple of different shades of green.

"Trixie is glad we did not go there."

"Indeed. If it had been a trap, who knows where we might have ended up? I think we need to be a bit more vigilant on our travels."

Trixie nodded her head in agreement and we silently continued on our way, now paying a bit more attention to our surroundings as we traveled. We continued onward towards Manehattan and arrived about a day and a half later.

Manehattan Calling

The City of Manehattan is HUGE! Having never been there, I was wowed by all the sights. Trixie merely took it in stride, though.

"Don't tell Trixie you've never seen Manehattan before, Sunshine!" she giggled. I was agog, trying to take it all in. My mouth hung open in awe of the sight.

"I've been to Chicago many times, but Manehattan has it beat, dead to rights," I stated softly. "Back on my home world, this place was sometimes referred to as New York City, with five boroughs of Manhattan, Staten Island, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. I think Long Island was considered part of the city as well."

"Trixie does not quite understand, but you said a name that sounds like this city's name. What do you remember about it?"

"Manhattan was where the city's financial center was located, along with the most expensive real estate in the country. New York City was the most populous city in my home country, having nearly eight million people living there."

"That's too many people! Trixie seems to remember what you and your human wife looked like -- eight ... million ..."

"Try not to think about it too hard, lover girl," I said, nudging her lightly with my left fore-hoof. Hearing the pet name I gave her made her chuckle lightly as we pulled the caravan into the city. We passed by residential areas and set up in a nearby clearing which served as a local park for this area. We had expanded the show to include more comedic elements to it, adding more co-operative magic displays, but the thing that seemed to draw the best audience response was when we got wet, usually by either me or Trixie summoning a rain cloud and dousing each other, then a small tornado to "blow-dry" the water off, leaving the mane and tail a poofy mess.

We traveled around Manehattan performing our act for quite a few different neighborhoods before we were approached by a pair of unicorns accompanied by a pair of pegasi, all four of whom were wearing nice suits. The leader of this group was a lime-green unicorn mare, her mane and tail a paler shade of green with a red and magenta streak running the length. Her mane and tail had been curled over to resemble Rarity's.

"Are you Trixie and Amethyst? I am Emerald Twist. My associates and I are representatives of the Manehattan Magic Performers Alliance. We have heard about your shows and were interested in having you compete in a contest we will be holding in about a week or so," she offered.

"Trixie is interested. Please continue," the azure unicorn stated.

"A competition, eh? This wouldn't happen to be the famed 'Manehattan Display' I've heard about, is it?" I asked, a smile crossing my lips.

"Oh, so you have heard about it?" Emerald asked, a little surprised. Trixie gave me a look of surprise as well.

"Amethyst, how do you know about the Manehattan Display?" Trixie asked me.

"I've heard about it from various sources, though I don't know much about it. Truth to tell, I heard you mumble something about it in your sleep, Trixie!" I grinned.

"Trixie has wanted to compete in that event, but never had a partner to help her -- and she has been very busy with her magic show to worry about such a contest."

"Trixie, would you like to stay in Manehattan a bit longer so we can test our skills in the contest?" I asked her.

"Yes, Trixie would like that very much!" she grinned.

"We were hoping you two would be willing to participate -- we have seen one of your performances, and I will admit that I am quite impressed by the display of magic and comedy you two put together. How long have you two been performing like this?" Emerald asked.

"We've been traveling for a couple of months, Miss Emerald," I stated, a hint of excitement in my voice. "Thanks for the compliment -- we've mostly been improvising, adding new elements so we can give our audience a better performance."

"Very well then. Here are two tickets for the event -- you will be staying in a hotel not far from the stadium where the competition will take place. The contest starts in eight days -- We suggest you spend them practicing your skills. Good luck to you two!" the green unicorn said, smiling. She then turned to her associates and they left as a group, returning to the carriage which had brought them to watch our most recent performance.

I checked the information on the tickets, noticing the location was on the other side of town. We were still touring around the south side of Manehattan, and the hotel and stadium for the contest was a bit north of mid-town. I figured it was going to take about six hours for us to pull the caravan there, which meant we could hit a few more neighborhoods before going to the hotel. We decided to improvise our act a bit more, adding a few more wrinkles to it. What had initially started out as an act that lasted about ten minutes for each performance was now up to a good half-hour, though we knew we could improve on it further if we felt the need to.

We packed up the caravan after four more days of performances and pulled it to the hotel we would be staying at during the competition, though we had decided to check in a couple of days early. We paid for the two extra days out of our savings, which had grown to over 5000 bits over the course of our travels. We decided to use those two extra days practicing our magic and improving our co-ordination. We treated ourselves to some excellent food, making sure not to overspend on it. We shared a bed each night, embracing each other tightly as we slept. Trixie was still having some morning sickness, but it was not as severe as it had been. During the week-long contest, her morning sickness abated.

The contest itself was divided into several parts, each one testing our ability to think on our hooves, our ability to co-ordinate our use of magic, the strength of our skill, the ability to cast several different types of spells at once, the endurance of our magic, and the ability or lack thereof to work together. Trixie and I were one pair of eight to compete in the various stages of the contest. Three pairs of contestants did not finish, one pair was disqualified, leaving just four pairs who succeeded in completing the contest. There were certain events in which Trixie and I shone, doing remarkably well and finishing in first place. There were a few other events which proved to be so unpredictably difficult that despite our best efforts, we came up short, and in one particular instance, we performed very badly. When the final tally was announced, Trixie and I had won second place, missing first by just ten points. Trixie was severely disappointed by the results and I tried to console her as best I could.

"Look, Trixie, we can come back next year and try again -- second place isn't bad, considering we had never competed in such a complex contest before," I said softly.

"Second place is for losers, Amethyst. Trixie does not want to be seen as a loser!"

"That just means we have to practice more and train harder for next year, then. Consider it a challenge to improve upon what you already know! I know I will try harder myself."

We returned to our room to collect our things and checked out of the hotel. As a prize for finishing in second place, we received a trophy and a cash amount of 500 bits. We packed up the caravan and resumed our travels, vowing to return to Manehattan the following year to compete once again and finish in first place next time.

"Okay, Trixie, where to next?" I asked as we pulled the wagon once again, leaving Manehattan behind.

"Trixie thinks Las Pegasus would be a good idea," she offered. My face dropped at that mention.

"Uh, Trixie, that's gonna take us a month to get there!" I said in exasperation.

"Do you not think you can make it, Amethyst?" she grinned.

"Well, I know I can, and I've always wanted to see Las Pegasus ... I guess if that's what you want, we can go there," I offered somewhat dejectedly. The caravan never seemed heavier to me than at that point, though I was sure that after a month of pulling it across Equestria was going to have me feeling drop-dead tired by the time we made it to Las Pegasus.

A Stop-over in Ponyville

The trek to Las Pegasus took us back through Ponyville about a week after we left Manehattan. Word of our performances elsewhere had managed to filter back to town, so when we pulled the caravan in, we were practically given a hero's welcome. I was astonished by how well received we were, and Twilight and the others were quite excited to see us as well. We pulled up by the Library and I noticed my car had been left untouched.

"Thanks for watching over it for me, Twilight," I stated with admiration in my voice.

"You're quite welcome, Ammy," she said. "We were wondering when you two were going to make it back. We have heard so much about what you and Trixie have been doing! Will you be putting on a show for us?"

"Yes, of course, Twilight, we wouldn't want to let down our hometown crowd, now would we, Trixie?"

"Yes, Trixie will be happy to put on a show for Ponyville!" she nearly chirped. She had never been this well received in a town that had once shunned her with extreme prejudice. "Amethyst has taught Trixie a lot of new magic! She can hardly wait to show it all off!"

"Trixie has taught me quite a few things as well, Twilight," I stated, smiling warmly. It was already fairly late in the day when we had arrived, but making it back to Ponyville before dark had been my objective that day, even though Trixie wanted to take it easy.

"Trixie is tired from a long day of travel, Sparkle. We normally sleep in the caravan, but we would like a comfortable bed for tonight. Would you be kind enough to let us sleep in your guest room tonight? We can give you a small sack of bits," the azure mare offered.

"Twilight, we're rather hungry as well -- we should have paced ourselves today, but I wanted to make it here before dark," I stated.

"Please, unhitch your caravan and come inside," the librarian smiled. "Please let me know where all you've been! I'll have Spike make some dinner for you two."

"Thanks again for your hospitality, Twilight," I stated softly.

"Oh, please, anything for a friend! It's been more than two months since you were last here! How did Hoofington go?"

"We met Trixie's mom," I stated calmly. "Though I have had some rather unsettling dreams about her."

"You never told Trixie about those dreams!" she nearly shouted at me. "What were they about?"

"Oh, Trixie. I dreamed your mama killed us both in a most brutal fashion," I said, putting my right fore-hoof on her withers.

"Why didn't you tell Trixie about this? Was it really that bad?" the azure mare asked softly.

"Trixie, I didn't want to hurt your feelings -- you might remember I had such a dream about Rarity -- it was that night that I chanced to meet you," I replied.

"What does it all mean?" asked Twilight. "You have dreamed about Rarity AND Trixie's mom killing you?"

"Laying strapped down to a table and being dissected in one case, and simply killed in the other. Very vivid dreams, deeply troubling. I don't know what they mean, though I have a suspicion about them. There's a part of me that sometimes wonders if I made a mistake in choosing to be a pony, though whenever I hold Trixie close to me, those doubts melt away with her touch," I smiled at my wife, gazing into her greyish lavender eyes. "By the way, I think she's pregnant."

"What? Really? I'm so happy for you both! Trixie, when is the foal due?"

"Trixie does not know, though she has been feeling sick for about two months," she responded glumly.

"I don't think she's ready for motherhood just yet. I would like for us to be back here in Ponyville when she gives birth so everypony can be here to celebrate. As for being a new father, I am rather excited about it -- it makes me feel young again."

"Well, Ammy, I think when the Princess transformed you, you became young again! You were an Alicorn for a little bit -- does the extended lifespan carry over to your new form?" Twilight asked.

"You know, I never asked Celestia about it, so I have no idea. She told me I have seventy years to spend with Trixie, and I will cherish all the time I spend with her." I gave her a soft kiss on the lips for emphasis, which caused her to blush lightly and giggle. "I am also looking forward to helping her raise several foals." This mention caused Trixie to frown.

"Trixie was meant to perform on stage! She does NOT want to be a brood-mare!"

"I did NOT mean back to back as soon as possible, lover girl!" I chuckled. "My human ex-wife had six children whom I helped raise in some form or other. I believe I am fully capable of more and eagerly look forward to it!"

"Ammy, you continue to impress me!" Twilight said, beaming a smile. "Maybe some time you could tell me your human life story! You DID say you had 49 years of experience as a human, didn't you?"

"Twilight, I'd rather not dwell on that -- much of it was quite depressing for me. Much of it was spent working as hard as I could to make ends meet. Happiness was a fleeting thing for me back then, and even though Trixie and I are going to be hoofing it all the way to Las Pegasus as we continue our journey, I still wouldn't give up being a pony to go back to my human existence, most especially because I have TRIXIE!! to keep me company!" At this mention, the show-mare giggled enthusiastically.

"Trixie is pleased that Amethyst loves her so much!" she grinned.

Spike finished cooking in the kitchen and brought a few plates of food for us. We chatted over dinner, discussing where we had been. When I mentioned to Twilight that Trixie and I had competed in the Manehattan Display, she became quite excited.

"What? The Manehattan Display? Why didn't you write me? I would have loved to see you two compete!"

"Twilight, I am sorry, I didn't know. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time and I was so excited, I couldn't wait to compete with Trixie and the idea of writing you slipped my mind," I said kind of glumly.

"Well, tell me you two won!" the lavender mare grinned.

"Trixie is sorry to tell you we finished in second place," the azure mare said flatly. "Amethyst promises to take Trixie back next year and we will take first place." She turned toward me. "We'd better!"

"That's why we're still traveling, improving on our show, adding new things, seeing what works. If something gets a good response, we keep it. If not, we drop it and move on to something else."

"Please tell me you don't do any more boasting about your accomplishments, Trixie," said Spike.

"Trixie does not boast, she tells the truth about what she and Amethyst have done," she stated proudly.

"So, do you have any names picked out for your foal?" Twilight asked, beaming a smile.

"Well, it's still pretty early for that, Twilight. I think once we get further along we might have a good name picked out, however, I was thinking that if the foal is female, I like the name of Lapis Lazuli, if the color of her coat matches," I said.

"Amethyst, what is it with you and gemstones? Even your name is a gemstone!" Twilight grinned.

"I equate gemstones with things that are precious, and nothing is more precious than life itself. If Trixie bears a colt, he might be given the name of a gemstone as well, depending on the color of his coat. It all depends, of course, but I'm also pretty sure Trixie will give birth to a unicorn foal, regardless of gender."

"What if you got her pregnant while you were still in your Alicorn form?" the librarian asked facetiously.

"Princess Celestia told me that such a conception would be genetically impossible, so I wouldn't worry, unless the foal turns out to be an Alicorn, which would truly shock me."

"If Trixie gives birth to an Alicorn, she wants the Alicorn foal to carry HER name!"

"You mean you would want to call her Beatrix?" I asked her.

"That would please Trixie very much!" she giggled.

"But wouldn't that cause some confusion?"

"Trixie would still be Trixie, but Beatrix would be Trixie's Alicorn filly!" she laughed. I shook my head in disbelief.

"Okay, Trixie, if that happens, then the foal will carry your name," I chuckled.

We continued chatting as we finished dinner. I offered to help Spike with the dishes, but he told me it was okay. Trixie and I talked with Twilight a bit longer in the main room of the Library, discussing some more details of our future plans. She got us caught up on recent events in Ponyville, and told me the Cutie Mark Crusaders had tried playing around on my car, so she had to shoo them away.

"Kids will be kids, regardless of age or species," I chuckled. "I remember when I was a human child, I liked playing around on my dad's car, which made him quite angry with me."

"What did he do?" asked Twilight.

"He took a belt to me and spanked my ... hindquarters ... pretty badly and told me never to play on his car again," I stated sullenly.

"Ooh, sorry I asked," the lavender mare said softly.

"That's okay, it happened more than 40 years ago."

"Amethyst, could you tell me more about your human father?" asked Twilight.

"I'm pretty tired -- maybe another time. It took a long time for me to stop being afraid of my dad -- sometimes I never knew if he was going to hit me out of frustration for perceived wrong-doing on my part -- my fear of him would cause me to cry, which annoyed him even further."

"Sounds like he was rather abusive," the librarian mused. "I'm sorry to have dredged up all these awful memories, Ammy."

"I suppose it can't be helped, Twi. I think it's time for bed, now. Trixie? You coming?"

"Trixie is coming. Thanks again, Twilight Sparkle."

"You still haven't changed much, have you, Trixie?" the librarian giggled.

"Trixie is changing, but sometimes that comes slowly," she replied and trotted upstairs after me. We slept in the guest bed, with me cuddling Trixie from behind. We slept quite soundly that night, but I noticed Trixie's belly had gotten a little bigger over the past couple of months. I softly smiled and whispered to her as I gently rubbed her belly with my left fore-hoof. She sighed softly as I did this. During the night, we both turned over so that she was behind me. She returned my earlier gesture of affection by rubbing my belly with her right fore-hoof, though there was a bit more activity than that.

I think I might have heard Spike or Twilight or maybe both of them telling us to keep the noise down during the night, but then again, I might have been dreaming. Trixie and I awoke muzzle to muzzle again and we shared a long kiss before getting out of bed. Twilight was gracious enough to offer us some breakfast before we left on our journey, so we went to the kitchen to join the librarian and her assistant for breakfast.

"Hey, Twilight, you wanna have Spike send the Princess a letter letting her know we're doing fine and that Trixie is with foal? I'd appreciate it," I said, trying to sound upbeat.

"Sounds to me like you don't want to leave Ponyville just yet," the librarian chuckled.

"Well, we're going to put on a show for the townsponies today, but after that, we're going to be heading off towards Las Pegasus. Your estimation is correct, Twi, I don't wanna leave just yet. I would like to stay here for a few more days, but Trixie probably wants to keep going."

"Trixie doesn't want to spend too much more time here in Ponyville -- so when we get done with our show, we will continue on our travel," she stated flatly.

"Speaking of which, when are you two going to perform for us today? I would love to see what you've come up with!" the librarian said enthusiastically.

"We will pull the caravan to town center in a little while. Normally, we like to perform during the late afternoon hours, but it just depends on when we arrive in a particular town. We got here just before dark last night, so it was too late for us to set up our performance. This should give us a little time to tour the town and meet every pony. It will be good to reunite with friends once again. Thanks again for your hospitality, Twi," I smiled.

"My house is always open to you and Trixie, you're always welcome here!" she responded, beaming a smile.

Ponyville Performance

Trixie had already left the Library and I was just about out the door when Twilight stopped me.

"Um, Amethyst? Could I have a word or two with you please?" the librarian asked me, almost hesitantly. I turned toward Trixie, tilting my head and raising an eyebrow. She responded by trotting over to the caravan and patiently waiting for me.

"Okay, Twilight, what is it? It'll have to be quick, we're trying to keep a schedule if we can."

"Um, you know ... uh, last night, when you and Trixie were ... uh," she said as she tried to formulate a question. I gave a small grin.

"You mean when were were making love last night?" I asked. "Sorry about the noise, Trixie can get kinda loud sometimes," I chuckled.

"There's a little more to it, Ammy," she said softly. "Last night, I was having trouble sleeping --" she began.

"Because of the noise?" I asked innocently.

"No, no, it's just that ... there's a part of me ... there's ... I just ... I just wanted to ..." her words trailed off as she was trying to re-rail her train of thought.

"Let me guess -- you kinda wished that you were the one I was sharing my affection with, is that it?" I asked.

"Y-yes," she stammered as tears seemed to start welling up in her eyes. It was when the light reflected off her cheeks at the right angle that I noticed she had been crying earlier.

"I didn't know your feelings for me were like that, Twilight," I said softly. "I apologize for causing you such distress."

"No, no, it's quite all right. I suppose you might know Princess Celestia's been considering crowning me a Princess," the librarian offered.

"She swore me to secrecy about that matter -- I'm not even supposed to be discussing that with you," I said, somewhat nervous that the Sun Goddess might overhear the conversation.

"Well, I know I have told you I'm happy for the two of you, and really, I am, but ..."

"Don't tell me you're a little envious of my marriage?" I half-asked. I pricked up my ears when I heard something from outside the door.

"Well, to tell you the truth, Ammy, I am, just a little. There's a part of me that wishes that you had chosen me to be your wife," she confessed.

Just outside the Library door, Trixie was intently listening to our conversation, but Pinkie Pie happened to catch the show-mare trying to stifle a laugh when she heard Twilight admit to being envious.

"Hey, Trixie, what's so funny? Did ya hear something really funny? Was it a good joke? Can ya tell me what it was? Can ya? Huh? I just love good jokes! Even bad jokes! Jokes are funny, don't ya think? What was it, can ya tell me, huh? Huh? Huh?"

The azure mare glared at the pink party pony and growled slightly at her.

Inside the library, I heard Pinkie's voice loud and clear and I believe Twilight heard it as well.

"I think Trixie's eavesdropping on our conversation," I whispered into the librarian's ear.

"Well, Amethyst, thanks for helping me on my studies for just a little bit!" Twilight said in an exaggeratedly loud voice so as to let Trixie hear it clearly.

"It was my pleasure, Twilight Sparkle! I hope I can help you with your studies again some time! I must be going now! I'll bet Trixie is really worried about how much time we have spent in here! I'll bet she thinks I have been cheating on her!!" I practically shouted.

The front door of the library was forcibly opened by a nearly furious azure show-mare. "Trixie knows what you two are up to! Don't try to hide it from her!"

"You're just mad because Pinkie called you out. Relax, Trixie, I will never leave you for another pony as long as we both shall live," I said softly to her as I wrapped my right fore-leg around her withers.

"That's just the point!" Trixie shouted. "You're going to live a lot longer than Trixie! Trixie is afraid you'll forget about her after she's dead! Please, Amethyst, don't forget about Trixie." Her voice cracked as she uttered the last part and tears started welling up in her eyes.

"Trixie, I know it's hard to face it, and I am really sorry to have brought it up. But why not enjoy the next seventy years? Isn't that amount of time long enough for you to be with me, for us to be together? We should take the time to love each other with all our might -- fighting with each other will make us miserable, and you've had more than enough misery in your life to last ten lifetimes. You should not have to go through any more of that, Trixie, and as long as I'm with you, I will love you with the passion and strength you need to make you happy."

"Amethyst, sometimes Trixie wonders about you -- you are unlike any pony Trixie has ever known before," she said softly, smiling at me.

"That's because I have 49 years as a human, Trixie. I know enough about love and maintaining a relationship to understand what it takes to make it work, to make it last. One more thing -- as long as I live, I will never forget you and what you mean to me."

"Trixie hopes you are not lying to her, Amethyst."

"I hope that you will soon be more willing to place your trust in me -- haven't the past few months of us being together given you enough reason to trust me completely? What must I do to dispel those doubts that still plague you?"

"Trixie needs more time with you to ease her fears."

"Don't you two have a show to perform?" asked the librarian impatiently.

"C'mon, Trixie, let's get going. I still want to meet the other ponies here before we get the show started."

We both left the library this time, but I couldn't help but notice a single tear trace its way down Twilight's cheek.

"What are you looking at Sparkle for? You're married to Trixie, remember?" the show-mare asked me harshly. "And just what were you two really discussing in there? Trixie thinks she's entitled to know!"

"Twilight expressed regret that she was not the one I chose to marry -- in a way, Trixie, it looks like you succeeded in getting your revenge against her. She seems kind of unhappy when she sees us together and enjoying ourselves," I said, and frowned when I caught Trixie flashing a smug smile of satisfaction. "No need to rub it in, Trixie. The two of you should set aside such petty differences. Life's too short to be carrying grudges like that."

"Trixie still remembers the Ursa Minor incident and the Alicorn Amulet as well," she stated flatly.

"You will have to put those behind you somehow. I don't know exactly how to help you, other than simply being by your side and giving you comfort when you need it."

We hitched up the caravan and started pulling it toward the town square. As we did so, we were enthusiastically greeted by nearly every pony we met. Pinkie Pie accompanied us, bounding alongside us as we continued. She asked us all kinds of questions about where we'd been, what we'd seen, and lots of other things that had nothing to do with what we were planning.

"Trixie is still upset with the pink one for blowing her cover," the azure mare stated flatly.

"C'mon, Trix, ya know ya can't keep anything secret around here!" Pinkie exclaimed, grinning broadly.

"That's why Trixie's upset," she responded.

A short while later, we reached the town center and set up the stage. We went up the back and made our entrance through the red curtain.

"Mares and gentlecolts, may I direct your attention to the Great and Powerful Trixie and the Awesome and Astonishing Amethyst!" I shouted, using magic to amplify my voice. To punctuate our entrance, I cast a large pyrotechnic spell high into the air, then transformed the trailing streamers into candy, which rained upon the audience. "I can assure you, the candy is safe to eat. Give it a try!"

I always started our act by doing this, as it usually allowed the crowd to view us favorably.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie is here to regale you all with how she and Amethyst took first place at the Manehattan Display! Our combined efforts were far and away better than our nearest competitors!" the show-mare boasted. I glared at her in disapproval. "We were compelled to tame a Manticore, a Chimera, and four Cockatrice at the same time!"

"You couldn't tame a house-cat, Trixie!" shouted a voice from the audience.

"Trixie exaggerates a bit, though one of the contests we performed at the Manehattan Display was indeed the taming of a Manticore. The Chimera was a different challenge, as were the Cockatrice. THAT one was difficult, and Trixie got turned into a statue by one of the Cockatrice, so I had to rescue her," I stated flatly. The stallion who had shouted at Trixie had been effectively silenced, and said nothing else during our performance.

"We missed first place by ten points. We were THAT close!" I said. "But we will show you some of what we did that week! Trixie, let's do the lightning trick!"

Trixie grinned, charging her horn as I charged mine. A shower of lightning bolts rained down from the sky and we used our magic to cause them to dance around in circles, shaping them into balls, juggling them back and forth. We brought more lighting in, making more lightning balls, and for good measure, I lit them on fire. This display was impressive enough, but I then sent the balls skyward, then caused them to explode in showers of sparks, then turned the sparks into more candy.

"Amethyst, you are going to make our audience fat with all that candy!" Trixie giggled.

"A little sugar helps out, you know," I stated. "How about some toffee?" I asked, producing a can.

"Can I open it? Please, can I?" asked Pinkie Pie, who had bounded onto our stage. I hoofed her the can, which she proceeded to open. A couple of cloth-covered springs jumped out of the can and the pink party pony giggled hysterically.

"Well, Pinkie, would you like some pie?" Trixie asked her.

"Oh, would I? Yes, please!"

Trixie produced a cream pie and used her telekinesis to slap it in Pinkie's face.

"Mmm, coconut cream! My favorite!" the pink pony exclaimed, using her ridiculously long tongue to wipe her face clean of the pie.

"I was going to summon a rain cloud to wash you off, Pinkie," I suggested.

"Oh, please do! Let me see you make it rain!" she giggled.

Trixie and I summoned a few clouds and gave the pink party pony a quick shower. She shook out the water and giggled again.

"Hey, you two aren't supposed to be doing weather like that!" exclaimed an angry cyan pegasus. "That's MY job!"

"Relax, Rainbow, we're just doing this as part of our act," I chided. I created a rainbow colored cloud and made it hover over the pegasus, then caused it to rain small pieces of candy with different colors and flavors. She sampled some of the candy and grinned.

"Okay, you made your point, Ammy," she said and continued to watch from a cloud she had been laying on. She casually munched on the candy as she continued to watch us perform.

We did a few more displays of magic cooperation and the best was saved for last -- once again, I repeated the levitation and glamour spells on Trixie and myself, the audience nearly stunned by seeing us take on the appearance of Alicorns. When received a thunderous ovation and applause from the audience as we slowly descended to the stage. Even Twilight was stunned to see this display, though I found her reaction to be amusing.

"I didn't know you could do THAT!" the librarian exclaimed in surprise.

"It's just a glamour, Twilight. Trixie taught me how to do those," I explained.

"That's still quite impressive, though."

"Thanks for the compliment, Twilight," I responded.

"See you later, Sparkle," Trixie said, a small smile on her face.

We folded up the stage into the caravan and stopped by a few stores to pick up some supplies before heading out. It was going to take us another three weeks to make it to Las Pegasus and I wanted to make sure we had enough stock to make it there.

Encountering Diamond Dogs

After leaving Ponyville, I had hoped our trek to Las Pegasus would have gone as smoothly and without incident as our earlier travels. Unfortunately, this was not the case. About a day or so after leaving Ponyville, we encountered difficult terrain as the map didn't indicate geographic topography at all. Worse than that, we were set upon by a pack of Diamond Dogs about four days in and dealing with them proved tricky. Trixie and I resorted to blasting them with lightning, injuring several of them and scaring the rest of them off. We had hoped that scaring them off would be enough of a deterrent to keep them from trifling with us, but the following day, three packs of twenty of the dogs showed up. Their leader was not a happy puppy, to say the least.

"You two are the ones who hurt some of my dogs," the leader shouted at us. "We have your little wagon surrounded!"

We had been sleeping in the caravan over-night and the dogs had come up very close to it. We looked out the window and were quite frightened by the sight of so many Diamond Dogs around it.

"Amethyst, what are we going to do?" asked Trixie as she clung to me very tightly.

"Stay inside, I'm gonna handle this. Things could get a little messy," I advised coolly. I teleported to the top of the caravan, amazed to see sixty Diamond Dogs of various sizes, shapes and breeds, though most of them were quite large. Nearly all of them bared their fangs, growling with hostile intent. I stood on my hind legs and cracked my neck and addressed the very large pack.

"Now, I know you're not all here to watch Trixie and me perform for you, so I am giving you ten seconds to leave before I start raining lightning bolts down on all of you. Now how many of you want to die today?!" I asked, using magic to amplify my voice so the pack could hear me, even in the back. Some of the ones in front backed down a little, backing into the others behind them, causing some to trip and fall over.

"You can't scare us with threats you can't back up!" the leader shouted at me.

I responded by magically creating a large dark cloud to cause a lightning bolt to strike very close to the leader, who jumped out of the way. The sound of thunder booming scared off a bunch of the dogs, but there were a few brave ones who stood their ground, and some of the others started advancing toward the caravan. I glared at them, narrowing my eyes. More of the dogs started advancing, some of them readying spears. I sent a few more lightning bolts at them and one of the more unfortunate dogs holding a spear saw a bolt hit the tip a little too late -- he was singed and ran away, yelping in pain as he did so.

"Let that serve as a warning to you all! You threaten us at your peril!" I shouted at them. The leader called on them to attack anyway, offering double gems to any who would dare attack. None stepped closer, and some of them started leaving, entering holes in the ground.

"We won't forget this! We will wait for you! We will not give you a chance to defend yourself next time!" the leader shouted at me.

"Next time, I won't be so lenient on you! Consider yourself lucky to be alive!" I shouted back at him. I waited for him to make his next move, but he chose to stand his ground. Several of the dogs returned as it appeared the encounter was not over. I turned around in a circle, still atop the caravan, to see how many dogs were still around. I counted about fifteen or thereabouts. I glared at the leader, narrowing my eyes to slits.

"I think it would be a good idea for you and the rest of your dogs to leave now unless you have a death wish," I growled at him, using magic to amplify my voice, trying to make the threat sound as ominous as possible. To emphasize my point, I sent another lightning bolt crashing near the leader, who once again jumped out of the way. Damn him and his lizard-like reflexes! "These were warning shots -- next one's gonna strike you down!" I shouted at him. He reluctantly made his way down another hole, the other dogs silently following him down other holes in the ground. I used magic to seal the holes as best I could, though I wasn't sure how well that would work.

"Hey, Trixie, I think I managed to scare them all off. Can you cast an invisibility spell on both of us and the caravan so we can keep moving without being seen?"

She gingerly opened the door and peered out, checking to see if they were all gone, then stepped outside. She lit her horn, casting the caravan and both of us in her pink aura, making us invisible. "Trixie thanks you for saving her ... again."

"No problem. How long can you keep the invisibility up?" I asked, almost nervously.

"Only a little while -- Trixie's magic is not as strong as yours, Amethyst," the azure mare stated, still glancing around to check for any more dogs.

We hitched up the caravan and kept moving -- we were able to travel about five miles while invisible, which I figured was good enough. There was another town waiting for us about another six hours travel away, where we performed our act again and bought some more supplies. The next town was another three days out and we hoped we wouldn't be running into any more Diamond Dogs any time soon.

Fear and Loathing in Las Pegasus Part 1

It took another two and a half weeks to make it to Las Pegasus. Once again we were in a large city full of ponies, but the ocean view was magnificent. We had built our savings up to over 9,000 bits and were feeling pretty good about ourselves. We set up our stage to do some performances for the ponies of this city in various places and it was during one of those performances when we were noticed yet again, this time by a promoter who wanted us to do our act in one of the casinos.

"Hello, I am Silver Streak, and I represent the Las Pegasus Association of Professional Casino Performers," a light-grey unicorn stallion stated, hoofing me a business card.

"Are you an intermediary between a performers' guild and casino owner/operators?" I asked, flipping the card over to see if there was anything printed on the back.

"You could say something of the sort, yes," he offered, forcing a smile.

"Trixie and I would be interested in performing our act in a few casinos here, but we would need to discuss financial matters with the casino owners or their business associates prior to making any hasty agreements," I stated flatly.

"Then I'm just the pony you need to talk to!" he said excitedly. "If you two would be kind enough to accompany me, I can show you the casinos I register performers with."

"I'm sorry, Silver Streak, but Trixie and I would like to tour the strip by ourselves. I believe the two of us would be able to make arrangements with management in certain casinos," I responded, eyeing the unicorn suspiciously. Trixie stood by my side, watching the exchange with an expression of pure boredom on her face.

Silver Streak frowned at me. "Suit yourself, but keep in mind, you will need a booking agent, and I'm one of the few who are respected enough to get you two into the better casinos. Without my help, you'll have to start at the Brown Stallion and work your way up from there. With my help, you'll be able to work at the Visage, the High Roller, or the Pink Swan."

"Tell you what, Silver -- Trixie and I will be here for awhile, taking in the sights and scenery. We might run into you again, or perhaps you might catch another of our performances. We need a little time to think this over first, if you don't mind."

"Very well then, Amethyst. I will see you around," he stated stiffly, trotting off with his nose held high.

"What a contemptible bastard," I whispered to Trixie, who chuckled softly at my insult. "Come on, Trixie, let's tour the strip, why not?"

"Trixie is interested in seeing the casinos up close."

We pulled the caravan toward the main strip, parking it off in a grassy area under a tree on a lot not far from the Canterlot Casino. The Canterlot was a one-half scale replica of Canterlot Castle -- even so, it was still very large. On the opposite side of the strip sat the Four Alicorns casino. We trotted along the strip, passing the Colt's Hoof, the High Roller, Coltligula's Palace, the Pink Swan, the Clown's Pocket, Ponies in Mares' Plots, the Brown Stallion, the Visage and few others I couldn't quite remember. Trixie and I trotted back towards the spot where we had parked the caravan before we reached the Four Alicorns casino.

"Let's try this one, Trixie," I stated optimistically.

"Trixie doesn't have any money on her," she said glumly.

"I suppose we can take a little of our savings, if you want," I offered. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Trixie will be careful, Amethyst," she smiled as she galloped to the caravan and retrieved a small pouch of bits. My objective was to meet with the owner or one of his business associates. I figured this casino would be a good place to start. Trixie made her way to the slot machines to try her luck there. She got a fairly large payout right off the bat and cashed in, taking her winnings to the blackjack table.

"Excuse me, ma'am," I asked the security guard by the cashier. "I would like to talk to the management about a business opportunity."

"Wait right here, I'll contact somepony for you," she replied in a gruff tone. As I waited, there was a commotion from another part of the floor.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie demands you unhoof her at once!" came a very loud voice from my left. Three rather burly stallions were carrying the show-mare, who continued to shout insults at them. They passed by me and when Trixie caught sight of me she shouted at me to help her.

"What's going on here?" I asked one of the security stallions.

"She was cheating at the blackjack table," he responded angrily. "She is not allowed back in here. Do you know her?"

"Yes, I do, and I shall accompany her upon exiting this casino," I stated flatly.

"Do you know anything about her cheating?"

"No, sir, I don't -- I had no idea she would resort to that. I was under the impression that my wife would behave herself. I humbly apologize for her actions."

"The two of you had better not show your faces in this casino ever again!" one of the other security stallions shouted at us as Trixie was unceremoniously tossed out the door. I had exited through another door at the same time.

"How dare you treat the Great and Powerful Trixie as though she were a common street tramp!" she shouted at them through the glass doors.

"They told me you were cheating, Trixie. So what did you do?"

"Trixie used her magic to get 22 straight blackjacks," she grinned. She showed me a large pouch with a lot of bits in it. "They only got suspicious when the ace of diamonds came up for her 16 consecutive times."

"You ruined our chance of getting a steady gig in that casino," I glared at her in disapproval.

"Trixie can get lots of bits by doing that! She just needs to be more careful about which cards get pulled," she giggled. She galloped back to the caravan to stash some of her ill-gotten gains and returned with a small pouch again. We trotted up the strip to the next casino on this side, which was the High Roller.

"Don't ruin my chance again, Trixie," I admonished her as we trotted in through the front door. Security greeted us just inside and slipped a ring on our horns.

"This is to keep you unicorns from cheating at our games," the guard stated flatly. I could feel the ring inhibiting my magic power, which felt kind of odd at first, but then it felt like my power was being drained away.

"I'm not here to gamble," I stated nervously. "Please remove the ring, I have a business proposition to make with your management."

"No can do. Company policy is to prevent cheating, so we place inhibitor rings on everypony who enters our casino. That includes earth ponies and pegasi as well as unicorns. If you have a business proposal, you need to contact the concierge in host services for that. It's over there," he stated, pointing a hoof to his right. "Around the corner from the gift shop."

I trotted over to the concierge as Trixie made her way to the gaming floor once again, still confident she could win.

"Hello, you are the concierge, correct?" I asked her.

"Yes, I am Lucky Clover, the concierge for the High Roller casino. How may I help you, sir?" she smiled. She was an aqua colored earth pony with a kelly green mane and tail with streaks of gold running through them. Her cutie mark was a four-left clover, which seemed appropriate.

"My wife and I are magic performers -- we have put together a half-hour program of magic displays mixed with comedy, dance, and song. We would be interested in partnering with your casino to provide entertainment for your guests, for a small stipend, of course. We would also desire food and lodging during our stay while we perform as well."

"Do you have a booking agent? Our management requires any performers to have an agent to represent them as an intermediary between the potential employees and casino management," she stated, maintaining her plastic smile.

"Do you know of a pony named Silver Streak?" I asked her. Her eyes lit up and her smile widened quite a bit.

"Yes, sir, I do! He's quite well known here in Las Pegasus -- did you agree to have him as your agent?"

"I told him I would think about it. I suppose I should track him down and agree to hire him as our agent," I stated, some disappointment tinging my words.

"Please wait here a few moments -- I will contact my management supervisor. She'll be happy to talk to you about having you perform here," the mare stated, her smile never leaving her lips.

I waited for what seemed like fifteen minutes, wondering where the concierge had gone. I continued to wait, but the inhibitor ring was making me feel very nervous. I did not like the feeling of having no magic power -- it made me feel exposed and vulnerable, sapping away at my self-confidence. Another fifteen minutes of waiting was rewarded with nothing. It was shortly after that that Trixie trotted over to me.

"Amethyst, I need some more money," she whined.

"Don't take any more than 500 bits, okay? We need that money and wasting it here is not a good idea."

My wife grinned at me and left the casino to return to the caravan, but returned about five minutes later with a shocked expression on her face.

"Amethyst -- Trixie's caravan is GONE!" she wailed.

"You mean, gone, as in -- somepony stole it?" I asked with incredulity.

"Yes," she said meekly as tears started to trickle down her cheeks.

"I thought we'd placed it in a safe area," I mused. "We're gonna have to track it down."

"Trixie wonders how you can remain so calm -- Trixie's whole life is in her wagon!"

"We'll get it back. I promise you that," I stated confidently. "Let's go -- I need them to take this damned ring off my horn."

As we were about to leave, the concierge finally returned with a dark brown unicorn stallion who was at least four hooves taller than me. I politely told Lucky Clover that we had an emergency to deal with and that I would return as soon as it was dealt with. The big stallion eyed me and glared in disapproval.

"Is that purple stallion the one who offered a business proposal?" he asked the concierge.

"Yes, Coffee Break, that's him," she pointed a hoof at me.

"We don't want any trouble in our casino, dude. You'd better get going," he growled at me. Trixie and I trotted toward the entrance, the big burly stallion following us at a short distance to ensure we left. I asked for security to remove the inhibitor rings, but Coffee Break told them not to. I pleaded with them, informing them that since we were leaving the casino, they should remove their property.

"Consider it our gift to you," one of the security ponies chuckled. "Oh, and don't try to remove it yourself -- that would be bad."

"How am I suppose to have it removed, then?" I asked, panic starting to creep into my voice.

"We charge a fee of 500 bits to remove it," the guard chuckled.

"I'll be back," I stated angrily. Trixie whimpered as we left the casino, inhibitor rings still weighing heavily on our horns. We trotted over to where we had parked the caravan, and sure enough, it was gone.

"Who would have taken it?" she cried.

"Well, I think this might be property belonging to the Canterlot Casino, so let's talk to the management there and see what has happened."

We trotted to the casino entrance but were stopped by security before we could get too far past the front doors.

"Hold it, you two. We heard about what happened across the street at the Four Alicorns," one of the security ponies stated flatly. Every security pony was garbed in replicas of Royal Guard uniforms, which made things seem really creepy to me.

"I need to have a word with Princess Celestia about having this inhibitor ring removed," I said flatly. "I also need to know what happened to the blue wagon Trixie and I were pulling through town and parked in a grassy lot across the street from the backside of this casino."

"Heh. He wants to talk to the Princess!" the security pony chuckled. The other ponies working security started laughing quite hard at our predicament. "This casino is just a replica, not the real thing! The Princess doesn't live here!"

"Does she visit? It's rather important," I stated. I received even more laughter at this question. "Okay, would you be kind enough to remove my inhibitor ring then?"

"You didn't get that from our casino -- you will have to return to the casino you got it from. As for that little blue wagon parked out back, we had it towed to the police station -- it was illegally parked."

"And where is that?" I asked in exasperation.

"The police station is across town -- but you will have to pay the tow fee and the impound charges in order to retrieve it."

"Come on, Trixie, looks like we've got some more traveling to do." Tears continued to stream down her cheeks. The ring on her horn sapped her magic power, and the feeling of helplessness for her was overwhelming.

"Trixie wants her home back!" she wailed. I pulled her close and gave her a quick kiss on her muzzle.

"The sooner we can get to it, the sooner we can get some of our savings to take care of this mess," I said calmly, trying to reassure her everything was going to be okay. We left Canterlot casino and headed along the strip, attracting some odd stares from some of the ponies we passed. We trotted past the end of the strip and into a commercial area of the city, then into the business district. We located the police station a short white later and entered the front door. The police in this town seemed to wear khaki colored uniforms, as though the city were a bit more relaxed about the appearances of uniformed pony officers. Trixie and I approached the front counter to talk to a receptionist.

"Excuse us, ma'am, we were informed that a certain blue wagon had been towed here?" I asked the receptionist.

"Just a moment, please," she said stiffly. She pushed a button on a box and informed an officer of our presence and the nature of our visit. A tan colored pegasus stallion approached us at the desk.

"Are you two the owners of that blue wagon you parked behind the Canterlot casino?" he asked.

"Yes, sir, we are. We would like to retrieve it, please," I stated respectfully.

"There's the small matter of paying some fines. The tow fee is 100 bits, the illegal parking fine is 250 bits, storage is 25 bits per day, and administrative fees will be 175 bits."

"Our savings are in the caravan, so if we can access its contents, we'll be able to pay your fees," I offered politely.

"I will escort you there," he stated flatly, leading us through a back door to a dry dirt lot. Along a wall to the left we spotted the caravan, looking none the worse for wear. Trixie entered it, looking for our stash of bits. It took several minutes, but all Trixie was able to find was a small pouch that had been extremely well concealed. Our large bag with our savings in it had been confiscated. Trixie exited the wagon with a dour expression.

"This is all Trixie was able to find," she said dejectedly. She spat the pouch out on the ground and it came open. There appeared to be about 100 bits in it.

"Trixie, what happened to our savings?" I asked, my voice climbing an octave as fresh worry returned in full force.

"It's gone," she replied sullenly, her eyes wide with fear. "Trixie does not know what happened to our bag with over 9,000 bits in it."

It was at that point that I fell to my haunches, holding my head in my fore-hooves, openly sobbing. "Somepony stole all our money!!" I shouted, falling back into sobs. I turned to the officer. "Is there some way you might be able to contact Princess Celestia in Canterlot?" I asked him.

"We will have a pegasus fly there with a message from you two. I'm sure she can resolve the matter to your satisfaction. It will take two days' flight for our pegasus, and I'm not sure how long it will take for a response from the Princess to arrive."

"That means we'll have to go around with these inhibitor rings on our horns for the next few days," I said glumly.

"Your caravan marks you two as traveling performers. Perhaps you two can perform your act --" the officer began.

"We require the use of our magic for the performance," I interrupted. "Without magic, our act loses an awful lot."

"Then perhaps you should return to where you were given those rings and work out an arrangement with them," the officer stated. "We will need your names and address so we can send your message."

We went back into the police station and gave our information to the receptionist, who then forwarded it to her supervisor, who then wrote a letter to Princess Celestia. This was given to a pegasus who was instructed to fly to Canterlot castle. She balked at the prospect of flying for two days to get there, but was told of the importance of the task.

Trixie and I left the police station, satisfied that help was going to be on its way before too much longer, so we trotted back to the High Roller casino. On the way there, we chanced to meet up with Silver Streak again.

"So, did you two change your minds about hiring me as your booking agent?" he asked, flashing a very smug smirk.

"We need your help, Silver. I apologize for blowing you off earlier. We need to return to the High Roller to have these inhibitor rings removed, and once we get that matter taken care of, we'll be able to perform our act again," I offered, grinning sheepishly.

"Yes, well, there's just one small problem with that. I require my agent's fee up front, and considering your, shall we say, less than acceptable attitude toward me when we first met, my fee is now one thousand bits. Up front."

"Um, somepony stole all our money earlier," I stated, crestfallen.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Amethyst, but without my booking fee, I cannot help you."

"And we can't perform our act with these damned rings on our horns!" I said almost angrily.

"That's not my fault. You should have allowed me to escort you two, but no-oh, you had other plans. I have other business to attend to, so, I'll be seeing you," he chuckled and trotted off towards the commercial district.

Trixie and I sighed heavily as we continued to trot towards the High Roller casino. I was just hoping I'd be able to talk them into working out some sort of exchange to have the inhibitor rings removed.

-----------------------------------

Trixie and I sullenly trotted, very slowly, I might add, to the High Roller casino. I was apprehensive, to say the least. "What if they refuse us entry?" I silently asked myself.

"Trixie hopes they let us in," she stated flatly. "She does not want to have to make a scene."

We passed the boat in the water on wooden planks, being passed by other ponies who were also in various states of depression. Across the strip was Coltligula's Palace, but we paid it no heed. Our destination was the next casino on our side of the strip and we trotted up to the front door. Security was there to greet us.

"So, do you have the money to have those rings removed?" one of the stallions from earlier asked, grinning.

"No, sir, we don't -- we were wanting to make an arrangement where we could work in the casino or hotel to make enough money to pay to have the rings removed," I stated flatly.

"Hold on, let me get our security chief." The stallion went into the casino and disappeared for several minutes. He returned with Coffee Break, who was none too happy to see us.

"What brings you two back to see us? You want your rings removed?" the burly stallion asked gruffly.

"We were wanting to work out a deal," I offered politely.

"Hmm. Well, I need to talk to management about that," he replied. He disappeared into the casino and was gone for a good half-hour. Trixie and I tried to wait patiently but grew bored. We sat on our haunches in the vestibule of the casino, watching patrons enter and leave, many of them having their rings removed seemingly free of charge.

"Why do they get their rings removed for free?" I asked a security officer.

"We heard about what happened next door at the Four Alicorns," he responded. "We put a special removal fee on those who get a reputation as cheaters."

"But I didn't use my magic to cheat," I protested.

"No, but you associated with a cheater, therefore you get the same treatment, regardless of whether or not you actually cheated. Keep in mind that every casino on the strip now knows about you two and you will receive the same treatment in those establishments as this one."

"Trixie, I hope you are willing to apologize to me for all this," I said, frowning at her. She turned to me with tears in her eyes, then stared at her hooves, trying to choke back her sobs.

"Trixie did not know," she responded, just barely above a whisper. "Amethyst, please forgive Trixie."

"I forgive you, but I just hope we can get out of this city before too much longer."

Coffee Break returned, accompanied by a unicorn mare, who introduced herself Golden Brace. She eyed us with an expression of boredom.

"Coffee, are these the two who were interested in working for us to get their inhibitor rings removed? I find the purple one intriguing -- he has a very interesting cutie mark," she stated.

"Yes, Golden, these are the two trouble-makers."

"You, the purple one. What's your name?"

"I am Amethyst Flame, and this is my wife, Trixie," I offered.

"Well, Amethyst, how well do you dance?" she asked, flashing a smile.

"Depends on what kind of dance we're talking about -- I don't have much experience with that."

"Well, we have a night-club in our hotel and we're looking for attractive stallions to dance for our more privileged clientele," she stated, her smile widening a little. Trixie turned to me, a look of uncertainty on her face. I nodded at her and she frowned in response.

"I am willing to give it a try, though I hope I can make enough money to have our inhibitor rings removed."

"We will work out the details on that later. Trixie? We need housekeepers in the hotel to change room linens and clean the rooms after our patrons end their stay with us. We also have openings in the kitchen, either as cooks, wait staff, table bussers, or dish washers. We also have a gentlecolts' club, and we can always use mares as exotic dancers..."

Trixie's eyes went wide and she formed a scowl on her face. She tried to light her horn and received a sharp burning sensation in her horn as a result of trying to use her magic, bringing a fresh round of tears to her eyes.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie is not a common street tramp! She will NEVER debase herself in front of other colts for their puerile pleasures! She will never debase herself to work as a common domestic! Trixie is a magic performer of the highest caliber and the greatest talent! You dare mock the Great and Powerful Trixie? Shame on you!"

I facehoofed at her outburst. "Trixie, you're not helping our situation," I said sullenly.

"Amethyst, you are welcome to work for us, if you like. Trixie, I have no openings for you. We cannot use somepony who shows such disrespect for opportunity. I'm afraid I must ask you to leave, oh 'Great and Powerful' Trixie."

"Trixie is not leaving without Amethyst," she stated angrily.

"Trixie, how are we supposed to get these rings removed without their help? No pony else can do this for us. Where are we supposed to sleep? How are we supposed to get food to eat? How are we supposed to get our caravan out of the impound lot? Have you not thought about these things?" I asked her in exasperation.

"Trixie does not want to be without you, Amethyst, but if you will not go with her, she will go by herself to find help. Trixie has traveled by herself in the past, and she can do so again."

"Look, Trixie, it's just for a couple of days until the Princess takes action to help us," I said softly trying to calm her.

Golden Brace cleared her throat. "Amethyst, have you made up your mind? You can stay as long as Trixie goes somewhere else -- but the two of you cannot be here together in our casino. She is not welcome here."

"Please give her another chance," I begged. "Our situation is dire -- somepony stole all our money and our caravan was impounded."

"I'm sorry, sir, but your wife made her point very clearly. We are willing to provide you with employment, but not her."

I turned towards Trixie, giving her a quizzical look. She sighed and shook her head sadly. "Ma'am, she is pregnant. We are traveling performers -- usually we use our magic to impress ponies as part of our act. Trixie and I are capable of pyrotechnics, weather manipulation, telekinesis, illusion magic, and quite a bit else. It was never my intention to use my magic to deceive any pony for improper financial gain."

"That sounds like a very interesting story, Amethyst. What does your cutie mark signify?"

"I used to be an Alicorn -- and as such, I was able to raise and lower the Sun," I stated flatly. Every pony's jaw dropped when I mentioned this. Trixie just smiled.

"Um, if you don't mind my asking," Coffee Break stated. "Why did you give up being an Alicorn?"

"My love for Trixie was what made me sacrifice my Alicorn status," I replied.

"Doubtless you have seen the statues atop the four towers of the Four Alicorns casino?" asked Golden Brace.

"Trixie and I have only toured the strip today. We didn't pay much attention to those statues."

"You are not represented up there -- just Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Twilight Sparkle, the newest Alicorn. Unless you have proof to back up your claim, I doubt your truthfulness," the mare stated flatly.

"If Princess Celestia were here right now, she would most assuredly verify my claim. I intend to inform her of my travels, including my treatment here in Las Pegasus. I'm not sure how she'll respond, but if my theory is correct, I wouldn't want to be the owner of THIS casino."

"We don't take too kindly to threats, so I must ask both of you to leave. Now," Coffee Break growled at us.

"Mark my words -- Princess Celestia WILL be hearing about this. You may as well begin planning to get new jobs," I stated, smiling broadly at them as I left the casino, trotting proudly out the front door with Trixie trailing behind me a little, her gait showing not quite as much confidence..

"Amethyst, why did you do that? You had a chance, yet you sacrificed it for Trixie?"

"Yes, Trixie, I did -- and as much as I would have wanted to work to make enough money to get these rings removed, being without you would make me miserable. I think there may be a train station here and if so, we should check to see how much a ticket to Canterlot would cost us. As much as I would want to wait for a response from Princess Celestia, a train ride would soothe my nerves right now."

We trotted back towards the police station so we could inform them of our change in plans, but when we came across a set of train tracks, we followed them to the nearest railway station. I went to the counter and asked how much a one-way ticket to Canterlot cost and was told that it was 120 bits per ticket. Trixie grinned when she heard this.

"Hey, Trixie, if you're thinking what I'm thinking," I said, smiling warmly at her.

"Yes, Amethyst, a little work and we can get out of here," she chuckled softly.

We trotted to Coltligula's Palace to see about getting short-term jobs. Once again we were greeted by security, but after explaining our predicament, we met with management and were given jobs on the spot. Trixie was given a crash course on being a croupier at a blackjack table and I was assigned to security, namely wheeling the cash cart around. We both worked an eight-hour shift and were given a meal and a room to sleep in for the night. The following day, we performed another eight hour shift and we each were given a pouch with 200 bits in it. We met up at the entrance and had a little discussion.

"Trixie kind of likes being a croupier," she said. "It's kind of fun being the one dealing the cards."

"I kind of enjoy what I'm doing as well," I offered. "You think maybe you might want to stay here a bit longer?"

"Trixie is not sure."

"Well, maybe we should work for a few more days and wait to see if we get a response from Princess Celestia?"

"Trixie thinks a few more days wouldn't hurt."

"Maybe we should inform the receptionist at the police station of a change of address so they know we're here instead of over at the High Roller?"

"Trixie thinks that's a good idea."

I trotted over to the security desk and informed my supervisor of my request and he agreed to send a pegasus to the police station to inform them of the change. When he asked me the reason, I told him of our predicament with our caravan and requested assistance from Princess Celestia. I asked him if we could continue working until we heard word from her and he assured me we would be welcome to continue our employment with the casino for as long as we wanted, being paid 100 bits per day for doing our jobs, which sounded like a fair wage to me. I trotted back over to Trixie.

"Okay, things are looking good here. We can keep working until we hear back from the Princess, or even longer if we want," I explained.

"Trixie likes the sound of that," she smiled at me.

My supervisor trotted over to us and offered us another job opportunity, one that paid better money. I decided to listen to his offer, but Trixie stated she was happy doing what she was. I was once again entertained with the idea of being an exotic dancer for the mares who frequented the casino. I had noticed that the disparity between stallions and mares was still quite noticeable, though not as prevalent as in Ponyville.

"Trixie, would you be okay with me doing that? The money would probably be quite good," I stated hopefully.

"Trixie does not know, but if you can behave yourself, Trixie thinks she's okay with you dancing," she replied flatly.

I asked my supervisor when and where and was directed to another section of the casino which had been set aside for entertainment of the guests. The entrance was through a door, so this was a separate room from the main floor of the casino. I was escorted to a dressing room along a corridor behind a black curtain. The main floor had an elevated cat-walk set about four feet above the floor which was festooned with various tables and chairs

"How long before the clientele start showing up?" I asked.

"Relax, you're not going to be up there all night -- unless you want to. There are private booths you may be invited to enter by some of the patrons. Keep in mind they're not supposed to touch you, but whether or not you let them is up to you. By the way, do you have a stage name?" asked the club manager.

"Hmm. I guess you can call me Flaming Star," I chuckled.

"That sounds good, a strong name, easy to remember. You can relax and have a few drinks if you like -- on the house, of course. We will let you know when you're to go on."

"Thanks a bunch. I'll just have some water, please."

"You need to place your drink order at the bar, Flaming Star. I'm the manager, not the barista."

"Sorry, sir. Thanks again for the opportunity," I said humbly, bowing a little to him.

"Pleasure's all mine," he chuckled. I exited the dressing room and made my way back to the bar. A few patrons had already entered, though I was a little surprised to see a few stallions in the room along with several mares. I had a glass of water, which I had to use both hooves to hold to my mouth. An older mare sidled up to me at that point.

"What'cha drinkin', honey?" she asked in a sultry tone. This mare was a medium brown pegasus, rather heavy set, with a dark chocolate colored mane and tail. Her eyes were a deep brown to match her mane and tail, which had slight strands of grey in them. I silently wondered when the last time she actually used her wings to fly.

"I'm just having water, thanks," I replied flatly.

"What's yer name, honey?" she asked, leaning over into my face. Her breath reeked, causing me to nearly choke on my water. I pulled back a little to escape her halitosis.

"Ma'am, I'd appreciate a little breathing room. My name is Flaming Star, and I'm one of the entertainers for tonight."

She beamed a big smile and wrapped her right fore-leg around my withers. "Well, Flaming Star, pleased ta meet'cha! I'm Chocolate Sweetness, and Ah've bin lookin' fer some companionship! Mebbe we can hook up later!"

"Hooking up depends on how much money you wish to spend -- my services are not free, especially since I'm married," I stated flatly.

"Well, in that case, honey, Ah might be able ta persuade ya ta be MAH stallion! Ah've got money ta burn!" she grinned broadly.

"I'm not ready to perform just yet," I protested mildly.

"There are private booths in the back," she said coyly.

"You'd better make this worth my while."

She took a wad of notes out of her purse and flashed them in my face. I had never seen Equestrian paper money before now and doubted the validity of it, though it sure looked real. I was silently wondering if Princess Celestia had authorized the printing of fiat currency.

"This good enough fer ya?" she grinned.

"I don't trust paper currency," I said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, yer old school, are ya? Ah'll show ya this paper's jest as good as the coin yer used ta," she said, frowning just a little. She got up out of her chair, showing me just how big she was. There was a part of me that checked out her hips, noticing her girth and the thickness of her flanks. "If I weren't already married to Trixie, I might be awfully tempted by her, as long as I could get her to freshen her breath," I thought. She returned shortly with a large sack filled with coin and showed it to me.

"Well, Chocolate, you make a very persuasive argument there," I grinned. "You might be able to tell I have a ring on my horn -- but it's not a good ring. I'm looking to have it removed, so I'm willing to go along with you, as long as you don't ask too much of me."

"Where did ya get that? They're s'posed ta take it off ya when ya leave," the pegasus said, showing some concern for my plight.

"My wife and I were given these upon entering the High Roller, and they told us it was going to cost us 500 bits each to have the rings removed," I stated flatly.

She chuckled softly, though it was not out of humor at my situation. "Ah know some ponies -- Ah have some connections. If ya come with me, Ah can get them ta take that ring off'n yer horn," she stated confidently.

"If my wife sees me with you, she'll have a conniption fit," I protested. "She's working the blackjack tables -- there's a clear view, what with all the mirrors inside this place."

"Ah wonder if they're gonna charge ya two even more ta have those rings taken considerin' how long it's bin since ya had them put on ya," she mused. "Tell ya what. You come inta the back with me and let me do some stuff with ya and Ah'll give ya enough ta get both rings removed, dependin' on how well ya do!"

"Okay, I guess," I said half-heartedly. I silently wondered how much she wanted to do, hoping that it wouldn't be too degrading.

"Ah KNEW ya'd see it mah way!" she giggled, trotting happily to a private booth in the back. I sullenly followed her, fearing the worst.

Fear and Loathing in Las Pegasus Part 2

A/N: This chapter contains some sexual content which some may find offensive or amusing, depending on your point of view. Just a little advance warning.

The large brown pegasus mare led me into a private booth, out of direct line-of-sight of the other patrons. I wasn't sure exactly what she wanted to do, but given the predicament Trixie and I were in, I was willing to do just about anything she wanted. The booth had no table, just a couple of black vinyl covered padded benches for us to sit on, either side-by-side or directly facing each other. She took one bench, her width covering nearly half of it. I let out a low whistle when I got a good look at her.

"Ooh, ya like what'cha see, hunh?" she giggled, her words coming out very breathy.

Involuntarily, my arousal made its presence known. "Uh, well ..." I blushed furiously. I couldn't help it -- going back to my human days, large women of color always turned me on, and even though this one was a pegasus, her build and coloration, not to mention her speech pattern were unmistakably of African ancestry. I was in awe of her alluring sexiness and it proved irresistible. I was silently hoping Trixie might be willing to forgive me what I kind of hoped I wouldn't have to do, but decided to rationalize it by considering our situation.

"Ya gonna spend all night starin' at me? Am Ah that good lookin'?" she giggled again.

"So, Chocolate, what'cha wanna do?" I asked her. It was difficult for me to resist touching her, as I had been told touching the patrons was strictly verboten. I didn't really have to worry much about that, as she informed me she wanted me to massage her wings and any other part of her body I wanted to touch.

"If yer really good, Ah might even let'cha ..." she said softly, just above a whisper.

I couldn't believe it. I was supposed to be the reluctant one, but here I was, taking charge of the situation. The brown pegasus was willing to let me do just about anything I wanted with her and I had to hold back on some of my more primal urges as her sexiness was proving to be just too tempting for me to resist. I had for all practical purposes put Trixie out of my mind, my lust for this big brown mare manifesting my passion like her namesake. Chocolate Sweetness indeed! I silently wondered if that was just a stage name or something as I continued to work my magic on her wings, sliding my hooves lower down her back toward her hindquarters, her moans of pleasure urging me onward as I started to fondle the pegasus in areas I would normally get slapped in the face for touching. Her wings were fully erect, but that wasn't the only thing that was.

"Ah'll bet'cha really like that, don't'cha?" she giggled. "Yer doin' good -- keep goin', Ah like the way that feels!" she cooed.

"Um, what else do you want me to do?" I asked, unsure of where to go next.

"That's up ta you, honey. Do whatevah ya feel like doin'," she said softly. "If'n Ah don't like it, Ah'll let'cha know."

I returned to her front side, running my hooves from her neck down her large belly to ... was I really going to touch her there? I stopped just short of her marehood, but fondled her large spongy teats, which made her moan loudly.

"Unh, ya had ta go an' do THAT, now, din't'cha? Oh, yer gonna make me ..." she moaned as her juices started flowing, wetting up my right fore-hoof, which I had allowed to wander down there, despite my intention not to let it do that...

I chuckled a little as I had no idea she was that sensitive to my touch, although the whole time I was sliding my hooves on her body, she was staring intently at my member. I swear she wanted to lean forward and take it in her mouth, though I tried to keep her from doing that. "Miss Chocolate Sweetness, I charge extra for that," I chuckled again. She responded by taking ten of the 100-bit bills out of her purse and shoving them in my face. My jaw dropped at this, but ... I decided to let her slowly taste me. I took the bills, holding them in my hoof as she started working my member. I had only experienced this a few times before in my life, the last time being almost 25 years ago. The chocolate pegasus was working me like a pro, making me moan involuntarily.

"Ah thought it fair ta return th' favor, since ya made me happy," she giggled, stopping for a moment to catch her breath, then returning to work me again. I didn't last long, considering her experience, and she swallowed as much as she could as I spent myself in her mouth. A little dribbled from the corners of her mouth, but she used a hoof to wipe her lips and licked the rest of it off.

"You are amazing," I said, lightly huffing to try to catch my breath.

"Ya wanna taste me?" she grinned.

"I'm not supposed to be doing stuff like this," I said, almost hesitantly. She thrust another thousand bits in my face. "Okay, ma'am, you make a very persuasive argument," I chuckled, kneeling between her haunches, which she obligingly spread as wide as she could. My nose was assailed by the overpowering scent of her love juice, but I pushed my muzzle into the fleshy folds of her marehood, getting it completely wetted. I stuck my tongue out to taste it and was greeted by a sweetness that matched her namesake. Amazingly, her sensitivity was such that it only took a few minutes of sliding my tongue up and down her volcano when it erupted again as she moaned her pleasure in gasps of approval.

"Ah have a permanent suite in th' Visage -- if'n ya evah need some money, yer welcome ta visit me anytime ya want," she said softly. She gave me another thousand bits for the earlier massage and I thanked her enthusiastically as I left the booth. She followed me out of the booth and called to me. "Seeya later, Flaming Star!" she giggled. I trotted toward the dressing room, noticing considerably more patrons in the club, the mares outnumbering the stallions by at least five to one.

As I tried to make my way back to the dressing room, the announcer's voice reverberated around the room from the loudspeakers, blaring music with a heavy bass beat. "Ladies, may I present to you the Fabulous and Fantastic Flaming Star!"

The mares in the room whistled loudly at me, leering, grinning and applauding by stomping their hooves on the floor. I didn't really know if this was because I was new, because I was still showing erect, or maybe because of my physique. Regardless of what reason it was, I decided to go with the flow, trying to dance in rhythm, trying to make myself look sexy for the ladies. Many of them gestured for me to approach, waving paper money at me, practically daring me to let them touch me. I was willing to let them touch, taking the money from them as they would occasionally slide a hoof here or there, a few of the bolder ones licking me with their tongues if I got too close. Apparently, there was not so much dancing as there was groping, fondling, touching, licking and rude offers to retreat to a private booth. There was a part of me that wished I had something to put all the money in, considering just how much was being given to me.

A short while later, the music stopped, giving me an opportunity to dash to the dressing room. Chocolate Sweetness was waiting there for me.

"Hey, honey, ya miss me? Ah wanna do some more stuff with ya!" she chuckled.

"I don't have anything to put all my money in, and I don't trust anypony around here to keep my money safe," I stated flatly. She responded by hoofing me a large sack.

"Okay, that takes care of the first part. Now what about keeping it safe? And aren't you supposed to be outside the dressing room?"

"Ah told ya Ah have connections!" she chuckled. "Ah take it ya nevah heard o' me? Ah'm a stage performer at th' Visage, but Ah am also a recordin' star. Mah records have sold millions o' copies, an' Ah'm a celebrity -- that's why Ah have lots o' money ta throw around. Ah think ya can trust me, Flamin' Star -- that ain't really yer name, is it?"

"Ma'am, I really appreciate the offer, but as I said before, I'm married. You are correct, Flaming Star is just a stage name, but then again, I was wondering if Chocolate Sweetness is also a stage name. You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine."

"Ah cain't do that, Star."

"So you see we're in the same boat. I think I'm being called out there again for another dance," I stated. "Look, if it's anything to you, Sweets, I really do like you, and maybe some time in the near future I may pay you a visit in the Visage. So if you'd please be so kind as to leave the dressing room?"

"Well, Ah'll be lookin' forward to a visit from ya, regardless of what'cher name is!" she smiled and exited the dressing room.

I needed to find a hiding place for this bag of cash I had, so I headed over to the bar to ask the barista for the manager, whom she promptly fetched for me.

"Okay, Star, what's the issue?" he asked.

"I need a secure place to safeguard the money I've collected," I stated flatly, holding the bag in my right fore-hoof.

"I'll keep it safe for you," he stated calmly. He took the bag from me and disappeared. I could only hope he was taking it to his office to hold it for me. The music started up again and once again I mingled through the crowd of mares, collecting more money as I allowed them to touch my body again. It was while I was sort of dancing around through all these various mares that I spotted a certain alabaster unicorn mare with indigo mane and tail and a cutie mark featuring three blue diamonds. As I danced over to her, she waved a few bills at me, smiling broadly. The music was loud enough to drown out most of what I said to her, but her facial expression said everything when I approached her directly. It was only when she got a good close look at me she realized who I was, mouthing my name. I pointed a hoof toward the back and motioned for her to follow me.

"Hey, Flaming Star, who's the lucky lady?" came a voice over the loudspeaker. A spotlight trained on us as we made our way to a booth in the back. Most of the mares and a couple of stallions cleared a path for us, though some still touched me as I led the fashionista to the back. I took their money as they touched me, but Rarity was aghast at this spectacle. It was only when I closed the door behind us that she expressed her distaste for what I was doing.

"Amethyst, darling, must you resort to degrading yourself like this? What about Trixie? What would she think?"

"Rarity, take a close look at my horn. Do you see what I have there? It takes away my magic, and I need money to get it removed. I tried to send word to the Princess, but I'm still waiting on a response, so Trixie and I are working to try to get enough money to have these stupid rings removed."

"What? She has one as well?"

"We went to the High Roller casino a few days ago and they put these rings on our horns. When we left, they refused to remove them unless we paid them 500 bits to do so."

"That's an outrage! I can see why you tried to tell Celestia. Why would they put such a ring on your horn? You didn't cheat in the casino, did you?" she asked, almost in exasperation.

"No, but Trixie did. She got caught and was physically removed from the casino and I went with her."

"Please, dear, tell me everything."

I explained our situation in more detail, giving her as much background as I could. She was stunned, but told me she'd be willing to help as much as she could.

"Amethyst, retrieve your money now and go find Trixie. We need to return to the High Roller as I have connections there. I know a few ponies who can address your problem directly -- they'd dare not displease ME!" Rarity exclaimed proudly.

We left the booth and I made my way back to the bar, claiming some more money as I did so. I asked the barista to fetch the manager for me once again and she did. I asked the manager for my sack of cash, which he promptly returned to me. I checked the contents to make sure none of the money had been taken -- couldn't be too careful, you know -- then went onto the casino floor to find Trixie. Rarity had to canter to keep up with me and complained about it. I told her how much getting my magic back would mean to me, my impatience causing me to make haste. I found Trixie working a blackjack table.

"Trixie, call for a break -- Rarity's going to help us get our rings removed," I said, smiling at her.

Trixie broke into a big smile and called her supervisor over, telling him she needed to leave for a little while. A few moments later, another pony wearing the casino's uniform trotted up to the table, introducing herself as the new croupier for that table. The three of us trotted out the front door of Coltligula's Palace and over to the High Roller.

"With my assistance, you shouldn't have to pay any of your money to get this matter resolved," the fashionista stated proudly.

"Trixie wants to know how much money you made, Amethyst," she grinned. I opened the sack and showed her, causing her to gasp in disbelief.

"So, darling, Flaming Star, is it?" Rarity chuckled. "You're never going to live that down, you know!"

"Flaming Star?" asked Trixie, giving me a sidelong glance.

"The club manager asked me to come up with a stage name, so I did. Flaming Star was the first thing that popped into my head at the time -- I kinda like it, though it is rather contrived. I figured nopony has to know, so why not," I explained.

"Trixie wants to know how much money you made, exactly," she grinned. "You showed Trixie a sack full of bills, but how much is there?"

"I haven't counted it yet, but there was a certain pegasus mare who gave me 3,000 bits to do some stuff with her," I stated. "Maybe we can get out caravan out of the impound lot as well as having these rings removed."

"As long as you did not cheat on Trixie, she is pleased to see so much money!" she grinned. "Even if you did change your name again. Flaming Star? Is that what Trixie should call you now?"

"No, Trixie, that's just a stage name I came up with for any future occasions where I might decide to dance for some money," I replied.

At this point, we had made it to the High Roller and were about to enter ... again. Silver Streak met up with us at this point. I groaned as I saw the light-grey unicorn stallion trot up to us, a smug smirk on his face.

"So, Amethyst, Trixie, we meet again! You two ready to give me my booking fee?" he chuckled.

"You're the ruffian Amethyst was telling me about. You leave him alone, dear, unless you want trouble," Rarity growled at him.

"I'm the booking agent for performers here in Las Pegasus, ma'am. I don't know who you are, but I would suggest you not give me any trouble, because without my help, these two might as well leave town and find work elsewhere," he boasted.

"Silver, we're just here to get our inhibitor rings removed. Once we're through with that, we're heading to the police station to get our caravan out of the impound lot. After that, we will indeed be leaving this ... bucking town," I stated flatly, though a hint of anger made its way into the last part of what I had said.

"Fair enough, I shall trouble you no more. Nice knowing you, Amethyst! Trixie, if you're looking to work as a performer here in Las Pegasus, why not hook up with me? I can get you into the best venues!" he grinned slyly.

"Trixie thinks you should go buck yourself, Silver Streak!" she nearly shouted at him. Rarity blanched at Trixie's bluntness.

"I suggest you do the same, Trixie dear," he smiled as he entered the casino. Trixie stuck her tongue out of her mouth behind his back.

We followed him in, but stopped at the security desk. Coffee Break had made his way back and gave us his very best death glare. If looks could kill, we'd be burnt toast.

"I thought I told you two never to come back," he growled.

"We're here to get these ... rings removed," I stated flatly. "We're not here to do anything else."

"Well, you must be that Coffee Break fellow Amethyst was telling me about. I am Rarity, and I have connections with the owner of this casino. I would strongly request you contact the necessary personnel to have the rings removed from my friends' horns, unless you wish to incur my wrath," the alabaster unicorn stated in a very matter-of-fact tone.

"I don't care who the buck you are, Ma'am, but these two here with you are troublemakers, and they are not welcome here in the High Roller," he growled.

The time we were standing in the vestibule allowed for a member of management to come see us out, but when the mare saw Rarity, she struck a smile, apologizing to the fashionista, who informed her of the security chief's rude behavior. The burly stallion changed his attitude immediately, also apologizing to Rarity, then to the management mare, then to us.

"Coffee Break, you have one chance to save your job. Fetch our Ring Removal unicorn and make it quick!" the management mare nearly shouted at the burly security chief, who once again apologized profusely before charging into the casino as fast as his legs could carry him. Trixie and I had to stifle giggles at the sight. Moments later, he returned with a pale yellow unicorn mare with pale green mane and tail, who lit her horn and removed the rings that Trixie and I had been "given." I immediately felt the tingling of magic returning to my horn, restoring a semblance of peace of mind. Trixie sighed in relief upon having her magic restored.

"I am so terribly sorry to have inconvenienced you two -- we had no idea you were so well connected," the management mare said to us, bowing deeply. "We hope that this gesture of generosity will appease you and that you will not take legal action against our casino."

"Considering we were without the use of our magic for more than two days, I think your casino owes us more than a simple apology and the free removal of those inhibitor rings," I said, acid dripping from my words.

"Please, sir, give me a few moments to retrieve some gift cards for you and your companions," she stated effusively, dashing into the casino nearly as quickly as the security chief had. Moments later she returned with several cards bearing values good for gaming and a couple of gift certificates for items in the gift shop or meals in one of the adjoining restaurants. I was debating with myself whether or not to take them, but Trixie saved me the trouble by grabbing them with her freshly restored telekinesis. I glanced at her with a hint of a scowl on my face.

"Come on, Trixie, let's get out of here. If nothing else, ma'am, I thank you for restoring my magic use. Being without it gave me a great deal of emotional trauma. I think it's going to be quite a long time before I have my self-confidence in my magic ability return to some degree of normality. These gifts you have provided are small comfort considering what we have gone through," I stated flatly.

"Please, sir! Have mercy on us! It was never our intention to cause such distress!" the mare pleaded, her voice trembling ever so slightly.

"I am very disappointed in your establishment. It is my belief that I shall never return, though I will have words with a certain Alicorn regarding my less than satisfactory treatment," I said, maintaining an evenness to my tone. The management mare's knees started trembling, tears starting to flow down her cheeks. "So you understand the gravity of the situation. I will also be sure to inform Her Majesty about the behavior of a certain talent booking agent as well."

Said booking agent was just about to exit the casino when he heard this, and prostrated himself on the vestibule floor before us. "Please, Amethyst, Trixie, I didn't really mean what I said! I was just testing you two to see how serious you were about performing here in this city! Please, give me another chance! I promise I will make it up to you two!" he nearly wailed, his voice cracking.

I glared at him and uttered rather softly, "I have nothing more to say to you and I never want to see your face again, Silver Streak," stating his name with as much contempt as I could muster.

With that, I took Trixie by her right fore-hoof and led her out the front door. Rarity followed us out as we trotted along the strip to head for the police station. One small problem, though, was that it was pretty late out and I figured we should probably get a room for the night. Rarity insisted on traveling with us, and directed us to the Pink Swan, as she had stayed there once before and the rooms had extremely comfortable beds. The three of us entered the hotel, ignoring the casino as best we could. The fashionista insisted on paying for our lodgings, even though I still had that sack full of money.

"That's your money, darling, I couldn't bear the thought of taking from it -- you lost your savings and you need all you can get, so at the very least, allow me to pay for your meals and lodging. I am so pleased to have run into the two of you -- it's been very quiet in Ponyville since you two left!"

"I'm hoping to return there with Trixie so she can have her foal there. I know Ponyville hasn't been too kind to her in the past, but I think --"

"Trixie doesn't want you telling the whole world she is pregnant, Amethyst!" she exclaimed in exasperation, interrupting me.

"Oh, Trixie, darling, that's wonderful news! I can hardly wait to see your foal -- I'll bet she's going to be just as pretty as you!" Rarity chimed happily. Trixie smiled at the compliment.

"I'm quite sure she will be, Rarity," I said confidently. "Thanks again for your help, you're a lifesaver."

"It was my pleasure, darling!" she grinned. Rarity got a room for herself, and Trixie and I got one to share. We were shown to our rooms by an overly enthusiastic bellhop, whom I hoofed a ten bit note for his trouble. Trixie snorted in derision as she trotted over to the bed, which was made of solidified cloud. She laid down on it, giggling at the softness and beckoned me over to her.

"Give me a private dance, Flaming Star!" she chuckled, grinning from ear to ear. I tried doing a sexy dance to music I heard in my head, slowly gyrating my hips, swaying my upper body for her, licking my lips as I grinned at her. "Come here, Trixie has something special for you!" she cooed to me. Slowly, ever so slowly, I made my way to the bed. Her impatience caused her to grab me with her fore-hooves and pull me onto her, whereupon she started kissing me. That's when she noticed a strange scent and shot up with a start, bolt upright, and a look of pure rage came across her face.

Oh shit. She found out.

"Please, Trixie, let me explain," I began, trying to calm her down. She lit her horn, readying a spell of some sort. "Remember your Pinkie Promise!" I pleaded, backing away from the bed and readying a magic barrier.

"Trixie does not want to hear anything you have to say! She does not remember making a Pinkie Promise!" she yelled at me as she slowly started advancing towards me.

"We needed money, Trixie -- I didn't do this to hurt you, I did it to try to help us! I had no idea we'd run into Rarity! You made that promise when Celestia returned with you to meet me in Ponyville, remember now?"

"Trixie does not care! You stuck your nose in a place it did not belong! Who is she? Trixie demands you tell her who it was!"

"She called herself Chocolate Sweetness," I stated flatly. Trixie's expression changed somewhat, her anger receding slightly.

"Trixie has heard of her -- she was born in Neigh Orleans, the same town where Trixie was born. Trixie has all of her records -- you mean to tell Trixie you got that close to ... Trixie says you lie!"

"She told me she's at the Visage, and that if I needed money, I could visit her any time I wanted," I said softly, waiting for Trixie's next outburst.

"Trixie finds that hard to believe," she stated, most of her anger spent.

"If you don't believe me, let's go there and meet up with her. I'm sure you'd probably be excited to meet her face to face," I smiled.

"Trixie hopes she'll be as friendly to her as she was to you," she said wistfully, an odd smile coming across her lips.

"Only one way to find out, I guess," I replied. Trixie came up to me and licked my muzzle and smiled at the taste. She licked my face, making me giggle at the sensation. "Trixie, please stop!" I cried through my laughter.

"Trixie wants a taste of Chocolate," she chuckled.

"You're terrible," I said, chuckling in response.

"Trixie knows this," she giggled as she stole another quick lick of my face before grabbing my right fore-leg and pulling me along with her out of the room to the stairs, nearly at a full gallop. I found it hard to believe she would change her mood so quickly as I followed her down the stairs and out the front door of the hotel. She continued to gallop toward the strip and off toward the Visage. Years of pulling her caravan by herself had given her tremendous stamina and endurance, as I was winded by the time I made it to the front door of the Visage. Trixie was waiting for me in the vestibule of the casino. Unfortunately, when we entered together, we were once again "given" inhibitor rings by security.

"I hope you won't charge us for the removal of these rings," I stated flatly.

"Of course, sir, this is merely a precaution to prevent you from cheating at our games," the lanky security pony stated cheerfully.

"Do you know where Chocolate Sweetness is performing?" I asked him.

"Ah, she is the featured entertainer tonight! Our conference room and ballroom have been combined tonight for her performance. Just follow the signs, they'll direct you to where she's performing. You can't miss it!" he grinned.

"Trixie can't wait -- let's get going!" she said excitedly. Once on the main floor of the casino, Trixie broke into a canter, trying to go as quickly as possible as she followed the signs. I cantered to match her pace, though we attracted quite a bit of attention from security. When it became obvious as to where we were heading, they simply shouted at us to slow down! Finally we reached the specified area, but were prevented from entering as we had no tickets. Another security pony stood in front of the door and told us her performance was nearly over.

"Um, sir, if you can get her attention, I believe she knows me -- she told me she performs here and extended an invitation to me to come see her here," I stated optimistically.

"Wait until she's finished -- I'll have one of my co-workers inform her of your presence. What name do you go by?" he asked impatiently.

"Tell her it's Flaming Star to see her. She'll know exactly who I am, if not actually request my immediate presence," I replied solemnly.

"Your female companion will have to wait until she's given approval."

"But Trixie wants to see Chocolate Sweetness as well!" she pouted, giving her sad eyes look again, the look that could melt anypony's heart. She maintained this look long enough for it to work.

"Okay, fine. Just behave yourself, please," he relented, giving a groan of resignation. Trixie had to restrain her jubilation upon hearing this. We waited patiently for Chocolate to finish her performance, listening to her sing soulful blues songs, though we only caught part of one song and another whole song before she was finished. We waited for what seemed like an hour before another security pony arrived quickly, huffing to catch her breath.

"You are Flaming Star? Chocolate Sweetness has been informed of your presence and requests you to follow me immediately," she stated between gasps to catch her breath. I nodded my head and she turned to lead me to her. Trixie followed me at this point and we shortly arrived at the backstage dressing room the performer was relaxing in. The security pony knocked on the door.

"Chocolate, your guest has arrived," she stated. When she saw Trixie, she glared in disapproval. "Why did you follow Flaming Star?"

"Trixie is his wife and was given permission to visit Chocolate Sweetness," the show-mare stated flatly.

The door opened to reveal the performer, who gave me a broad smile when she saw me.

"Flamin' Star! Ah was hopin' ya'd return! Who's this delicious filly ya've brought with ya?" she asked, grinning, causing Trixie to blush.

"Hey, Sweets. This is Trixie, my wife I was telling you about," I said, returning her smile.

"Flamin' Star! Ah had no idea she was this cute! Come on in, there's enough room fer both o' ya!" the pegasus offered, smiling very broadly. We entered at her behest, closing the door behind us.

"Trixie is so excited to meet you! She has all your records!" the show-mare exclaimed excitedly.

"Trixie, behave yourself," I chided her. "Sweets, I suppose you get this all the time, don't you?"

"Yeah, but she's cool. As long as she's with ya, Ah don't mind too much. As good lookin' as she is, Ah think it's kinda cute," she chuckled. Trixie's blush deepened as her smiled widened further.

"Trixie wants to know what you two did earlier," she mused aloud.

"Well, Star, should we show her? Ya ready fer another round?" she asked, flashing another grin.

"Trixie wants to know if she can join in," she offered, her grin nearly ear to ear.

"Trixie, show me what'cha got," the pegasus requested. The forwardness of the request caught Trixie off guard and her cheeks became bright red, as if her blushing hadn't already been deep enough. The show-mare almost reluctantly obliged, laying back on a couch and spreading her haunches to show the pegasus her pleasure palace, which elicited a low whistle from the pegasus. I found her reaction quite fascinating.

"Ooh, like what you see, Miss Chocolate Sweetness?" the show-mare cooed almost lustily.

"That's MAH line!" she exclaimed, giggling very loudly. "That's the prettiest thang Ah've seent in a long time!"

The brown pegasus nearly pounced on Trixie, burying her muzzle deep between the show-mare's haunches. I was stunned to see this display, but watched with keen interest. I was amazed to watch the pegasus reduce the show-mare to grunts and gasps as she worked her magic with her tongue.

"Trixie thought she was going to be the one giving pleasure, not receiving it!" she exclaimed between her huffing for breath.

"Ooh, ya like mares, too?" the pegasus asked slyly, giving Trixie a brief respite from the oral onslaught.

"Trixie wants a taste of Chocolate," she cooed. This brought a very big smile to the pegasus' lips.

"Ye'll get'cher chance as soon as Ah'm finished!" she giggled. "Star, Ah had no idea she was like this! Ya got a real winnah here!"

"Hey, Sweets -- shouldn't we take this upstairs to your private suite? What say?" I asked, grinning broadly.

"That sounds like a good idea," the pegasus replied, returning my grin. She led the way as Trixie and I followed her. Security ponies made way for us as we trotted through the casino and into the hotel, removing the rings from Trixie and me as we exited the casino.

"We apologize for inconveniencing you -- we had no idea you were with Miss Sweetness," a security mare said as she addressed us. We trotted to the elevator, the pegasus sliding her card through the reader to take us to the penthouse floor.

"Yer gonna love THIS!" she exclaimed, beaming a big smile. The elevator opened to a grand hallway with just four doors for the entire floor. We followed Sweets to one of the rooms as she used her card again to open the last door on the left. We were left speechless at the size of the room, which had been subdivided into four sections. Opulence dripped from all the decor, but we paid it no heed as we followed the pegasus into her huge bedroom. I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

"Sweets, I'll have to admit I'm absolutely amazed by this," I said softly.

"It's not much, but it's home," she replied, allowing a slight giggle to escape her mouth.

Trixie was still speechless as her mind was still trying to recover from the overwhelming display of luxury, a big goofy grin on her face.

Broken Promises

After overcoming our initial shock over the extreme display of opulence, we joined Chocolate Sweetness on her oversized bed, which was made of solidified cloud. It seemed to me as though the most luxurious appointments in all Equestria had beds made of the same material. The three of us engaged in various activities with each other, Trixie enjoying herself thoroughly. It was only when I foolishly mentioned the idea of starting a herd and adding Sweets to it that Trixie lost her temper and knocked me out cold. The pegasus let out a shriek of fear and galloped out of her room, flapping her wings frantically in an attempt to fly. I suppose if I had been conscious to see it, I might have chuckled at the seemingly ridiculous sight of an obese middle-aged pegasus trying to fly for the first time in years. I didn't know it at the time, but in her rage, Trixie broke my horn off and then proceeded to pummel my body with large heavy objects in the room, bloodying me, breaking bones, and otherwise trying to kill me. Several security ponies rushed into the room and pulled her off, putting an inhibitor ring on her horn, then taking her down to the police station.

--------------------------------------

I could not recall many details of that night. All I can remember is being with Trixie and Chocolate Sweetness in her penthouse suite in the Visage. I remember we did some stuff together, but those memories seem rather fuzzy, my mind in a deep fog. The next thing I know, I'm being woken by housekeeping, laying in a very comfortable bed, not wanting to get up. For some strange reason, I feel a throbbing headache that doesn't want to go away.

"I don't remember drinking any alcohol last night," I thought as I tried to rise to my hooves, falling out of the bed and landing on my face. I cursed aloud as a fresh pain impacted me, but then I noticed something really strange. I had been transformed into my old human form, completely naked. I had to stand on my legs, trying to regain my balance. After having been a unicorn for more than a year, returning to a human body was very unexpected and quite alarming. I managed to stand and make my way to the dresser to examine myself in the mirror. Something shiny caught my eye and as I glanced down to see it, I noticed a ring. I wasn't sure if it was an inhibitor ring, Trixie's wedding ring, or my wedding ring. I picked it up to examine it a little more closely, reading the inscription on the inside of the band.

"To my dearest Trixie, may our love last forever."

I slowly made my way back to the bed, the ring in my right hand, and fell forward upon it. Tears streamed from my eyes as I was now not only human, but alone as well. I was seriously wondering if whether or not this was a dream or a nightmare, but the housekeeper knocked on the door again, then entered the room, wheeling a cart with clean linens and cleaning supplies. I noticed the person wheeling the cart was a human female, dark skinned, fully clothed in a hotel's uniform. She let out a shriek when she saw me, quickly wheeling the cart out the door and closing it behind her. I heard her swift footsteps as she ran down the corridor, presumably to fetch the manager of the hotel.

I got up again, returning to the mirror to more closely examine myself. I noticed that I seemed to have deaged quite a bit -- looking more like I was 20 than 50. I had a full head of thick dark brown hair, but my eyes threw me off. I was supposed to have greenish eyes, but the new me had deep blue eyes. My facial features didn't look the same. I also seemed to be several inches taller and 50 pounds lighter than my old human self. I chalked it up to my previous transformations as a pony, and decided to answer Nature's Call. It was while I was sitting on the toilet that the manager entered the room, but found no trace of my presence.

"He was here just a few minutes ago, Frank!" the housekeeper protested.

"You're just imagining things, Trixie," he replied, trying to calm her.

"Trixie? As in Trixie Lulamoon?" I asked, loudly enough for them to hear me. I heard a female shriek and the manager call to me.

"Okay, buddy, I don't know who you are, but as soon as you're finished in there, we're going to have a little chat."

"How does he know my name, Frank?" she asked.

"Hey, Trixie, did you marry someone named Michael?" I asked her. I checked the ring for size, noticing it was substantially larger than a ring which would fit my thumb. This left me very puzzled. She did not respond to my question. I finished my business in the bathroom and grabbed a large towel, wrapping it around my waist. Frank wasn't too happy to see me.

"Okay, chief, who are you and how did you get in here?" he asked, glaring in disapproval.

"I guess my name's Michael, and I have no clue as to how I got here. Last night I was in a hotel called the Visage, and to be honest, I have no idea where I am now," I replied. I twiddled the ring between my thumb and fingers idly.

"That ring! That's MY ring!" Trixie exclaimed. "What are you doing with it?"

"This is too big for you -- where do you wear it if it won't fit any of your fingers?" I asked in surprise. "This ring was given to my wife, who incidentally carries the name of Trixie -- she and I were in ... different bodily forms when we got married, and she wore this on her right fore-hoof."

The housekeeper gave me a very quizzical look and Frank just looked disgusted. "Sounds like a pony thing," he muttered.

"Trixie, where were you born?" I asked her.

"New Orleans," came her flat reply.

"And what's your mother's name?"

"Midnight --"

---------------------------------------------------------

I blacked out at this point, losing consciousness. I had no idea of how long I was out for, but when I came to, I was lying in a hospital bed, an IV stuck in my right fore-leg, which was a medium purple color. This disorientation was starting to get to me and as I was once again trying to recover my faculties, a nurse came into the room, or at least I think it was a nurse.

"Just relax, Amethyst, we have to run some more tests on you," came the reassuring voice of Nurse Redheart.

"What -- I'm in Ponyville again? Where's Trixie? What happened to me?" I asked, my voice sounding very weak.

"You need to be careful -- don't overexert yourself. You've been in a coma for three weeks, Amethyst. It was touch and go for a few days there, but we managed to bring you back," she smiled. "Now get some more rest -- you need it."

I tried to say something, but was too weak to do so. I tried to sit up, but my body didn't want to respond to my mental command. I tried using magic, but that didn't seem to be working either. My fatigue overtook me at this point as I continued to lay in the bed, losing consciousness again.

---------------------------------

"Amethyst! Wake up!" came another female voice. I felt a hoof shaking my head, the sensation making my vision blurry. I could only make out a blue shape for a face and something white at the top. "Trixie is sorry, please forgive her," she said softly. She laid her head upon my neck and I felt a wetness as though she were either crying now or recently had been.

I tried to talk but couldn't. I tried to move but couldn't. I opened my eyes, still wide with fear. I tried to use my magic, but that wouldn't work, either. I needed help, but didn't know how to get it. Trixie's warmth made it uncomfortable for me and I tried to push her off me, moving my right fore-leg slightly. I opened my mouth to try shouting for help -- Trixie must have seen my attempt as I silently mouthed the word help, repeating it as much as I could.

"Nurse! Amethyst needs help! Can somepony help him?" Trixie pleaded. She left my side, practically galloping through the halls of the hospital, trying to get help for me. A flash of light caught my eye and I turned my head to see what had happened.

"Princess Celestia told us we'd find you here," said Twilight in a concerned tone of voice.

"We didn't recognize you since your last transformation," said Trixie. I tried to say something, but nothing came out of my mouth.

"Don't speak, Amethyst. We will heal you again," said Twilight. Trixie nodded her head and grinned as she lit her horn, glowing a deep blue. Twilight's horn glowed with a deep magenta hue and both of them enveloped my body in their auras, working their special healing magic on me. It took a few minutes of this before I felt well enough to sit up and talk.

"Thank you both so much for helping me. But if you two are here, then there must be something very important to have brought you here," I stated, my voice hoarse from weeks of non-use. "I could really use some water, please."

"Amethyst, we came because I wanted to see you again," Trixie said. I noticed her blue six-pointed star cutie mark.

"Did your Princess send you? Or are the two of you powerful enough to travel across the dimensional barrier together?" I asked, still amazed that they would come just to see me.

"Well ... there IS one other thing ..." Twilight said softly, her head tilted downward as she appeared to be staring at the floor.

"What is it?" I asked, taking small sips from a glass of water which had been teleported to me by the librarian.

"Well ... we were hoping you'd still be an Alicorn," Twilight said dejectedly. "The problem we have is one that needs an Alicorn's power, something you don't have anymore."

My wife burst into the room at this point, but stopped immediately when she saw her alternate universe counterpart. "Trixie wants to know what you two are doing here?" she asked in puzzlement.

"We needed his help again, but in his current form, he cannot help us. Perhaps we can have your Princess Celestia restore his Alicorn status -- the Changeling Queen has returned with her army -- again," Other Trixie stated flatly.

"Trixie is married to Amethyst and will not allow him to become an Alicorn again -- not for another seventy years! Trixie is married to Amethyst and doesn't want to lose him again!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling.

I turned to my wife. "Can you tell me what happened? How long I have been out for?"

My Trixie started crying again, but was able to tell me through her crying that I had been in a coma for eight weeks. She wouldn't tell me what happened to me to cause me to fall into that coma. The co-librarians were a bit surprised to hear this, but then Other Trixie turned to my wife, glaring at her.

"Something tells me you had something to do with this, Trixie," her counterpart growled at her. My Trixie backed up, wincing at her counterpart's advances. "What did you do to him!?" she snarled, her muzzle pushing against my wife's.

"Trixie is so sorry! She lost her temper! She only wanted to teach Amethyst not to cheat on her!" she pleaded.

"You nearly killed him! Again!" Other Trixie hissed through her clenched teeth, still right in my wife's face.

"Trixie, please stop. I think some of my memory is coming back, though it's still real fuzzy. If I cheated on you, I'm sorry -- I think it had something to do with us getting the caravan back and getting our inhibitor rings removed. It was never my intention to hurt you," I said, my voice still hoarse, though the water was helping somewhat. The whole experience seemed like deja vu and it was making my head hurt. "What happened to my horn?" I asked, actually noticing its absence for the first time. My Trixie started panicking at this point.

"What? You BROKE IT OFF?!?" the co-librarians exclaimed in disbelief, their mouths agape. My Trixie started crying again, fearing the worst. Intentionally removing a unicorn's horn was a very serious offense, and apparently, Trixie had broken my horn off some time in the past.

"Perhaps Princess Celestia can help me," I offered half-heartedly. "Trixie, I know I made you mad at me, but taking my horn was a bit much, even for you," I said to her. Her sobbing became louder at this point. "Please understand I don't love you any less, it's just that I'm very disappointed in you. I forgive you for breaking your Pinkie Promise not to attack me, but my horn? Really?"

"Did you say she broke a Pinkie Promise?" Twilight asked. "What exactly does that mean?"

"Since you're from the other universe, I'll have to let Pinkie Pie herself explain it to you," I said, half expecting the pink earth pony to pop into the room from somewhere. "Hey, Pinkie Pie, if you're somewhere around here ..."

"Trixie knows you broke a Pinkie Promise too, Amethyst! So the two cancel each other out!" my wife exclaimed indignantly.

"No they don't!" the pink party pony shouted as she burst into the room, the door slamming so hard into the wall behind it that it shattered into splinters. "Ammy, you're all right!" she exclaimed, rushing me and hugging me so tightly I was about to lose consciousness again. She saw my broken horn at this point, then turned her attention to my wife. "You should be thankful I'm not in Pinkamena mode right now, Trixie," Pinkie growled. My wife cowered in fear from the infuriated party pony.

"Trixie said she is sorry! But HE CHEATED ON ME!!" she wailed.

"And I thought you said you wanted a taste of Chocolate," I grumbled.

"SHUT UP!" she screeched.

"Other Trixie, Twilight -- can you contact Princess Celestia for me? I believe I need her help and some sort of resolution to this matter," I stated flatly. "Look Trixie, I'm sorry, too. Will you at least forgive me? I thought I was doing the right thing -- I thought getting money was extremely important. I'm sorry I succumbed to my temptation. Please give me another chance -- we're still married, will you at least give me another chance?"

"Trixie doesn't know what to think right now, Amethyst. You hurt her very badly and she needs some more time to think," she replied sullenly.

"I'm sure the Princess will give you plenty of time to yourself to think," Pinkie said, almost too cheerfully for my taste.

"Uh, Pinkie, she IS still my wife, you know. I haven't filed for divorce from her, and I doubt she's done so either," I said.

"I don't see why you married her -- this is the second time she's tried to kill you. I think you'd probably be happier with me," the Other Trixie mused. My wife got in Other Trixie's face, mashing her muzzle against her counterpart's.

"Amethyst is TRIXIE"S stallion, NOT YOURS!!" she snarled. "How DARE you think you can steal him away from her!" She then returned to my side, leaning against me. "Amethyst, please forgive Trixie for her actions! Please don't tell Celestia she took your horn!"

"Um, Trixie, I think it might be too late for that," I said almost hesitantly as a certain Sun Goddess materialized in the suddenly very crowded hospital room.

"Two Trixies. Twilight, I thought you were an Alicorn now? Amethyst? How are you feeling? Pinkie Pie? What brings you here?" the Solar Princess addressed all of us. Apparently, we all tried to speak at the same time, which caused Princess Celestia to raise a hoof. "One at a time, please. I shall address you all individually, however I cannot spend much time with you, as there are pressing matters for me to deal with as well. Amethyst, have you made a decision on reprising your role as Solar Regent?"

"Not yet, your Majesty. I was hoping to spend more time with Trixie. I don't suppose word finally got back to you about our troubles in Las Pegasus?'

"Rarity told me what happened, Amethyst. So your wife broke your horn off? Perhaps you cheated on her. I shall restore your horn, but please be more careful and respect your wife. I can sympathize with your plight to some extent, though you have severely damaged your marriage. Trixie, I would normally be tempted to sentence you to five years in the dungeon for taking a unicorn's horn, but that would not solve any problems. I suggest in future you refrain from further hostilities, lest you provoke my ire.

"Trixie and Twilight, my counterpart's faithful students! Indeed it is a pleasure to meet you two again. I have been informed of the situation in your world and would like to assist as much as I can -- though if Amethyst were willing to return to his former role as an Alicorn, I would send him in my stead, considering his strengths."

"Your Majesty, I believe I might be ready to return to my former role. Trixie, I beg of you your forgiveness -- I am very sorry to do this, but it needs to be done. Consider the fact we are still married -- my return transformation changes nothing about our marriage. I promise you I shall return soon," I stated calmly. I watched tears trickle from my wife's eyes as she heard what I said.

"Amethyst, I will return shortly with my sister to perform the transformation upon you. Please take a few moments to prepare yourself," the Sun Goddess stated solemnly, but flashed me a smile before she teleported away.

"We are very happy to hear this -- you have no idea what this means to us," Twilight said, also smiling broadly.

"The changelings are wreaking havoc -- your help comes not a moment too soon," Trixie added.

"Amethyst -- Trixie is so sorry for doing what she did -- please come back safely, for her sake," the show-mare pleaded.

"You should be thankful the Princess didn't lock you up in the dungeon again! Considering we know you were sent there before for attacking him! Amethyst, please tell us you'll stay in OUR realm, for our sake!" Other Trixie half-asked. The two Trixies glared at each other, scowling and growling, baring their teeth. My Trixie stuck her tongue out at her counterpart, which made me chuckle.

"Trixie knows you still love her, Amethyst," my wife giggled.

"I don't know if it's worth it anymore," I sighed.

"Yeah, Ammy, she's not worth it!" Pinkie giggled. I turned toward her and gave her a sidelong glance, a slight scowl.

"She'll just attack you again, Amethyst -- you'll have to watch your back around her!" Other Trixie warned.

"STOP IT! Trixie said she's SORRY! How many times does Trixie have to say that?!" she wailed.

"Trixie, I don't know if I can trust you not to attack me again. I apologized for what I did, you apologize for what you did, but that takes us back to square one. It's going to take some time before my trust in you is restored," I stated, a hint of exasperation in my voice. At this point, the Royal Sisters arrived in my hospital room, making an already crowded situation even more so.

"Amethyst, we sincerely hope we do not have to reverse this process again -- truthfully, We felt it was a mistake for you to renounce your status the last time around. Consider this a final chance from Us," the Lunar Princess stated flatly, her words tinged with just a hint of anger.

"My sister speaks for me as well, Amethyst. We will not reverse this process, so from this moment forward, you will remain an Alicorn. Nothing you say or do will convince us to reverse this process. Are you ready to proceed?"

Everypony in the room watched with keen interest, Pinkie leaning forward to the point where she lost her balance and fell on her fetlocks.

"Whoa!" the pink party pony exclaimed, returning to her hooves and smiling sheepishly. A few more tense moments passed while I pondered the ramifications of this choice.

"Very well then, Celestia, Luna. You may proceed. I suppose I have had enough time for foaling around," I stated almost sullenly, hanging my head.

"Yeah!" the co-librarians exclaimed jubilantly.

"All right!" cheered Pinkie.

My wife hung her head sadly, tears trickling down her cheeks. She remained silent as the Princesses enveloped me in their combined auras, enlarging my body to full Alicorn size, a pair of wings emerging at my sides, my coat changing color to pure white once again, my mane and tail changing into an ethereal yellow and orange as well. My horn turned white and became much longer, rivaling Celestia's for sheer length.

"Arise, Prince Michael of Equestria," Celestia stated in her most regal voice. She then presented me with my regalia, a gold circlet with a blue diamond inset, the large torque with a larger blue diamond inset, and the four golden hoofguards. "May you serve us faithfully and well, Michael. Take care, and good luck."

Should I Kill Them All?

"Should we still call you Amethyst? Or Michael? Or is there another name you wish to be called?" asked Other Trixie as she and Twilight gazed at my new form in near wonderment.

"Trixie thinks he should use the stage name he gave himself -- Flaming Star!" my wife said almost angrily, contempt dripping from her words. The Sun Goddess chuckled at this.

"Yes, I have heard about his exploits in Las Pegasus," Celestia mused, giggling slightly. "Flaming Star sounds like a good name!" I groaned in response to this, and Luna chuckled as well.

"Flaming Star? Will you tell us about what happened in Las Pegasus?" Other Trixie grinned.

"Ooh! Ooh! I wanna hear all about it as well! Rarity told me some stuff, but left out all the juicy details! Come on, please? Huh? Huh?" the pink pony asked excitedly.

"Trixie knows, but she's not going to tell anypony," my wife stated flatly.

"What happens in Las Pegasus STAYS in Las Pegasus," I growled.

"I suggest you travel to the other universe and resolve the issue at hand, Flaming Star. Trixie and Twilight are counting on you, and we've wasted enough time as it is. Luna, we should return to the Castle now," the Solar Princess announced firmly.

"Very well then, Celestia. Twilight, Trixie, please allow me to teleport us to your universe," I said solemnly.

"Hurry back ... Flaming Star," my wife said sullenly.

I wrapped my wings around the co-librarians and teleported the three of us to the alternate universe Ponyville, in front of the Library once again. It was night-time here, which meant finding the changeling army and their Queen might prove difficult.

"Shall we meet with your Princess?" I asked.

"That sounds like a good idea," Trixie mused. "I really wish you'd stay here -- sometimes I get pretty lonely, and Twilight doesn't always want to share my bed."

"That's because Trixie snores too loudly sometimes," the lavender mare giggled. "I tried using a silencing spell on her once, but had to cancel it out when she stopped breathing."

"Okay, let's go to the Castle," I said, wrapping my wings around the two unicorns and teleporting again, landing in the throne room, which was empty. Another teleport took us to Celestia's bedchamber, where the Alicorn was sleeping.

"Princess Celestia -- your Majesty," I stated loud enough to wake her.

"Who is there?" she asked, turning over to see who had interrupted her slumber. "Michael? I was hoping you'd come. We have been beset by Chrysalis and her army once again -- normally it wouldn't be much trouble for me, but with my duties raising and lowering both Sun and Moon, I'm too tired to do much else. Your arrival is truly a blessing, so please address the problem with as much expediency as possible."

"The last time I encountered them, I promised total destruction of the changelings, ridding your planet of their parasitic existence," I stated flatly. "My question to you, Princess, is this: should I kill them all?"

"Michael, there are certain circumstances when restraint is the order of the day. Though the changelings represent a scourge, they do not deserve death. I would strongly request you refrain from killing them if you can help it."

"After defeating them once before, they returned. Nothing short of total annihilation will prevent them from making yet another return," I explained.

"We ponies are just and kind -- not ones to visit death upon others with wanton recklessness, regardless of the menace they present," the Sun Goddess stated. "Try to spare as many of them as possible. If some perish in your attempt to persuade Chrysalis to abandon her dream of conquest, I shall allow for such collateral damage, though I will be disappointed by actions that will lead to the death of even one changeling."

"I shall try to incapacitate them without resorting to killing them, your Majesty," I stated flatly. "I shall try to use as much restraint as possible."

"Do your best and hurry back as I would like to have words with you," she said softly and went back to sleep.

"Flaming Star, do you think you can defeat Chrysalis without killing a single changeling?" Trixie asked me.

"It will prove to be quite tricky, Trixie. Truthfully, I'm not really sure where to start."

"We should head back to the Library," Twilight offered. "Maybe the answers we need might be in a few books."

Once again I wrapped my wings around them and teleported back to the library. Trixie lit several lamps inside and Twilight checked the shelves for books, taking a few down with her telekinesis. One book detailed the history of the changelings, going back a couple of millennia or so. Another book detailed physiology of the creatures, strengths and weaknesses. Another went into the psychology of them. Taken together as a collective whole, I got a slightly better understanding, though I only skimmed through the books, as there wasn't really any time for digesting the contents in any great detail.

"I believe I might be able to frighten them off again, but I will need your help. Twilight, do you still have the voice box I gave you, the one you tinkered with? I would like to make a duplicate of that item and give it to Trixie. I am going to cast a glamour on the two of you, making you look like Alicorns. The voice boxes should be used to amplify your voices to make you sound like you're using the Royal Canterlot Voice to give the impression you're considerably more powerful than you are. If Chrysalis sees three Alicorns, she'll probably call off the attack and retreat once again," I stated optimistically.

The co-librarians giggled at the thought of being able to frighten the Changeling Queen and Twilight quickly fetched her little white box, hoofing it to me. I examined it closely and made a duplicate of it. The two unicorns placed the boxes on their necks and I cast the glamour spell on them, making Twilight look like much larger version of herself -- in fact, she looked an awful lot like a dark purple version of Nightmare Moon. I smiled at her, admiring her new look and showed her in a mirror her new appearance. She giggled like a little school filly, her voice being doubled by the box and sounding rather ominous. I made Trixie look a lot like Nightmare Moon as well, a sight which truly impressed her. She too giggled like mad upon seeing what changes I had made to her.

"Okay, ladies, it's time to scare some changelings out of their skins," I chuckled.

Confrontation and Coronation

"The two of you should try using your wings -- believe it or not, they actually do work," I told them.

"We've never flown before, so we're not sure how to work them properly," Trixie said with some apprehension.

"And it's still dark outside -- it's hard enough trying to fly during the daytime, but at night, it's even more dangerous," Twilight stated with some concern.

"Very well then. Allow me to shed some light," I said. I flew into the sky and searched for the Sun. Finding it, I gently raised it into the sky to call forward the day. I knew I was running the risk of angering Celestia, but I wanted to be able to easily see what I was facing. Twilight and Trixie were stunned by my display, their mouths agape and eyes as wide as saucers.

"What? You didn't think I could do that?" I asked them, grinning broadly. "You should see the look on your faces! Absolutely priceless!"

The two librarians looked at each other, and seeing their new appearances in daylight caused them to chuckle and laugh.

"Nightmare Trixie! You look awesome!" Twilight giggled.

"Nightmare Twilight! You look cute!" Trixie chuckled.

"Are you done foaling around, Michael?" asked a rather irritated Sun Goddess. "I don't recall asking you to raise my Sun for me, and it's too early to be bringing it up."

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I need to be able to see what I'm doing if I'm to repel the changeling army and their Queen," I explained.

"Understood, Michael. Truthfully, it was about time for me to raise it anyway, so thanks for sparing me that trouble," she smiled. "Why have you changed the appearance of my faithful students?"

"The plan is to scare the changelings out of their skins -- I figured three Alicorns would be sufficient to do that," I surmised.

"Well, if you don't mind, I would like to join you. I haven't had some fun like this in a long while, and I think I would like to see the look on Chrysalis' face when she sees four Alicorns," she chuckled.

"I am going to cast another spell to allow us to see the changelings through any disguise they may have taken, to dispel their illusions," I announced.

"Michael, there is no need to cast that spell on me as I can see through their disguises easily enough," Celestia averred.

The co-librarians tested their wings gingerly, but with a combination of telekinesis and flapping their wings, they found they could fly relatively well. The four of us took to the sky, flying over Ponyville and then toward the Everfree. I was able to see quite a bit of changeling activity and scanned for the Queen. Having located her, I descended to alight on the ground not far from her. To say she was surprised to see me was the height of understatement.

"Uh ... nice to meet you ... again?" the Queen asked fearfully. My guess is that she wasn't expecting to see me at all.

"I suppose you might remember what I told you last time I was here," I growled, glaring at her in disapproval.

"Well ... yes I did ... but my agents told me you had disappeared and were gone for a long time! I thought you were never going to return," she mused.

"You thought wrong, Chrysalis," I hissed, gritting my teeth. I darkened my gaze at her, narrowing my eyes to slits. "It is not my desire to kill you and your army -- I simply want you to remember that Ponyville, neigh, ALL of Equestria is under MY protection!"

"My subjects demand sustenance -- we will perish without it!"

"How did you and your kind manage to survive when there were only six or seven hours of daylight every day?" I asked.

"Nightmare Moon allowed us to feed on some of the ponies as long as we spared most of them," she replied, then covered her mouth with her fore-hooves when she realized too late what she had just confessed to.

"Well, she's not around anymore. There's a new boss here, and you're going to have to respect MY wishes, not those of one who has been banished," I growled.

"But then, who is the dark blue one there? She looks like Princess Nightmare Moon?" the Queen asked in puzzlement.

"THOU MUST DO AS HE SAYETH!!" came Nightmare Trixie's fake RCV outburst. I chuckled a little as Chrysalis flinched upon hearing this. I caught Celestia out of the corner of my eye stifling giggles as Nightmare Twilight made no such attempt to hide her amusement.

"I ... I guess that means ... we must seek sustenance elsewhere," the Queen said sadly. "You have no idea how many of us are going to die as a result of this, you know," she added sullenly.

"Am I supposed to have sympathy for those whose sole existence depends on siphoning the life force out of every living thing?" I asked in contempt.

"You see us as monsters? We judge you by our standards and see your kind destroying the planet!" she retorted.

"You leave my humanity out of the equation, Chrysalis. I'm not a human anymore, and I don't lay claim to my human home world," I stated angrily.

"What? You were a human? I wasn't addressing THAT issue! I was talking about THIS world! Celestia lets the ponies do as they please! Have you seen what has happened to this world? Nightmare Moon allowed us to keep the population under control, to maintain a sustainability to this world! Left unchecked, their numbers will overwhelm the ability of the planet to maintain equilibrium!" the Queen protested loudly.

"That's enough out of you, Chrysalis," Celestia stated sharply. "Michael, I recall urging restraint, but I believe I have rethought my opinion of the changelings. If you desire to exterminate them, you have my blessing."

"You spare us when it suits your needs -- yet you allow ... THIS ... agent of retribution to visit ruination upon our kind? What kind of leader are you?"

"You try my patience, Chrysalis. You'd better hurry before I unleash his full fury upon you and your army," Celestia said coldly.

"You haven't heard the last of this, Celestia. One day we WILL return, and we shall not spare you or your little ponies!"

"I'll be waiting for you, Chrysalis," I said, flashing an evil toothy grin. "I can't wait to try out some wicked spells to see how much damage they can do!"

"Don't make threats you can't back up, fledgling Prince!" she shouted at me as she and her army retreated further away.

"I don't make threats -- I make promises!" I shouted at her retreating form.

"Follow them to make sure they leave Equestria -- if they do not move quickly enough, give them an incentive to do so," the Solar Princess commanded.

Trixie, Twilight and I followed them as they flew off to the south, the shortest route out of Equestria. Once we were satisfied they were out, we landed on the ground. Chrysalis swore revenge and I told her that there would be more Alicorns to ensure they never returned, unless they had a serious death wish. The Queen simply glowered at me angrily, then turned around and flew further away. I wrapped my wings around Trixie and Twilight and teleported us back to Canterlot Castle to meet up with the Solar Princess. I then transformed the co-librarians back to their normal unicorn selves, though they wished they could go back to being Nightmarish every once in awhile. I assured Celestia that THIS time, the changelings won't return, or at least that's what I hoped.

"Michael, I would appreciate it if you would be kind enough to stay awhile longer -- there are certain questions I have for you and it has been some time since you were last here. I see a ring on your right fore-hoof? So you married Trixie in the other universe?"

"Trixie and I traveled around Equestria, performing a magic show for various ponies in quite a few towns and cities. We ran into trouble in Las Pegasus and that's where Trixie attacked me again, putting me in hospital for a few months," I explained.

"Perhaps I should have some words with her," Celestia mused. "Why did she attack you? I thought you two were happily married..."

I explained to the Sun Goddess in full detail what happened in Las Pegasus. I was surprised to see her register shock upon hearing some of the more painful details, then chortle a little when I talked about my encounter with Chocolate Sweetness, then disappointment about what happened when Trixie and I were in the pegasus' private suite in the Visage hotel.

"I'm sorry to hear she tried to kill you again. My advice would be for you to divorce her and stay here in my realm. I could always use somepony with your talents!" Celestia smiled.

"And you could marry ME!" Trixie chimed in cheerfully.

"Your offer is awfully tempting, Trixie -- I have been considering it, as your counterpart in the other universe seems to have very little in common with me. I was traveling with her because I wanted to see different parts of Equestria -- and I got to see quite a bit more than I bargained for. Truthfully, I believe I have seen enough that I figure it might be a good idea for me to find a place to settle down and raise a family. That also reminds me, Trixie -- your counterpart in the other universe is pregnant, carrying my foal. That's going to make things a bit more difficult."

Trixie opened her mouth to say something, but it appeared she couldn't find the words she wanted to say. She closed her mouth, then opened it again. "Um, Michael -- does that mean you're going to stay with her? Or will you come back here? I've been thinking about what you told me the last time you were here, and there's a part of me that wants to be with you," she said softly as a single tear trickled its way down her right cheek.

"You know, as an Alicorn, I will live for a very long time. Unless Celestia sees fit to bless you with such an honor, a marriage between the two of us would last a short time before you die of old age. Celestia's counterpart wanted me to stay in HER realm so I could provide her with a much needed break from her daily routine of holding Solar Court as well as raising and lowering her Sun. She offered me 70 years to be with Trixie before I would be requested to provide her with her ten year break."

"I suppose I might be tempted to provide Trixie with such an honor -- I need somepony to assist me with some of my duties, and I feel Trixie has a competent enough grasp of her magic abilities to capably and responsibly control that level of power. I would also see fit to delegate some of the more mundane tasks I routinely perform to her as well," the Sun Goddess mused.

"You'd be willing to do that for me?" Trixie asked in disbelief. "I am truly honored, Princess!"

"Princess Celestia, I would like to assist you as well. Would you see fit to bless me with such an honor as well?" Twilight asked.

"I know you two are quite responsible ponies. I believe I might be able to do that for both of you. Michael, would you be willing to assist me in fulfilling my faithful students' destiny? They have been an invaluable help to me and with your assistance, we can make their dreams a reality," the Solar Princess stated as she smiled at me.

"Trixie, Twilight -- what we are about to do for both of you is the highest honor a pony can receive. I sincerely hope the two of you will respect the amount of power that is about to be bestowed upon you and that you will use that power responsibly. One thing I would like to tell you is that what I did for you a little while ago when we scared off Chrysalis is that I actually transformed the two of you into Alicorns, even though I told you it was simply a glamour. That having been said, I saw that the two of you used your power responsibly and I will admit to being pleased by such a display. I ask that you do your best to assist your teacher with her needs and that you two set a positive example for your friends back in Ponyville," I stated solemnly.

The two unicorns bowed deeply as Celestia and I lit our horns and enveloped them with our auras. We used our magic to bestow additional magic power upon them, transforming them into full-fledged Alicorns. Their bodies increased in size somewhat as wings protruded from their backs and their horns grew considerably longer. Also given to them was a tremendously long lifespan. With our work finished, the Sun Goddess commanded the two new Princesses to rise, crowning Princess Trixie and Princess Twilight with new gold regalia. They beamed big broad smiles, thanking the two of us very humbly and deeply. Both of the two new Princesses approached me and gave me a quick kiss on the lips, which made me blush somewhat.

"Trixie, Twilight, I appreciate your gesture of affection. I'm afraid I must take my leave now as I have other business to attend to in the other universe. Please remember what I told you -- assist Celestia whenever and wherever possible. Tell Diane I said 'hey'."

"Please hurry back, Michael!" Trixie pleaded. I'll have to admit that as an Alicorn, she was even more beautiful than my wife and contemplated the possibility of transforming her -- but only for a moment when I realized what possible trouble she could cause.

"Michael, I too look forward to your timely return. There is still more I would like to discuss with you," Celestia offered softly.

"I will try to do so when I can, Celestia," I replied, offering a smile. I then lit my horn again and teleported back to Canterlot Castle in the other universe.

An Apology to Sweets & Reuniting with Trixie

Before I went to Canterlot, I decided to visit a certain mare in Las Pegasus. I teleported to the front door of the Visage hotel and entered, slowly trotting to the front desk.

"I am looking for Chocolate Sweetness -- I have been told she has a private suite on the penthouse floor," I stated solemnly.

The deskclerk bowed deeply before me, then straightened up. "Your Majesty, she left in haste about three months ago. She has not returned since and left no information as to her whereabouts," the mare stated sadly. "If you find her, please let her know we anxiously await her return."

"Thank you, ma'am," I said, somewhat dejectedly. I tried every casino in Las Pegasus, even the ones not on the main strip, only to receive the same response.

On a whim, I recalled that Trixie had told me the performer had been born in Neigh Orleans, so I decided to visit that town to see if I could find her. Her hometown had become built up over the years and there were two casinos on the south end of town. I checked with both of them and found the brown pegasus mare working one of them, still performing her music. It took a bit of searching, but I was finally able to meet up with her.

"Excuse me, ma'am, are you known as Chocolate Sweetness?" I asked her, smiling warmly

"What's it to ya? Who are ya?" she asked, not bothering to meet my gaze. When she turned to face me, her mouth flopped open and closed several times before she regained her composure. "Ah'm terrible sorry, yer Majesty, Ah didn't know!" she apologized profusely.

"Sweets, it is I who should apologize to you. You may remember a certain purple stallion who called himself Flaming Star? Well, believe it or not, he was transformed into an Alicorn, the one standing before you now. I want to offer my sincerest and deepest apology to you for causing you so much distress back in Las Pegasus. If there is anything I can do to make it up to you, please do not hesitate to let me know what it is," I stated humbly, bowing to her.

"Ya know, Ah thought it was a bad idea ta bring that ... WITCH of a wife of yers inta mah room. But Ah cain't let that get me down." She takes a moment to look me over. "But if what'cha say is true, there ain't a whole lot'cha can do ta help me. Ah still have money ta burn, and anyways, it was time fer me ta come back home. Ah'm happy now, life moves slower here, an' mah family is here, too. It's enough ta know ya care enough about me ta find me an' apologize ta me. I graciously accept yer apology, Flamin' Star, if that's the name ya still go by."

"It is indeed, ma'am. I am glad to have known you and look forward to meeting you again, perhaps under happier circumstances, hopefully sooner rather than later. You are a very special pony to me, and I will miss you. Once again, I am deeply sorry to have hurt you the way I did," I said, my contrition ringing true.

The pegasus smiled at me and gave me a big hug. "Ah'll have ta admit, Ah'm gonna miss ya too. If ya evah want some friendly company, Ah'll be here waitin' on ya. Hurry back now, ya hear?" she chuckled.

"I'll be sure I will, Sweets. Seeya later, hopefully soon!" I chuckled in return, then POPped to Canterlot Castle's Royal Throne Room. Princess Luna was holding Night Court, though she was looking rather bored since there weren't any ponies who desired an audience at this time of the night. She smiled warmly at me, as though my sudden appearance was enough to break the monotony of the emptiness of the room.

"Princess Luna, I have returned from the other universe, having succeeded in scaring away Chrysalis once again," I stated solemnly. I bowed slightly before her, which elicited a light giggle.

"Flaming Star, your formality is appreciated, but unnecessary. Please remember that we are equals," she chided gently. "You bring good news from another universe. This pleases Us greatly."

"Thank you, Luna. I wish to speak with my wife -- is she here in the Castle?"

"Yes she is. Would you like an escort to take you to her room?"

"I would appreciate that, yes, please."

The Lunar Princess requested one of her guards to escort me to the room Trixie was staying in. There was a part of me that wondered how long she was going to be here or wherever else it was she might be staying. Considering I was in Ponyville General Hospital for a few months, I considered the possibility that Trixie had temporary quarters there, perhaps staying with Twilight. I lost myself in my reverie, my escort remaining quiet until we reached Trixie's room.

"Prince Flaming Star, your wife Trixie is in this room," the guardspony stated flatly, opening the door with her magic. She then turned and trotted back to the throne room. I entered to see Trixie laying on the bed, having fallen asleep waiting on my return. I used my magic to shrink myself down to her size and climbed into bed with her, snuggling her from behind.

"Mmm, took you long enough," she cooed as I wrapped my left foreleg around her barrel, noticing her pregnancy becoming more obvious. I snuggled even closer to her. "I take it you did well over there? Did you kill any changelings?"

"No, we managed to scare them away again. There's a couple of new Princesses over there to ensure they don't return," I stated softly.

"Who are they? Trixie would like to meet them," she mused. A wicked idea came to me at that moment, which brought an impish smile to my face.

"Okay, I would be happy to take you there so you may visit with them. I'm sure they'd be quite interested to see you," I said, trying to contain my amusement.

"Trixie thinks that sounds nice," she mumbled as she drifted off to sleep. As I cuddled her from behind, I ran my left forehoof along her belly. She was only about four months away from giving birth to our foal, but my mind was troubled by certain thoughts I was having, ones mostly having to do with her aggression towards me. When she allowed me to cuddle with her, it was really nice, but many were the times during our travels around Equestria where we'd practically end up screaming at each other. Sometimes I felt as though I were the luckiest pony in all Equestria to have somepony as special as Trixie and other times I wanted to cast a silencing spell on her to get her to stop talking. She could be so annoying when she would get angry over the least little thing.

Trixie is Confused

I was awoken before dawn by a Royal Unicorn Guard who had been sent to my room to escort me to Princess Celestia's bedchamber. I rose to my hooves at the persistent knocking on the door and opened it to see a rather upset guardspony.

"Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria requests your immediate presence in her bedchambers, your Majesty," she stated flatly.

"Immediate, eh?" I asked. I lit my horn and teleported to the door outside her bedchamber.

"I hate it when they do that," she muttered under her breath.

One of the guardsponies standing in front of the bedchamber doors was slightly taken aback as I materialized in front of the door with a flash of light and a pale orange POP. She opened the door for me, allowing me entry.

"You wished to see me, Celestia?" I asked. I was still in my unicorn sized body and the Sun Princess glowered at me.

"Flaming Star. Please assume your normal size. I request you to raise my Sun for me," she stated sternly.

"Oh, are we back on that again? Very well then, Celestia. I shall raise your Sun for you. I suspect you wish for me to resume my studies, or at least to observe the activities of the Solar Court?" I queried.

"You still have much to learn, Flaming Star. I believe you will need several months of additional training before I feel confident enough in you to assume the role of Solar Regent," she stated flatly. "Now raise my Sun for me. It is time."

I resumed my normal Alicorn size and slowly trotted out to Celestia's balcony. Bracing my forelegs against the railing, I lit my horn and searched for her Sun. Finding it, I slowly took its weight into my magic aura and gently lifted it into position. It seemed to be considerably easier than I remember it being, given how much time had passed since I had last raised the Sun. Celestia joined me on her balcony to check my work and smiled in appreciation at the fact that I had positioned her Sun properly and had treated it very gently.

"You are improving, Flaming Star," she said softly.

"I know Trixie suggested my stage name be used as a reference, but I would like to make a request. I only allow one pony to call me by my stage name -- her name is Chocolate Sweetness, itself a stage name. My request is that you continue to call me Amethyst Flame, even though my coat is no longer purple. If you'd like, Celestia, you may call me Ammy."

"Very well then, Amethyst. If that is what you feel comfortable with, then I shall respect your request. I shall inform my sister as well as Twilight. By the way, you've been gone for quite a while, and Twilight has indeed transcended to Alicorn status," the Solar Princess smiled warmly as she related this information to me.

"I would like to meet her, if that's possible," I said optimistically.

"She is still residing at her Library, should you wish to visit her. I'm sure she'd appreciate your company, Amethyst."

"Is there anything else you request of me, Celestia? Trixie expressed an interest in visiting the other universe. Speaking of which, your counterpart and I transformed Twilight and Trixie's counterparts over there into Princesses as well."

"You have piqued my curiosity, Amethyst. I would like to visit my counterpart and her students as well," she mused.

"What about Solar Court?" I asked.

"Luna is still there. I shall inform her of my decision, though she will not be pleased by this news. I hope this visit will be short enough that Luna won't have to sit in my stead for too terribly long." With that, the Alicorn mare teleported to the throne room to discuss the matter with her sister, then teleported back to where I was still standing. "You said Trixie expressed a curiosity to visit that other realm. Is she ready to accompany us?"

"Only one way to find out, Celestia," I stated as I teleported to the room she was sleeping in. She was still asleep, so I woke her by nuzzling her forehead.

"Who dares disturb the slumber of the Great and Powerful Trixie?" she asked angrily.

"I do, lover girl!" I chuckled.

"You do not have the right to call Trixie by that name any more!" she shouted at me.

"Come on, lover girl, we've got a trip to take," I stated nonchalantly. She glared at me, but got up.

"Trixie will tolerate you calling her that for now. Let's go."

"Celestia will be accompanying us," I said softly.

"Why?"

"She expressed a curiosity to see her counterpart," I stated flatly.

"Trixie is hungry and wants breakfast," she grumbled.

"Sounds like a good idea. I'm famished as well," I said and took her hoof, teleporting the two of us back to where I had left. The Sun Goddess was tapping her left fore-hoof impatiently.

"Celestia, may we have breakfast before we leave? I haven't had anything to eat in awhile and I'm rather hungry.."

"Trixie is hungry as well, Princess, and requests sustenance as well," she stated flatly.

"That makes three of us, then. Breakfast will be in the Royal Dining Hall -- I expect Luna to be there as well," Celestia announced. The Solar Princess led the way with Trixie and me trotting side by side behind her in relative silence. There seemed to be a tension between us, thick enough to cut with a knife.

"Amethyst, you're being unusually quiet -- is something troubling you?"

"I'm just thinking, Celestia," I mused.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Trixie. "Why did she call you by your old name?"

"I would appreciate it if you would refer to me by my old name, as the name "Flaming Star" is a stage name, one I'm only willing to tolerate from just one pony -- and she's not here to call me by my stage name," I stated flatly.

"So you want Trixie to call you Amethyst again? But ... Trixie thought you liked your stage name!"

"Yeah, well it's rather pretentious and presumptuous for me to take such a name, and I don't want anypony calling me by that name, unless it's that big brown pegasus mare we met at the Visage in Las Pegasus," I replied sternly.

"She called herself Chocolate Sweetness. Trixie is curious to know what happened to her," the show-mare mused.

"I don't know," I said softly, which made her ears perk up.

"Trixie thinks you do," she said almost angrily, glaring at me.

"So what? What are you gonna do about it? Attack me again, right in front of Celestia?" I asked, anger creeping into my voice.

"The two of you need to maintain low tones to your voices," the Solar Princess admonished. We entered the dining hall and took three chairs near the far end of the table. Luna was having breakfast as well, though she was nearly finished. She approached her sister and the two exchanged an affectionate nuzzling of each other's neck.

"So is Flaming Star ready to resume his training?" asked the Night Princess.

"He wishes to resume using his previous name of Amethyst Flame, Luna, but as to your query, yes he is ready this time."

Luna chuckled softly as she glanced at me, then turned her attention back to her sister. "So how is his marriage to Trixie holding up?"

"I can hear you, you know," I said impatiently. The Royal Sisters turned to me and gave me the dirtiest look I've ever seen on ANYpony's face.

"Our conversation is private, Amethyst. Do NOT interrupt us again!" Celestia nearly shouted. I slunk back in my chair, but was rather upset they would be talking about us. I stewed in my anger for a few moments.

"His marriage is ... not doing so well, Luna." My scowl deepened when I heard this. Trixie was practically ready to shout something at the two Alicorns, but I held her back.

"I know you're pissed off, Trixie, but hold your tongue. I'm not any happier about them talking about us than you," I said softly and gave her a quick kiss on her muzzle, which made her grin. Food was brought to us at that moment and we tucked into waffles with syrup, scrambled eggs, hay bacon and toast and grape juice. Celestia drank tea with her breakfast.

"Amethyst wishes to show me what has happened in the other universe," the Solar Princess stated matter-of-factly as she sipped on her tea.

"What has happened, Tia? Is it something that requires your attention?"

"He has informed me that he and my counterpart transformed Twilight and Trixie's counterpart into Alicorns," the Sun Goddess mused. Trixie perked her ears up when she heard her name.

"What? You did WHAT?" Trixie asked me angrily. "Why? Why did you do that?"

"Because your counterpart is more responsible than you, and has better control of her emotions, and is more magically attuned than you. She is more like Twilight -- you remember her cutie mark, don't you?"

"But you did Sparkle the same way, and she has MY cutie mark! Why did you do THAT?" the show-mare asked me in exasperation.

"You don't know their history. I do. They have lived together for more than 20 years, Trixie -- they make quite a tandem and I believe they're fully capable of managing that level of power responsibly. You have not shown me the same level of responsibility, lover girl," I stated flatly.

"Does that mean Trixie is not going to become an Alicorn, like Sparkle did?"

"I'm afraid it does, Trixie. Such an honor is rarely bestowed upon any pony and I'm sure Celestia's students in the other universe will be able to assist her with a high level of competency," I replied.

"Trixie wants to know how she can become an Alicorn," she mused.

"Well, first, and probably most important, is that you lose the third pony speech. I have tolerated that for a very long time, but before you can be taken seriously, you will have to refer to yourself in first pony speech. Secondly is that you'll have to learn humility. You will have to learn how to be patient and control your emotions -- I must admit, that can be difficult for me as you have seen."

Celestia wrapped up her conversation with her sister and turned to the two of us. "Have you finished eating yet? I'm ready to go," she stated impatiently.

"Yes, I guess so," I replied.

"Trixie is ready as well, Princess," she answered. I gave my wife a quizzical glance. "It's going to take awhile, Amethyst," she said softly, grinning sheepishly.

"Okay, I'm doing the teleport," I stated, gathering the Solar Princess and my wife to my side, placing a wing around them and teleported us to the other universe. It was dark out again, something I still couldn't get used to. We were standing in the Royal Dining Hall in the other universe now, the room completely empty. I noticed the room was considerably smaller than the "good" Canterlot Castle's dining hall, a much shorter table capable of seating about 14 ponies as opposed to the other one, which could seat 42 ponies.

"I believe I need to have words with my counterpart to synchronize the daytime," Celestia mused. "Where do you suppose she would be right now?"

"She most likely would be in her bedchamber, if I'm not mistaken," I offered. I teleported us to that location, where the Sun Goddess was sound asleep. "I'd be tempted to ask Luna to let me know what she dreams about," I mused, letting escape a slight giggle.

"That's not funny, Amethyst," Celestia almost growled at me. "Suppose I asked my sister to relate your dreams to me."

"Word has gotten back to me that's exactly what she has done on a few occasions," I stated flatly. The Sun Goddess blushed in embarrassment as the truth hit a little too close to home. "I forgive you that transgression, but if you want to know what I dream about, all you have to do is ask, Celestia."

"Trixie wants to know what you dream about, Amethyst," the show-mare mused.

"I sometimes dream about that pegasus we met in the Visage," I stated softly. Trixie growled at me in anger. "And I dreamt about you and her together doing ... things ... with each other as I sat back and watched."

"You're terrible, Amethyst," Trixie giggled.

"Would all of you please keep it quiet? Can't an old Alicorn get some rest every once in awhile?" the other Celestia asked rhetorically.

"Celestia, it is a pleasure to meet you once again," our Celestia offered.

"Ah, Celestia. I was hoping you might return some time. We have much to discuss," the other one stated.

"Yes, we do. I am interested in meeting your students -- I have heard that you and my Prince, Amethyst, have bestowed upon them the highest of honors."

"But of course. They are in the Library in Ponyville, most likely sleeping right now. They will be assisting me with certain duties once they have been fully trained on proper control of their new power. They requested that they be allowed to stay in the Library, as there would be no pony in charge were they to leave and stay here for their training," the other Sun Goddess smiled.

"Trixie wants to see them as well," she almost blurted out.

"Patience, Trixie. They're probably still asleep," I said softly.

"I'm sure they'd be willing to make some time for you," the other Celestia smiled.

"Very well then, Celestia. Shall we head to the library now?" I asked.

"Trixie is getting confused by this conversation, Amethyst," the show-mare stated almost quizzically. The two Sun Goddesses chuckled softly at her statement.

"Celestia, I would like to discuss with you the matter of synchronizing the day time in each of our realms so that if we decide to visit each other, the time of day will correspond fairly closely. It is a bit disconcerting that your realm appears to be on the opposite side of the day from mine," our Solar Princess stated.

"One of us will have to shorten or lengthen the day. Our cycle runs on eleven hours of daylight and thirteen hours of night time," other Celestia explained.

"My realm has fifteen hours of daytime and nine hours of night time," our Celestia responded.

"It is summer time in your realm -- here, it is early spring."

"This confuses Trixie," she muttered.

"We will have to discuss this matter further, Celestia. Amethyst, I believe it is time for us to visit the Ponyville Library," our Celestia said solemnly.

"I would appreciate a timely return, Celestia," the other one said softly and smiled. Our Solar Princess smiled in return, then approached me as I wrapped a wing around Trixie for the three of us to teleport to the Library. A moment later, we were standing at the front door to the Library. I knocked on the front door a few times and heard a grumbling from inside. I recognized the voice as Trixie's -- she muttered some colorful words as she trudged down the stairs to the front door and opened it to see the three of us. Her jaw dropped at the sight of us.

"Trixie is very sorry, your Majesty," she said softly and bowed deeply before us. She fluttered her wings to stretch out a little. This action caught my Trixie quite by surprise.

Piling It On

"Trixie wants to know why her counterpart referred to herself in third pony," my Trixie wondered aloud.

"I was rather embarrassed by the fact that my ... complaints ... could be heard outside. I was curious to know who was knocking at my door at two o'clock in the morning. Twilight and I just went to bed about an hour ago and we need some sleep," other Trixie stated, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She stood a good head or so taller than my Trixie, who continued to gawk at the azure Alicorn.

"Is Sparkle the same size as Trixie?" the show-mare asked.

"My housemate is indeed the same size as me," the co-librarian said softly.

"That makes her bigger than her Alicorn counterpart in our realm," I told my wife. She gave me a very quizzical look.

"If you don't mind my asking, your Majesty, what business do you have here?" asked Trixie.

"I would like to see your housemate, Trixie," Celestia stated, smiling softly.

"Yes, your Majesty. One moment while I fetch her, please." The azure Alicorn returned to the interior of the tree, climbing the stairs and waking her housemate. I heard some more grumbling and even more colorful language coming from Twilight's mouth, which caused Celestia to blush slightly and me to chuckle softly. The lavender Alicorn exited the library and upon seeing us, apologized profusely, bowing deeply.

"You may rise, my faithful student," Celestia smiled. "Although I never knew you to have such a potty mouth!"

"My apologies, your Majesty," Twilight said softly. The moonlight gave a nice back-glow to the librarians.

"Trixie is very impressed to see both of you," my wife said softly.

"Thank you for your compliment," both librarians said simultaneously.

"Was there anything else you wanted, Michael? Why would you roust us from our sleep so early?" asked Twilight.

"Have either of you tried raising the Sun yet?" I asked.

"We haven't even been Alicorns for a single day, and you're already asking about that? We have a lot of training to do, Michael! It's going to take us quite awhile before either of us is ready to do something that magic-intensive," other Trixie stated, chuckling somewhat. "Your Majesty, what brings you here this time of morning?"

"I was curious to see what changes Amethyst had helped bring about," Celestia mused.

"You mean, you're not OUR Princess Celestia?" Trixie asked in astonishment.

"My counterpart is still sleeping in her bedchamber in the Castle," the Sun Goddess said softly. "I expressed a curiosity to see what you two looked like. I must admit, I am quite impressed."

"Hey, Trixie, Michael told us you tried to kill him again," said Twilight. The show-mare hung her head sadly.

"Trixie is very sorry for attacking him, but he cheated on me," she said sullenly. "He wanted to start a herd even though he is married to Trixie."

"Well ... there aren't very many stallions around," Twilight mused. "Trixie and I would like some male companionship from time to time ..."

"Trixie does not want to lose her stallion to either of you! Amethyst is MY stallion, not yours!" my wife shouted in anger.

"Considering the fact you tried to kill him, maybe he deserves better," Twilight mused.

"Is Sparkle challenging Trixie?" she asked indignantly and lit her horn as her anger increased.

"Calm down, lover girl," I said softly to her, practically leaning to her ear.

"Trixie is afraid of losing you, Amethyst," she said softly.

"You don't have to worry about that, unless you decide to attack me again," I stated flatly.

"Do not give Trixie cause to attack you then, Amethyst!"

"Violence is not the solution to your problems, Trixie," Celestia stated flatly. "There is no justification for resorting to the use of violence for the purpose of reprimanding your stallion for his transgressions, no matter how severe they may be."

"Trixie, I told you exactly why I made those specific choices, yet you chose to allow your emotions to control your actions, rather than allow common sense to dictate a better course of action. We could have talked things through, but --"

"Trixie is starting to think you don't want her, Amethyst," she said sullenly and hung her head again.

"There is something you need to know about maintaining a long-term relationship, Trixie -- you must understand that there are going to be disagreements between us, but we cannot allow violence and anger to rule the day. You must be more patient and willing to accept me for my faults, just as I accept you for yours. You never hear me complaining about things you do that irritate and annoy me, do you? Yet almost all the time we've been together, you have criticized certain things I do that get on your nerves. You expect your mate to be perfect -- and even as an Alicorn, I cannot be perfect. That is too much to expect," I stated flatly. "Do not think for a moment that I don't want you or that I do not love you. All I ask is that you respect me."

"You ask Trixie to respect you? After what you have done, Amethyst?"

"I thought you said you were sorry. I'm sorry, too, Trixie. If you don't think our marriage is going to work out --"

"Trixie ... I ... I'm scared of losing you, Amethyst! How can you ... stand there like that? You show no emotion!"

"I try to keep my emotions under control, Trixie. Don't think for a moment that this isn't tearing me up inside. I don't want to lose you, either, Trixie. Please understand that, if nothing else."

"But ... " Trixie began, tears starting to trickle down her cheeks. She hung her head again, her ears laying flat against the side of her head.

"Amethyst? Do you desire an annulment of your marriage to Trixie?" the Sun Goddess asked me. "You realize, of course, that should I annul your marriage, you will be placed on an accelerated schedule to learn the duties being the Solar Regent of Equestria entail, thus allowing my sister and I to take an extended vacation. You and Twilight will share the duties Luna and I are responsible for, alternating turns as Solar and Lunar Regents."

The co-librarians and Trixie stood with mouths agape at this mention.

"Princess Celestia, how long is that break going to be?" Twilight asked. "We would appreciate his return, should he wish to leave his abusive wife."

"I too would appreciate his early return," the azure Alicorn mused.

"Luna and I have expressed a desire to take about a ten year break," Celestia smiled. "I would certainly appreciate his approval."

"Stop it! All of you! Trixie will not give up on her stallion! Amethyst! Tell Trixie you will not abandon her like her father did! Tell Trixie you really love her! Trixie is so sorry!" she wailed, tears streaming down her cheeks. As the only non-Alicorn amongst us, she felt the weight of all our eyes upon her. She fell to the ground, sobbing loudly. I slowly trotted to her side to wrap a wing around her in an attempt to comfort her.

"Trixie, I am willing to give you one last chance. For my sake, do not anger me any more. I am quite sure you understand the consequences should you decide to attack me again," I said to her as solemnly as I could.

"Trixie ... I ... accept your offer, Amethyst. I only ask that you respect me as I would you," my wife said through her sobs. "I ... Trixie ... I don't understand why you think you can ... want the love of another as well as Trixie. Am I not enough for you?"

"Please forgive my ... foolishness, Trixie. There just seemed to be something about that big brown pegasus that seemed to ... complete a picture of sorts, for lack of a better way of putting it," I said softly. "I know it was wrong of me to bring up the possibility of starting a herd. I should have asked you before, but ... I lost my head for a minute there."

"Well ... Amethyst," Trixie's counterpart began, "I hope you will return to us someday. Celestia has told us we will live for a very long time -- and we will await your eventual return. We know you will, given enough time, become bored after you have outlived your wife --"

"SHUT UP!!" the unicorn screeched. "Trixie knows she's not going to live forever like you! Stop rubbing it in Trixie's face! Amethyst, promise me you won't forget about me after I die!"

"Your spirit will live on inside me for as long as I live, Trixie. Never forget that, no matter what obstacles we face, no matter how angry we might make each other, you will always be a part of me. You have my word on that, Trixie."

She smiled and hugged me tightly and whispered, "I love you," into my ear and I repeated it to her just as breathlessly as she had whispered it in my ear. The librarians embraced each other exchanging a short kiss and returned to their bedroom.

"Amethyst, if you don't mind, we should return to my counterpart's bedchamber so I may have a few more words with her," Celestia stated flatly.

"As you wish, Celestia," I said, wrapping a wing around the Sun Goddess and my wife, and teleporting us back to the other Celestia's bedchamber.

"So how did your visit with my students go?" she asked.

"They are as beautiful as I imagined," our Celestia smiled. "I commend you and Amethyst on doing an impressive job."

"I had no doubt in his abilities -- he is truly something special, and quite honestly, I'm jealous that he is returning to your realm. I would sincerely hope he might return to MY realm to assist ME!"

"You have your students to assist you in your endeavors. Luna and I would appreciate him allowing us a short vacation, which is why he will be undergoing additional training upon his return to my realm," our Celestia explained.

"Celestia, eventually I shall return to your realm. It may be a century or so before that happens, but if you should ever need my assistance for anything, please don't hesitate to either travel to our realm, or send your students in your stead," I smiled. Trixie glowered at me. "Trixie is not too happy about that prospect --"

"Then why not extend her lifespan?" other Celestia asked.

"She is a unicorn, Celestia," I said.

"Then why not change her into an Alicorn, like her counterpart here?"

"She has proven herself to be ... somewhat less than worthy of such an honor," I replied.

"She has attacked him twice, both times in an attempt to kill him," our Sun Goddess stated.

"I see," other Celestia said coldly. "Perhaps some punishment is in order for this impudent unicorn."

"Trixie said she is sorry! How many times does she have to say that until everypony understands her contrition?" the show-mare stridently pleaded.

"Amethyst, did you spend time in hospital as a result of injuries you sustained from her attacks?"

"Yes, Celestia, and both times, your students worked healing magic upon me to speed up my recovery," I replied.

"Trixie, you should consider yourself very lucky that you are not one of MY subjects," other Celestia admonished. "You should also consider yourself lucky enough to have a stallion who is so forgiving of you."

"HE CHEATED ON ME!!" she screeched.

"He has told me of his indiscretions, though your response was excessively violent. You should spend a year in the dungeon in order to pay penitence for your actions," the other Sun Goddess stated flatly. "Celestia, what punishment did you administer to Trixie?"

"She has already spent five months in prison for her first attempted murder of Amethyst -- I chose not to administer further punishment, considering the fact that Amethyst provoked the second attempt as a result of his infidelity," she responded.

"Trixie promises not to attack Amethyst a third time -- if she does, she is willing to accept whatever punishment Her Majesty sees fit to issue," the show-mare stated flatly.

"Your contrition is admirable, Trixie, however, I feel that my counterpart should at the very least consider additional punishment to ensure --"

"Perhaps everypony would be happier if Trixie just decided to kill herself?!" she wailed, her sobs returning in full force as she fell to the floor again.

"Celestia, I have forgiven her. Your counterpart has forgiven her. I would appreciate it if you would refrain from passing judgment on her and that you be willing to forgive her as well. I shall refrain from further infidelity and she will refrain from attacking me again. With that having been said, I think it is time for us to return to our realm. I think Trixie has had a very bad day and is going to need time to recover from the emotional trauma she has been forced to endure," I stated flatly. "Celestia? Trixie? Shall we be off to our realm?"

The two returned to my side and I teleported us back to our realm.

"Thank you for standing up for me, Amethyst," Trixie said softly to me.

"Amethyst, I will need you to accompany me to the throne room so you may observe Solar Court. I'm sure Luna has been waiting a bit impatiently to be relieved," Celestia stated flatly.

"What is Trixie supposed to do, your Majesty?" my wife asked.

"I shall send an escort to have you perform certain duties within the castle," the Solar Princess smiled.

"Trixie does not want to be relegated to housekeeper status," she stated.

"Consider this an alternate form of penitence, Trixie. The words of my counterpart have left me feeling as though I had treated your transgressions too lightly. So instead of locking you up in my dungeon, you will be helping my ponies around the castle with whatever tasks they assign you until your husband has finished his training. Hopefully, this should only take a few months."

Trixie hung her head again. "Yes, your Majesty. Trixie guesses that is for the best, then."

"Please understand I do this only to allow you to keep your mind occupied. Letting you spend your days in the castle sleeping or otherwise doing nothing while your husband is undergoing his training would be counterproductive, not only to you, but to me as well. I see your pregnancy is getting closer -- I will be lenient with you and not assign you tasks which could endanger the health of your foal."

"Trixie wants to know if she carries a colt or a filly," she mused. Celestia lit her horn and used her magic to scan the unborn foal for gender. She was surprised by the result.

"You carry a filly, Trixie. You might find yourself surprised after you give birth to her, though."

Trixie's Foal

I accompanied Celestia to the throne room where Luna was still seated and holding Solar Court. She appeared to be rather tired and smiled upon seeing her sister. Her smile fell when she saw me.

"Amethyst, We wonder what hath kept you," Luna stated flatly.

"There were some ... complications, Luna," I responded, a slight look of concern on my face.

"It seems as though Trixie was not too happy to see her counterpart, nor was she expecting everypony to pass judgment on her. There were some ... disagreements voiced by all parties present," Celestia added.

"Amethyst, it is Our considered opinion that thou must have thy marriage annulled," Luna mused, though she frowned at me while she said this.

"Luna, I believe that would be ... a very bad idea," I stated. "As you know, she is pregnant and I wouldn't want anything sad to happen to her."

"Dear sister, I think it would be wise to allow the two of them to work out their differences. They had a lengthy discussion while we were in the other universe, though my counterpart stated a desire to see Trixie punished further."

"Very well then. Amethyst, We wish thee best of luck, but shouldst thou desire Our assistance, please inform Us of thine request," Luna stated with just a hint of a smile. She then bid a short good-bye to her sister, the two of them sharing a quick nuzzling before Celestia took the throne. A cushion was provided for me to sit upon so I would have some degree of comfort to observe the proceedings of the Solar Court. We were about an hour and a half or so away from lunch, so the procession of ponies, a few Zebras, and a Griffon were allowed to plead their cases before the Sun Goddess. I watched passively as she would give a ruling, decline a petition, send a pony on their way back to Manehattan, and give various other judgments. The fascination I held for Solar Court quickly waned as the stream of petitioners seemed to be an endless one, only stopping for a lunch recess, then the end of the day. The remaining petitioners would spend the night in Canterlot and try their luck the following day.

Trixie was once again saddled with performing rather menial tasks and grew increasingly bored as the days dragged on. She complained bitterly to me again and wondered how much longer my training was going to take. I too had become rather jaded by the banality of the court proceedings, but persevered as best I could. After a couple of weeks of this, I was allowed to pass judgments and issue decrees and occasionally turning away petitioners if I determined their requests to be obnoxiously excessive. Celestia was by my side to offer advice and occasionally over-ruled my judgment, though such occurrences were quite rare. Twilight would stop by from time to time to visit with her mentor, as she too was undergoing training, though hers was at the point where she was researching higher level magics. That was to be my next phase of training. Twilight would also give me an occasional pleasant greeting as well as periodically check on my progress. She knew of the Royal Sisters' plans for vacation and wasn't too thrilled about it, but was willing to accept the role she was being given.

Several more weeks of training had me overseeing Solar Court by myself, and even though many of the petitioners would sometimes balk at seeing a fledgling Prince pass judgment, they had quickly become accustomed to this state of affairs. Trixie's pregnancy continued to show even larger, her belly hanging heavy with the foal she carried. She had to change her sleeping position so she could be more comfortable, though she would always request I sleep by her side. She seemed to like having her belly rubbed, but the foal would make her presence known by kicking on the inside. We had a brief discussion over breakfast a few days before she was to give birth.

"You have a name picked out for her?" I asked.

"Princess Celestia said Trixie would be surprised, so she is waiting until her foal is born before deciding on a name," she replied.

"I could scan the foal using my magic, but I would prefer to be surprised myself. It's enough, knowing you carry a filly," I smiled warmly at her.

"Trixie wonders what the surprise will be -- she hopes it will be a good one!" she giggled.

"I think if there had been something wrong, Celestia would have told you as such."

"Trixie is very curious, Amethyst."

"Well," I said, rubbing her belly bump, "I know you will be happy with her, as will I. As far as names go, I never was very good with that, so I shall leave that task for you."

"Trixie appreciates your generosity, Amethyst," she smiled. She patted her bulging belly and cooed to her foal inside softly. I wasn't sure if the foal could hear her, but I imagined she could. I smiled in response to this and kissed my wife on her muzzle.

"I want to be here to help you raise her, Trixie," I said softly.

"Trixie wants that very much -- thank you again for forgiving Trixie. She is sorry for making you unhappy," she offered.

"It's enough, knowing you love me, Trixie. I promised you I would be there for you, y'know," I chuckled.

"Trixie feels ... uncomfortable," she said as beads of sweat started forming on her head. "Trixie thinks her foal is coming ..."

"What, right now?" I asked incredulously.

Trixie let a cry of surprise escape her lips as her water broke, making a mess on the floor. I let Trixie know I was going to seek Celestia immediately and would be right back. Upon being informed of the news, the Solar Princess flew into action, delegating tasks to various ponies and alerting a medical team to assist Trixie with her foal-birth. I teleported back to the dining hall where we had been having breakfast and the medical team arrived shortly, moving aside the furnishings to clear an area for a makeshift delivery room. I was impressed with the speed and skill of the team as they made Trixie as comfortable as possible and helped dull the pain of her contractions. The pains were hitting her pretty hard as she grunted, groaned, and sometimes cried out in pain. The head doctor helped her a bit with this and before too much longer, Trixie's final push forced the foal from her birth canal, the little filly giving a rather tinny cry upon taking her first breath.

The little filly was washed off, cleaned up, and wrapped in a soft blanket and then presented to Trixie so she could get her first look at the little bundle. Her face lit up very brightly as she beamed the biggest smile I've ever seen. Our little filly had a coat of deepest azure, a shocking pink mane and tail, and eyes of bright aquamarine. Amazingly enough, she had pegasus wings as well as a unicorn horn. Immediately we thought she was an Alicorn foal, but the head doctor told us she was a winged unicorn, not a full Alicorn. Even so, we were quite pleased.

"Trixie, since you're the mother, have you chosen a name for your little filly?" asked the head doctor.

"Marina Ray Lulamoon," came her response. I smiled at Trixie and echoed our little filly's new name. Trixie held little Marina close to her, smiling warmly at the little one. Marina cooed softly to her mama. Celestia teleported into the room to see our little filly for herself and smiled more broadly than I had ever seen HER smile! She inquired about the name Trixie had chosen and I told her. The Sun Goddess seemed pleased by Trixie's choice of name and returned to her throne.

Trixie was provided with ever necessity for proper care of her filly and the next several weeks were spent primarily addressing little Marina's needs. She grew fairly quickly, but the doctors told us her bones were quite fragile, as she appeared to be a mix of both unicorn and pegasus. I asked how that was possible, since I was in a unicorn body when Trixie conceived, but I was told there seemed to be some Alicorn genes mixed in as well. This proved to be quite confusing, but even so, I couldn't help but feel very proud of being a new father. I assisted Trixie in every way possible as best I could, but Celestia had also provided a team of foal care professionals to assist as well. Little Marina was being spoiled by all the attention she was getting, smiling, cooing, and laughing as we tried to make her as happy as possible.

Trixie Departs

My training continued apace as Trixie continued to care for little Marina, though she complained about being stuck in the Castle and wanted to get back on the road.

"Who's supposed to care for Marina if you go back on the road?" I asked her. "Why would you want to get back to performing on the road, when you can do that around Canterlot? There are plenty of different areas you can go to."

"Trixie is bored with Canterlot and the Castle -- she needs a change of scenery! Perhaps you and Sparkle can care for her while Trixie is out and about," she mused.

"You realize just how close Marina is to you -- she would have a difficult time adjusting to your absence," I postulated. The little one cooed softly to her mother as she held her close, cooing in response. "She needs you, Trixie -- you can't leave her behind just because you want to get back to your travels."

"Trixie needs something to do to keep from being bored to death!" she cried in exasperation. "Trixie has explored the entire Castle! Trixie has seen all of Canterlot! She was born to travel all over Equestria, not be a mother!"

I sighed in resignation. "So you would rather have somepony else care for Marina so you can go back to doing what you love? My place is here in the Castle, the Royal Sisters are to leave on their vacation in a few more weeks, leaving Twilight and me to watch over all of Equestria. I would hate for little Marina to lose her bond with you, but if it is your desire to return to your traveling ways, I guess I can only plead for you to stay, though it bores you so much. Have you studied the books in the Archive?"

"Yes, Amethyst, Trixie has read as many books as she can and has studied as much magic as she can tolerate. Please let Trixie return to her travels!" she begged.

"I trust you will dream of me each night when you lay down to sleep in your caravan?" I asked. "We will ensure that Marina receives the best care here while you're away -- Twilight and I will do our best to care for her, though it may cause her some sadness."

"Trixie wants you to travel with her, Amethyst, and she does not want to leave Marina behind, no matter how well she may be cared for," she stated.

"I cannot do that, Trixie. I must stay here to guard Equestria while the Royal Sisters are on vacation."

The show-mare was deeply conflicted by this and took several moments to contemplate my words, a series of different emotions playing across her face. She hung her head sadly before speaking.

"All Trixie has ever known is traveling on the road, performing her magic show for everypony who was willing to watch. She was never meant to stay in one place for very long and being a mother was totally out of the equation for her," she stated sullenly. She used her telekinesis to gently lift little Marina from her and placed her in my fore-legs for me to hold.

"Trixie is very sorry for doing this, Amethyst -- she hopes you can forgive her in the future," she said as a tear trickled down her cheek. She rose to her hooves and left the room before her sobs became audible, only to be replaced by the sound of her hooves clopping as she galloped as fast as she could from the confines of the Castle.

I stood in stunned silence, holding Marina closely. The little one cooed to me almost quizzically. "Shh, mommy's going away for awhile. I will look after you as best I can, but Twilight will help as well," I said softly to her. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes before she started wailing loudly. I tried rocking her gently back and forth in an attempt to calm her down. I fashioned a sling pouch to carry her on my back as I trotted to the throne room, cutting in line in front of the procession of ponies who gawked at me, some bowing before me. The guardsponies at the front doors to the throne room stood aside for me and opened the doors.

"Celestia, I have some troubling news. Trixie has decided she no longer wants to remain here in the Castle and has left Marina to my care. I am going to need assistance with this endeavor in her absence," I stated flatly.

"And where is Trixie now?" the Solar Princess asked.

"She has left the Castle, Celestia," I replied flatly.

"Would you care for us to have her returned?"

"No, Celestia. I feel that this is a lesson she must learn on her own, though it pains me to allow her to leave Marina behind," I replied, the infant still crying softly.

"Please, allow me to hold her," the elder Alicorn said softly, using her telekinesis to lift her gently off my back and into her forelegs, cooing to the little filly softly. Her warmth soothed the foal, quieting her immediately. "Amethyst, she is quite the wonder. I should very much like to have a foal of my own to care for," she said wistfully, smiling at me, then cooing to the filly again. Marina giggled, smiling at the Solar Princess.

"Celestia, you seem to have quite a way with little Marina there," I said, smiling as well.

"I should very much like to adopt her as my own," came her response as she returned a smile.

"What about your vacation?" I asked. "Surely your sister is interested in taking a break from her duties as well," I postulated.

"Who says we have to leave immediately? We can wait awhile, time can wait for us, Amethyst."

"And Trixie can be out there enjoying herself," I mused.

"Aren't you going to miss being with your wife?"

"I was under the impression that Twilight and I would be covering for you and your sister in your absence. I do not wish to abandon Marina, so I am willing to stay here and help raise her," I replied.

"You are welcome to stay here and raise your filly as you wish. We will see fit to provide you with the necessary assistance to raise her -- not to mention the fact that my sister and I will stop by to visit periodically. I am sure Twilight would be interested in having some company, so I will assign her to assist you in caring for Marina," the Solar Princess offered.

"You have my deepest thanks, Celestia," I stated, giving a very slight bow before her. There was a part of me that was concerned for Trixie's safety, and by all rights, I should have been out there to accompany her, but she left Marina in my care and I was going to have to raise her. Even so, I was to be given a great deal of assistance in raising her, which would help lighten the burden on me.

"You may return to your room, or explore the Castle at your leisure, Amethyst. Please be sure to let me know if you need anything as far as Marina's needs are concerned," the Sun Goddess stated, gently returning Marina to the sling pouch on my back.

"Thank you, Celestia," I stated and turned to leave.

"You're welcome, Amethyst. Be seeing you soon," she smiled as I left. Twilight brushed past me as she strode up to her mentor's side to chat with her.

"Pardon me, Twilight," I said as I left.

"Oh, sorry about that, Amethyst, I was in such a hurry," the lavender Alicorn offered. "Where's Trixie? Shouldn't she be watching your little filly?"

"She decided she wanted to go back to traveling and left the Castle and Marina to my care," I stated flatly as I exited the throne room and made my way back to my bedchamber. Marina started crying again, but I laid down on the mattress, holding the little filly gently in my forelegs, giving her a soft kiss to her forehead, just below her horn. She stopped crying and smiled warmly at me.

"Oh, Marina, I hope she comes back safely," I said softly to her.

Enter Twilight

A few days passed as Marina was left in my care, though as Celestia had promised, a team of experts assisted me in feeding, burping, changing diapers, bathing, and playing with little Marina. She was quite happy to be the center of attention, though sleeping was still somewhat troubled for me as I did not have Trixie to sleep with me. I was very careful when it came to Marina's sleep needs, making sure she was comfortable and snug in her little crib, which I made sure was quite close to my bed. It was a few more nights later when I felt somepony snuggle into the bed with me.

"Mmm, Trixie, you've returned," I cooed. I woke with a start when I felt a wing brush against my face. I lit my horn to see who it was. "Twilight? What are you doing in my bed?"

"Oh, Amethyst, I get so lonely sometimes -- I have ponies keeping tabs on Trixie's location, so you don't have to worry about her finding us together --"

"Twilight, as much as I would like to have you snuggle beside me, I cannot do that --"

I was interrupted as the lavender unicorn gave me a passionate kiss on the lips. "I need somepony to keep me company -- don't tell me you haven't been lonely since Trixie's been gone -- and besides, you and I were meant to be together! We're both Alicorns, we're going to live forever, we're going to rule Equestria together, we might as well get to know each other better!" she grinned.

"Do you remember how badly I suffered the last time Trixie attacked me for my indiscretions? I can't take that risk again, Twilight. Not until after she passes away can I accept your intimate companionship," I stated. "But if you want to snuggle for tonight, I guess I can allow for that."

The lavender Alicorn responded by giving me another kiss on the lips. "Thank you so much, Amethyst," she cooed and laid beside me in the bed, snuggling very close to me. I silently wondered if she was this close to Celestia sometimes. My thoughts were interrupted by her next statement. "You know, I used to snuggle with Celestia like this, and quite often as well. It allowed me to sleep very comfortably."

"I hope it's just cuddling -- though your counterpart in the other universe would snuggle with me on the few occasions when I spent the night there," I mused softly.

"How much like me is she?"

"She seems like a mix of you and Trixie, but Trixie's counterpart there is more like you than her, but there's still some of this Trixie in her as well. The two of you over there have been so close to each other for so long that your mannerisms have rubbed off on each other. They both run the Library and they both asked me to return to provide them with some ... companionship," I explained.

"What was my counterpart like in bed?"

"Well ... she was very nice, but she could get a little ... excited at times," I chuckled softly.

"Did you two ever ... um ... do ..."

"No, Twi, we didn't, though she expressed an interest in doing so," I laughed. "Trixie got mad at her for kissing me."

"Your Trixie or her counterpart?"

"Trixie's counterpart, believe it or not. She seems to be rather protective of your counterpart over there, but then again, I think that goes back to when Nightmare Moon silenced her for five years. After I gave her that little voice box, she returned to her ... rather mischievous ways. She seems to have an almost indomitable spirit and a very inquisitive nature to her as well as a youthful exuberance that makes her almost as irrepressible as Pinkie Pie."

"In other words, she's kind of like what I almost wish to be -- I think perhaps Trixie and I were meant to stay together in this universe -- her eyes seem to be so close to mine -- and I sometimes wonder what my life and hers would have been like had we lived together for twenty years. So ... that other universe is like a window to what might have been for me and Trixie. That is so interesting! I would like to spend a lot of time over there getting to know the two of them better!" she said with enthusiasm.

"They're both Alicorns now and they're about Luna's size. They still retain their youth, but it will last a long time for them now. I just hope they don't get too bored over there," I mused.

"Celestia gave me that little piece of advice not too long ago -- the worst thing that can happen to a pony who gets to live forever is if they get bored with what they're doing -- there's no telling what they might do to relieve that boredom."

"She basically gave me the same advice as well," I chuckled. "Let's get some sleep, Marina's going to need to be fed again pretty soon."

We both laid back down and I allowed the lavender Alicorn to snuggle very closely to me, her left foreleg and wing draped gently over my barrel. I heard her light breathing and fell asleep, her warmth making me feel quite comfortable. I allowed myself to picture her as Trixie, and I suppose she pictured me as Celestia. We slept quite soundly together that night.

---------------------------------

I was awoken by a knock at the door. It was still dark outside and I wondered what time it was. Twilight was still asleep in the bed as I gently maneuvered from under her grasp. I gave her a light kiss on her muzzle and softly cooed to her. I opened the door to find a Royal Guard Unicorn who told me to visit Celestia immediately. I heard Marina start crying and gave the guardspony a certain look. She silently nodded to me, so I trotted over to the crib and gently slung my filly under my neck, holding her close. She stopped crying at that moment and started cooing softly.

"I think she's hungry," I stated flatly.

"We'll get right on that, your Majesty," she replied. "The Princess wishes to see you now."

I trotted beside the guardspony as we made our short way to Celestia's bedchamber. Her bedsheets seemed to be in disarray as the Solar Princess seemed to be very worried.

"Where's Twilight?" she asked.

"She decided to sleep with me last night, Celestia," I stated flatly.

"Sometimes I have a hard time figuring her out. I certainly hope you two didn't do anything foalish," she admonished.

"No, she just cuddled against me, that's all. I told her about my concerns with regard to Trixie, but I figured it all we did was simply cuddle, it would be okay."

"There is no need for you to be jeopardizing your marriage, Amethyst. Oh, and I need you to raise my Sun for me," she added.

"I think there might have been another reason you requested my presence so urgently," I postulated.

"I have some bad news for you about Trixie," she stated, lowering her head slightly, her ears slightly drooping, her smile vanishing.

"What? Please ... don't tell me ..." I stammered.

We Must Help Her

"If you fear the worst, Amethyst, I can assuage those fears somewhat -- she is not dead, though she is in danger. Word has reached my spies that she has been captured and is being held for ransom by a pack of Diamond Dogs," the Sun Goddess stated flatly. My visage darkened considerably and my ethereal mane and tail seemed to turn into living flame itself.

"I swear by all I hold holy if they've harmed her ..." I began, a calm fury behind my words.

"Restrain yourself, Amethyst. Violence is not the answer."

"What do you propose we do? Accede to their demands?" I asked, my anger starting to boil. "We do NOT negotiate with terrorists!"

"I have been informed that they have prepared for every contingency, Amethyst -- that any attempt to rescue her will be met with her immediate death," the elder Alicorn stated. It sounded as though she were resigned to the fate of having to comply with the demands that had been established. My fury continued to rise.

"If they kill her, they will all be sent to TARTARUS!!" I shouted. "I will not rest until I have tracked down every last one of those ... FUCKERS ... and killed them in the most brutal fashion possible."

"I understand your rage, Amethyst. Trust me, I don't feel any better about it than you, however I will not stand by and allow you to slaughter them like the manticores attack their prey," she said darkly. "Our way is one of strength through peace, not the other way around."

"Let me put it this way, Celestia -- let's suppose they had captured Twilight and were holding her ransom, and then when you complied with their demands, they gave you her ... lifeless body, having killed her before you even gave them their ransom. How would you react to that?" I saw her expression turn to anger for a split-second before she regained her composure.

"I recognize the analogy, Amethyst. Again, I must urge you to use restraint on this matter. They will be expecting you to try to rescue her and have rigged traps to kill her if you try any method to rescue her. I'm sure you do not wish any harm to befall her, but you must accept this reality."

"Damn it, Celestia, I can't stand this! I'm angry enough to simply slay them all right now! I don't need any further provocation! What useful purpose do they serve, anyway? They're a bunch of greedy, good-for-nothing scum! I should like to tie them to the ground with stakes and leave them for the carrion birds to poke their eyes out!"

The Solar Princess gave a slight grin at this mention, then resumed her stoic expression. "As much as I would like to give you permission to do that, I cannot. They are my subjects, every bit as much as my little ponies, but killing them would make matters worse. We do not want an all-out war on our hooves, as killing the Diamond Dogs would cause an international incident and have far-reaching ramifications. We cannot afford that, so as much as it pains me to say this, we must accept their demands. We can only hope that they keep their word, for what it's worth."

"Have you traced her magic signature? Can we teleport her here?" I asked.

"I told you, Amethyst. They have planned for every contingency. They have an inhibitor ring on her horn, they are holding her in a magic nullification field and have her in a magically shielded area. We cannot teleport to her location, we cannot teleport her here, and any attempt to do so will result in her immediate death."

"Damn them! Damn them all to Tartarus!!" I shouted. Celestia winced at my raised voice. "What are their demands? Is it outrageous? Is there any way we can dissuade them from committing further crimes of this sort?"

"Their demands are indeed quite outrageous. They want ten million bits for her safe return as well as one million diamonds," the Sun Goddess stated flatly.

Twilight entered the room at this point, a smile gracing her features. "Good morning, Celestia! Amethyst, I ... um," she blushed. "Well, uh ... what's wrong?" she asked when she saw our serious expressions.

"Trixie has been foal-napped and is being held for ransom," I stated flatly. "The Diamond Dogs got her while she was on the road somewhere."

"She was on her way from Ponyville to Hoofington. Rarity informed me that she was going to visit her family again," the Solar Princess stated. "She was about half-way to Hoofington when her caravan was surrounded by twenty dogs, who overpowered her and knocked her unconscious."

"I would like to visit the worst sort of fate upon those foul beasts," the lavender Alicorn stated darkly. "I would like to teach them a lesson they won't soon forget."

"Twilight, I must ask you the same as I asked Amethyst. We must accept their demands or they will kill her. We cannot even attempt a rescue."

"How about Luna? She can enter the dreams of anypony -- what about the dogs? Can she enter their dreams? Can she make them suffer nightmares? Speaking of which, can she assume that form and scare them into releasing her from their captivity without having to resort to conceding their demands?" I asked.

The Sun Goddess flashed a very mischievous grin and even chuckled for a second. "Your ingenuity is rather impressive, Amethyst. I suppose we could have her try, though I also worry that this tactic might not work." Celestia then teleported to her sister's bedchamber and conversed with her for a few moments. Shortly the Diarchs returned so we could continue to formulate strategy.

"Amethyst, it is true We can enter the dreams of just about anypony -- but the Diamond Dogs are another matter. We have been informed of your situation, and your suggestion of having Us reprise Our role as the Nightmare Princess might scare ponies out of their skins, but We fear it would not affect the dogs, as they are ignorant of Our history. We fear it might bring further harm to your wife, so We suggest meeting their demands, though it pains Us to relate that information to you."

"Well, it was worth a thought, anyway. Thank you for your consideration and sorry to have rousted you from your slumber, Luna," I stated. "Perhaps another strategy is in order -- we bring them their ransom, then when Trixie is released, we use our considerable magic against the dogs, retrieving her and the ransom, leaving the dogs with nothing."

"I hate to say this, Amethyst, but they have demanded that you bring them their ransom. Alone, and with nopony accompanying you," Celestia stated flatly.

"That sounds like a trap if I ever heard it," I replied, anger creeping back into my voice.

"Be not afraid, Amethyst, for We shall be hidden in the shadows. If they try anything, We shall pounce upon them and deliver them a fate most dire," Luna stated, almost proudly. I smiled at her, a gesture she returned.

"I would be honored to join you in delivering them that fate," I said, flashing an almost evil grin.

"You will not be given that satisfaction, Amethyst. Remember what I told you earlier," the Solar Princess admonished.

"Suppose I could "accidentally" kill a few to send a powerful message?" I proposed.

"Amethyst Flame. I strongly suggest you drop that notion immediately."

"Suppose they've already killed her?" I asked, anger returning to my voice.

"If they have killed her, then you have my permission to visit revenge upon them, though such action will reflect poorly on your judgment and character," Celestia advised.

"Please don't tell me you've never killed another entity of any sort, given your extensive experiences," I offered.

The Solar Princess hung her head sorrowfully. "Yes, Amethyst, I have killed in the past. I did so out of necessity, to protect my little ponies from those who would seek to exterminate our entire species. This threat the Diamond Dogs pose is nowhere near severe enough to justify killing as many as you wish. That having been said, though, I understand that it is neither my duty nor my obligation to pass judgment upon your actions. All I can ask is that you show as much restraint as possible, given the present circumstances."

"Very well then, your Maj -- Celestia. Sorry. So I guess we have no choice in this matter. Frankly, I think it sucks," I stated flatly.

Botched Exchange

We concluded our meeting and decided upon the best course of action. Celestia gave the order to have the ransom collected and a great many ponies began the arduous task of filling bags with bits and diamonds. I was assured of my safety and that the Diarchs would be watching from the shadows, cloaked by invisibility at the meet point. They would remain far enough away to avoid detection and there would be numerous other ponies who would assist as well, mostly those with sniping skills. This was going to be a risky affair, and I seriously hoped it would turn out okay.

We made contact with an intermediary who relayed a message from the Pack Leader. We were informed that we had two days to come up with the ransom or we would be receiving Trixie's body in bits and pieces each additional day's delay incurred. We informed him that work in accumulating the requested ransom was going as quickly as possible, though considering the size of the demand, we were going to be cutting it very close. We asked for one more day to ensure complete and thorough accounting and were told they would consider it.

A virtual army of ponies counted out bits and diamonds, placing twenty thousand each in large canvas bags. We were going to need that army of ponies to transport the ransom to the meet point, about halfway between Ponyville and Hoofington in a large open field. The Pack Leader was informed that the large number of ponies were needed to safeguard the ransom as well as deliver it, news which displeased him, but which he accepted. The process of collecting the complete amount of the ransom took just over two days, including a full accounting of the final amount. We loaded the bags onto a number of railcars to transport it by train. The trip to the meet point took another eight hours, as that location was an hour's trek from the nearest point by rail. I took the point, leading about fifty unicorns using their magic to carry all the bags to the meet point. The Pack Leader was waiting impatiently for us to arrive.

"Took you long enough. Where is the purple pony who was with the blue one?" he asked.

"I am the same," I stated flatly. "I got a promotion."

The Pack Leader growled at me and turned to one of his captains. "Is the mark on his flanks the same as that which was on the purple one?"

"Yes, Commander, it is!" a smaller dog stated as he examined me from his vantage point.

"Your pony has told me she is married to you, Amethyst," the lead dog stated.

"I don't believe we've had the pleasure of an introduction," I offered. "I am Amethyst Flame, Regent of Canterlot, Stallion Mate to The Great and Powerful Trixie. I demand her immediate release."

"I am Rex Rover, Pack Leader and Alpha Male of Delta Squadron. You will get your wife back when we receive our ransom," he growled. This dog seemed to be a mix of bull mastiff and great dane, about the same size as me in my standard Alicorn form. His fur was a dark grey with black around his muzzle. He wore a black leather collar with long spikes protruding from the strap and something that looked like brass knuckles with spikes on the ends.

Our respective groups were about 50 yards away from each other -- Rex and his army of a hundred dogs; me, with my legion of 50 unicorns. I contemplated several different scenarios of possible outcomes, none very pleasant. My objective was to rescue Trixie without surrendering a ransom for her. I wanted to send a powerful message to the Diamond Dogs that they cannot abduct ponies and get away with it.

"I demand you show me Trixie. Bring her from wherever you're hiding her," I called out to him. Another captain hustled her to the front to stand beside Rex. I glowered at the group of dogs, narrowing my eyes to slits, a deep scowl on my face. "You'd better not have harmed her," I warned.

"We have your pony. Now give us our ransom!" shouted Rex. I stepped aside and allowed the unicorns to bring the bags forward.

"Release my wife, NOW!" I shouted at him. The captain who was holding Trixie kept her close to Rex. I couldn't see very well what was going on, as Trixie was being partially shielded. I caught a glimpse of something shiny -- light glinting off something made of metal, possibly a knife. "RELEASE HER NOW!!!" I thundered, my voice reverberating across the field. There were very few times when I might be called upon to use the Royal Canterlot Voice, but this was one of those times. I saw the dogs shrink back in fear and Trixie broke free of the captain's hold, dashing over to meet me.

"Amethyst! They were going to kill me! Rex had a knife and he was going to stab me in the back!" my wife cried.

"We have given you your wife! Now give us our ransom!" Rex shouted.

"You tried to kill her! You will get nothing!" I shouted back.

"Attack them! Spare none of them! Kill them ALL!!" he screamed. The army of dogs spread out, seeking to outflank us. I removed the inhibitor ring from Trixie's horn and told her not to hold back. The squad of unicorns I had brought with me had been briefed on a contingency, should the exchange go sour and they took positions to cover each other. I considered myself fortunate that most of these unicorns also had a fair amount of offensive spell training.

"Take defensive positions -- try to incapacitate them without killing them," I shouted. I took to the air to get a better view of the situation, but some of the dogs had crossbows and compound bows and took the opportunity to try to shoot me down. I used my magic to turn their weapons into snakes, which they quickly dropped before they had a chance to fire them.

The dogs split into several large groups, trying to encircle us. Some of the unicorns used their magic to erect a barrier to prevent the dogs from getting too close. Rex was barking out orders to his captains, who were directing their subordinates to take certain attack positions. More weapons were brought out by the dogs, though once again I was able to quickly transform those weapons into more snakes.

Some of the unicorns were able to manipulate weather patterns, so they conjured dark clouds to start zapping the dogs with lightning bolts. I was shocked to see Rex produce a whistle to try to call forward more dogs. He blew on a small wooden pipe shaped object and I heard a rumbling coming. I used my magic to turn his whistle into a snake, which bit him on his muzzle before he could get rid of the thing. He yelped in surprise and pain before falling to the ground, clutching his muzzle with his front paws. Which snake had I made of his whistle? A black mamba, just to make sure he suffered.

More dogs arrived as I had not gotten to Rex in time. I wasn't sure how many there were, but it looked like at least another hundred. I teleported to Celestia's immediate location and informed her that things had gone bad and that I was probably going to have to use lethal force against the dogs. She glowered at me, but accompanied me to the field of battle. Trixie was directing the other unicorns to better vantage points, something I didn't know she was capable of doing. The unicorns took turns keeping the barrier up and when Celestia and I returned, we saw many different groups of dogs circling us, growling, readying for attack.

"I COMMAND ALL OF YOU TO STOP IMMEDIATELY!!!" the Sun Goddess bellowed in an amazingly loud form of RCV. I had never heard her use this commanding tone before, and neither had anypony or anydog else. Everything stopped, every pony, every dog stood and paid attention to the Solar Princess.

"You, Diamond Dogs! Return whence you came, unless you wish to incur my wrath!" Celestia shouted, her body glowing brilliantly in the light, her mane and tail lit as though they were made of living flame itself. It reminded me of when I lost my temper. "If you EVER think about abducting another one of my little ponies, I shall not spare your lives!"

"That other white one attacked us!" one of the captains stated. Celestia's anger flared brighter at this.

"You will leave now, and that is final. Any further delay will be met with swift and certain destruction," the Sun Goddess stated in a low voice, one dripping with deep malice and anger.

The dogs started leaving through the tunnels they had dug, every single one of them with their tails between their legs. Celestia stood by and waited until the last one had left. We took the opportunity to seal all the holes, placing magic wards on them so they could not be reused.

"Thank you, Celestia," I stated. The Solar Princess saw one dog laying on the ground, his paws still holding his muzzle. She trotted over to him.

"Why haven't you left?" she asked.

"Uhhh," he groaned in pain. "Bit by a snake. Hurts."

"Amethyst? How did he get bitten by a snake?"

"He blew a dog whistle -- I used my magic to turn his whistle into a snake -- a black mamba snake," I stated flatly. Everypony gasped at that mention and Celestia turned to me.

"You understand how deadly those things are, don't you?"

"Yeah, the snake bit him, and without antivenom, he's gonna die," I replied. "Snake bit him on the nose."

"I suppose that can't be helped. I will use my healing magic on him," she stated and enveloped him in her aura, drawing the snake venom out of him and healing the damaged flesh. Rex resumed normal breathing and stared up at the Solar Princess, who powered down her horn after healing him. "You must leave with the others. Do not return. I strongly suggest you think twice about abducting another pony."

Rex whimpered, looking for a tunnel to retreat to, but was unable to find any. He dug into the ground to make his own tunnel and left us to regroup. Trixie cantered to my side.

"Thank you for rescuing me, Amethyst," she stated softly. "How is my filly doing?"

"Would you like to return to the castle and continue raising her?" I asked.

"Trixie wished to continue with her travels," she stated, "but she no longer feels safe. Please come with Trixie, she needs your help!"

"Who's going to raise Marina?" I asked. "Celestia? Trixie wants me to accompany her, but there will be no pony to raise Marina. I do not wish to accompany Trixie on the road -- I need to look after our filly."

The Diarch instructed the other unicorns to return the bags containing the ransom to return to the Castle and place the bags back into the Royal Treasury. She then trotted over to where Trixie and I were standing.

"Amethyst, I need you back at the Castle. Trixie, I request you return as well so you may continue raising your filly. Your willingness to abandon her to resume your travels speaks of poor judgment and irresponsibility on your part. You cannot run from your obligations, regardless of how difficult the circumstances may appear." The show-mare hung her head sullenly.

"Trixie was born to travel the road performing her magic -- she was never meant to be a mother," she stated sadly.

"So we're back to that Catch-22, Trixie -- you want me to be in two places simultaneously. I have stated before that as much as I want to accompany you, I cannot abandon our filly. I do not wish to risk losing you, but if you cannot return to the Castle, I understand. I will give you a device with which you can summon me at any time. Please remember to use it only in cases of dire emergency and do not use it whenever you're feeling lonely and want some companionship. I will keep track of your location as well to ensure your safety. I don't understand why I didn't take these precautions when I let you leave the last time around."

"You are willing to let Trixie continue on her travels?" she asked.

"As much as it pains me, yes, I will. Take care of yourself," I replied softly. I used my magic to create a special device she could use to summon me immediately. This was little more than a small square black box with a big red button in the center which would send a signal to me when depressed. Trixie grinned at me upon receiving the device.

Suddenly, a cry went up from the group of unicorns who were transporting the ransom back to the Castle. Celestia and I looked over to where the sound originated and saw more Diamond Dogs -- apparently, they had not gotten the message. She and I took to the air and flew to meet them, landing a short distance away from them.

"I thought I told you to leave," the Sun Goddess stated flatly.

"We are here to collect the ransom," one of them responded. "Give it to us. NOW."

Celestia turned her attention to the nearest unicorn and used her telekinesis to take one of the bags of bits, slamming it into the dog with as much force as she dared muster. The bag, which weighed about fifty pounds, impacted the dog with so much force that he was brought to the ground immediately, his rib cage crushed under the force. Blood dribbled from his mouth as he screamed in pain. The other dogs saw this and fled back down the holes from which they had came. She then magically sealed all the holes behind that pack of dogs. She and I escorted the unicorns back to the train tracks to catch the ride back to Canterlot.

"Where is Trixie's caravan?" she asked me. I searched for it from the sky and found it, then teleported it to her location. "Thank you so much, Amethyst! Please take care of Marina for Trixie!" She then got back onto her wagon and used her magic to propel it towards Hoofington, the little black box by her side.

"So, Celestia, do we take the train with our group or do we go ahead of them?" I asked.

"You may accompany them for the ride back. I have pressing matters to deal with, Amethyst. I have a foal-sitter taking care of Marina for you in your absence. Make sure the ransom returns safely to the Castle." She then teleported back to the throne room, leaving me to accompany the phalanx of unicorns carrying the bags. We reached the tracks in short order and boarded the next train to Canterlot, returning to the Castle some seven hours later.

It was dark when we finally reached the Castle and I oversaw the transport of the ransom back to the Royal Treasury. When that task was finished, I trotted to the dining hall to have a light dinner before reconnoitering with Celestia, though by this time she had retired to her bedchamber.

What Happens in Trixie's Absence

I had retired to bed, making sure Marina was safely sleeping in her crib. I was deeply indebted to the foal-care team, who were doing an absolutely wonderful job. One of them was a blue unicorn mare who bore a close resemblance to Trixie and was able to serve as a surrogate mother, though her cutie mark was quite different, a copper colored quarter note couplet. Her name was Summer Song, and her lullabies to Marina were so beautiful I asked to record her singing for my benefit as well. I had brought my car from Ponyville to the Castle, the vehicle standing in a courtyard opposite the Royal Gardens. My music library had been saved to a hard disc storage for the car's entertainment system and I taught the blue unicorn some human songs, some of which she liked quite a bit. Her voice did a number of the songs justice, though it lacked the sort of soulfulness of Aretha Franklin's voice. There was a part of me that wondered if I could track down Chocolate Sweetness to see about having her sing some human songs. Summer Song's voice seemed to resemble Laura Nyro's.

Trixie continued to travel around Equestria and I was making sure to check up on her quite often to ensure her safety. I informed her of Marina's progress and that she was eating well, learning to walk, trying to speak, using rudimentary magic, and learning to fly as well. She asked me if I was sleeping okay by myself, and I told her I missed her company, but I was now regularly substituting for Celestia, performing her duties on an almost daily basis. It was true that she would oversee things to make sure I was performing competently, but as I progressed in holding Solar Court, receiving and answering the many letters that would arrive, raising and lowering the Sun on a daily basis, the Sun Goddess continued to place more trust in my judgment and more confidence in my abilities. I'll have to admit to being pleasantly surprised to receive reports from Celestia regarding activities she was engaged in, giving me deeply sincere thanks for allowing her to enjoy herself for the first time in centuries as she now had a competent replacement for her. That last part had me worried, as I wasn't sure if she meant for me to be a permanent replacement, but she told me she was traveling to other universes, same as I had been, and thoroughly enjoying her experiences, some of which burned my ears when I heard what she was doing.

I was sleeping in Celestia's bedchamber while she was away -- as long as I was going to be her surrogate, I might as well avail myself to her bed. There were quite a few times when I'd wake up to find Twilight having snuggled up to me, leading to some rather awkward glances and stares, the lavender Alicorn grinning sheepishly when she discovered it was me in her mentor's bed instead of the Sun Goddess. She took it in stride, though, and expressed an interest in having a foal of her own. I asked her if she was really ready for everything that entailed, considering Trixie's decision to leave Marina behind. She told me she wouldn't have asked me if she hadn't anticipated every contingency, considering how obsessive she could be when it came to attention to detail. I told her I would be willing, but we'd have to keep it secret from Trixie -- she would never forgive me again for another indiscretion of that sort. I asked her if breaking my promise to Trixie was worth the risk involved, as well as how deeply such infidelity would hurt her. Twilight simply responded that if she truly loved me, she wouldn't have abandoned her daughter and left me to stay in the Castle alone instead of traipsing about Equestria like the rolling stone she was. I told her I would have to give her request very careful consideration and would let her know when I had made a final decision, though I did ask her if she would rather wait about a decade or so before having a foal, to which she responded in the affirmative, which made me smile.

Twilight would often stay at the Castle and help raise Marina, who was continuing to grow and learn rather quickly. I was amazed to see her progression occur as quickly as it was, as by the time she was a year old, she was able to speak a few words, fly around the room giggling and laughing, use more magic, though I think Twilight might have been teaching the filly how to use her magic. I told Twilight to be careful about which spells she taught her, but she told me she was being extremely careful and only teaching her some basic spells. I was amazed to see how proficient she was at certain things, considering she was only a year old. I smiled proudly at her, which elicited an innocent smile in return. She had learned how to call me "Dada," though she was referring to Twilight as "Mama." I was somewhat concerned by this, but I told her that when her real mama comes back, I would show little Marina who her mama really was. She would giggle when I told her this, though I wasn't sure if she understood my words or just liked the sound of my voice.

Trixie contacted me from Las Pegasus and informed me that she was being given trouble once again. I would have thought she'd have known better than to return to that city, but I suspect she had figured that they would have forgotten about her. She had gone to one of the casinos once again and had tried her hoof at the blackjack tables, only to be given a quick trip to the police station. She used that opportunity to contact me, to which I had to have Twilight cover for me while I attended to the matter. I teleported to the police station from the Castle and talked to the receptionist at the front desk.

"May I help you ... your Majesty?" the mare asked.

"I am here for Trixie," I stated flatly.

"She is being held on certain charges --"

"Please release her to my custody, if you don't mind," I said firmly. It was not so much a request as it was a demand. I gave a rather stern look to emphasize my demand, implying certain consequences if that demand was not met.

"Uh -- there's some paperwork to be --"

"I care not about that. Release her at once," I stated, a hint of anger creeping into my voice, making my demand a bit more insistent. The receptionist seemed to shrink back before the station chief showed up.

"Your Majesty! What brings you to our fair city?" he asked.

"I am here for my wife, Trixie. She has contacted me and informed me that she is being held here. I request her immediate release, whereupon I will place her in MY custody," I stated impatiently. I maintained my scowl.

"Um, your Majesty, we must fill out the necessary paperwork before we can release her --"

"RELEASE HER AT ONCE!!" I bellowed, my Royal Canterlot Voice causing the walls to tremble slightly. Everypony cowered low to the ground at my outburst, the station chief very hurriedly cantering to the holding cells and returning very shortly with Trixie, who was still in hoofcuffs.

"I am terribly sorry, your Majesty," he apologized effusively. I continued to glower at him.

"Remove her hoofcuffs and if she is wearing an inhibitor ring," I said, taking another look at her, noticing she did indeed have one on her horn. "Remove that damned thing," I growled at the chief. The station chief bowed before me again, sputtering some more apologies before quickly removing Trixie's hoofcuffs and inhibitor ring. "Thanks," I nearly barked at him.

"Trixie, what brought you back here? I want you to stay away from this city from here on out. Everywhere else is fine, but Las Pegasus is off limits to you, understood?"

"Trixie goes where she wants! If she wants to visit Las Pegasus, let her do so!" she nearly shouted at me.

"I can still return you to their custody, if you'd like," I said sharply to her. She gave me a hurt look and the sad puppy dog eyes, pursing her lips into a pout. "That's not going to work with me this time, Trixie." I turned to the station chief again, who was quickly filling out paperwork. "Do you have her caravan in your impound lot? If so, return it to her. NOW." The chief looked up at me fearfully again, and dashed off to retrieve the wagon, delegating the task to a pair of unicorns who used their magic to wheel the wagon around to the front of the station.

"Her caravan is waiting in front of the station," the chief stated, bowing deeply before me again.

"Come on, Trixie, let's get out of here," I said in a condescending manner, glaring at the chief one more time as we left.

"Thank you, Amethyst. Will you be traveling with Trixie from now on?" she asked.

"You interrupted Solar Court to have me come rescue you," I stated flatly. "I must return to the Castle, Twilight does not want to be kept waiting."

"What are you doing with Sparkle?" my wife asked in an almost accusatory tone.

"She is covering Solar Court in my absence -- I told her I would return shortly. We take turns with Solar Court and Lunar Court, so the Princesses can avail themselves of some free time. They are quite pleased with our performance in their stead."

"You are taking good care of Marina for Trixie, yes?"

"She is in good hooves, Trixie. She can say a few words now. You've been gone from her nearly a year now -- when are you returning?"

"Trixie does not know, yet. Maybe soon," the show-mare mused.

"You still have the summoning device?" I asked her. She nodded and showed me the little black box, which appeared a bit beaten up. "Take better care of it, Trixie -- I don't want to have to replace it, nor do you want to find out it won't work when you really need it."

"Trixie still wants you to join her, Amethyst," she said somewhat sullenly.

"My obligations await me in Canterlot. I must take my leave, Trixie. See you later," I said, then teleported back to the Castle.

"Trixie HATES it when you do that!" she shouted to the air behind me. She hopped onto her caravan and used her magic to propel it in the general direction of Ponyville, taking a moment to give an obscene gesture using her fore-legs to the police station behind her.

Trixie Returns ... Two Years Later

It was during the course of the next two years that Marina continued to increase her knowledge and skill with the use of her magic, outstripping every other unicorn foal her age. There was a part of me that wondered if she had some Alicorn genes in her make-up, though I had been completely assured by Celestia that she was definitely NOT an Alicorn. Considering the fact that the Sun Goddess had lied to me before, I felt compelled to take her words with a grain of salt. Even though Summer Song would stay near and help in just about every way possible, Marina eventually came to know that the blue unicorn mare wasn't truly her mother, but she treated her as such.

Twilight would often stop by to visit with the filly as well, who would always canter excitedly to the lavender Alicorn. The librarian would split her time between Ponyville and Canterlot, but still pleaded with me to provide her with a foal, informing me that any foal she would have by me would indeed be an Alicorn, regardless of gender. I urged patience on her part, reminding her of my marriage. The lavender Alicorn would confide to me all her feelings, even those she had for me, and I would let her know that I was thinking of her as well. I told her about Trixie's travels whenever I checked on her progress, but after the first year, I lost contact with her. I had ponies reporting on her to me, so at the very least I was able to stay informed as to her whereabouts. Six months later, even they lost track of her.

The business of raising and lowering the Sun, coupled with the rigors of Solar Court had a tendency to occupy my days completely. I asked Luna if her sister was going to return some time, but I was told to be patient, and that Celestia might be gone for ten years or so. I asked Twilight if she might be interested in covering the responsibilities of being the Solar Regent, but she would always tell me she was too busy at the library with her research projects, leaving me in charge. There were quite a few times where Luna would ask me to cover her court duties as well so she could take an occasional break. I told her what I was willing to do was raise and lower her Moon for her, and set the stars in the sky as well, but Lunar Court would not be held in her absence. She agreed to this on principle, acknowledging that so much responsibility would be too much for me to handle until I had more experience as an Alicorn.

"You realize, Amethyst, that Alicorns don't need to sleep or even eat, except every once in awhile," Luna explained. "We regret having to impose upon you, but We desire a break as well."

"Very well then, Luna, but please return soon. I understand there aren't many petitioners for Lunar Court, but there are some who cannot make time for Solar Court. I suppose I can extend the hours of Solar Court to accommodate as many petitioners as I am able, though their concerns are little more than petty trifles," I stated flatly.

"You have Our deepest and sincerest gratitude, Amethyst. We promise to make Our return timely, for your sake," the Lunar Princess smiled and departed for ... somewhere.

I was left in charge for three weeks before Luna returned, and it was during those three weeks that I requested Twilight's company during a moment of weakness on my part. The librarian was all too eager to assist me with my needs and desires, though I felt a bit dirty afterwards. The two of us shared a passionate kiss, but tears streamed down our faces at having performed the deed. I could only hope that Trixie might forgive my weakness, but I had no idea where she was and no idea of when she might return. Truthfully, I could have checked on her if I had been willing to put more effort into it, but I let the words of others convince me that Trixie no longer loved me, and having put her out of my mind, I allowed myself to succumb to my desires during the Royal Sisters' absence.

Twilight seemed to have designs on marrying me, occasionally asking me to contact Celestia for the sake of annulling my marriage to Trixie. I told her I thought that was a bad idea, but there was always that nagging feeling at the back of my mind that I should try a bit harder to find my wife. I told the lavender Alicorn that she should be patient, that a marriage to her would come in due time. Content in the knowledge that eventually she would become my wife, she kissed me and giggled a little upon hearing that revelation from me. There was a part of me that screamed at me to respect Trixie, but because she was gone, I ignored that part.

We held a birthday party for Marina to celebrate her third year of life -- Pinkie Pie had planned this party about a month in advance, inviting as many ponies as she could to the party, which was held in the Royal Ballroom, owing to the number of ponies who showed up. It was during that party that Trixie finally made her return. She was escorted to the ballroom by a Royal Guard unicorn, and upon seeing me, cantered over excitedly, grinning broadly.

"Amethyst! I have returned!" she exclaimed and hugged me tightly. I forced a smile and hugged her gently in return, though her smaller size made for a rather awkward hug, as I was wearing my regalia. "Would you mind making yourself my size so we can share a proper hug?" she asked.

"Um, Trixie? You're no longer speaking in third pony?" I asked, almost hesitantly.

"Oh, that! I gave that up more than a year ago! I've been traveling by myself, mostly doing odd jobs and the occasional magic show, but things have been going pretty well for me. So how's my little Marina doing?"

I was taken by her appearance -- she seemed rather gaunt, as though she had seen a great many dangers and had not been eating all that well. I had a sneaking suspicion that her exuberance was merely an act, that she was hiding something. My ethereal senses picked up on this as I almost subconsciously scanned her, checking her aura, trying to ascertain her physical and psychological health. I may have hesitated a bit too long as she cleared her throat to get my attention.

"Oh, yes. Today is Marina's third birthday! She is doing quite well, Trixie," I smiled, looking for our little navy blue filly. "Marina! Your mama is here!" I called out. The little filly came cantering over in great excitement, giving a squeal of delight upon being reunited with her biological mother.

"Mama! You're here! I've missed you so much!" she cried. Trixie and I smiled warmly at her.

"So tell me, Marina, how have they been treating you here? I'm sorry I couldn't be here for you, but I'm going to stay here now. I have been traveling for a long time, but now I feel confident in myself enough to stay and be a real mother to you," she stated warmly.

"Mama, you look so ... weak," the little filly stated somewhat sullenly. Trixie's condition seemed readily apparent at that point, the light shining through the large windows of the ballroom illustrating quite starkly how slender the show-mare had become.

"I'm okay, Marina -- it's been a little rough out there on the road. Amethyst was supposed to come and help me when I pushed the button, but he never came," she said, a tear trickling down her face. "Trixie -- I ran into some trouble and had to use my wits to escape the Everfree with my life," she added. She turned around, lifting her cape to show a large scar that ran lengthwise along her right side from her flank to her withers as it crept up her back. Everypony gasped at seeing this, and I flinched a little.

"Oh, Trixie, I am so sorry," I stated. "But I told you to take care of that device, if you remember."

"I know. I tried to, but things kept happening. I wanted you to think I was okay, but ... well ..." she said softly, letting her words trail off. She slowly trotted over to me and hugged me very tightly, tears trickling from her eyes. "Amethyst, please hold me -- please don't let me go," she whispered, choking back sobs.

"Mama, don't be sad! I will try to make you happy," Marina said, trying to encourage her. The little filly also wanted to get in on the hug, wrapping her forelegs around her mother's left hind leg as I had wrapped my forelegs around her withers.

"Shh, Trixie, it's gonna be all right," I cooed softly to her. I held her close, trying to reassure her of my faithfulness and fidelity to her. I felt a sick nagging feeling in the back of my mind, worried about what might happen if she were to find out about what Twilight and I had done while she was gone. I breathed in her scent, but that was unmistakable. She needed a bath. "Um, Trixie, would you like to freshen up a bit?" I asked gently.

"Yes, I would like that quite a lot," she smiled warmly. "Please tell me everything that's gone on while I was gone."

"Well," I began as I escorted her to Celestia's private bath, "things have been pretty much normal around here -- nothing much has happened, at least, nothing major. Anything that might have come up was dealt with by Twilight."

"Ah. That sounds good. I wish she had been around to help me when I needed it," she stated sullenly. Marina came trotting along behind us.

"Marina, the party is for you -- Trixie needs to freshen up, and I'm taking her to do so," I said to the little filly.

"But I wanna talk to mama too!" she pleaded, giving me her best sad-eyes look, something that seemed to be instinctive.

"Okay, but you might get bored listening to us talk," I said in acquiescence.

"You can tell me what you've been doing, Marina," Trixie offered. She brightened up considerably, giggling a little.

"Twilight's been teaching me magic and how to fly better and how to speak better," she stated quite cheerfully.

"What else have you been doing?" asked Trixie. I drew a tub of warm water for her, selecting certain soaps and shampoos for her.

"Twilight has been teaching me how to read and write, too! Daddy has been so busy doing things with other ponies and sometimes can't play with me," she said with some disappointment.

"Well, I guess running Equestria can be pretty busy -- he has to be the Princess while she's away," Trixie explained. "So, Amethyst, are you doing everything by yourself? Do you have any help?"

"There's been quite a bit of help -- I have a few ponies whose job it is to open and read the mail that shows up, and if something really important is needed, it's brought to my attention. I have appointed a magistrate to address the more trivial matters of state that arise on a daily basis, but the more important petitioners are brought before me. I have delegate some other tasks to other ponies. Frankly, I can't even imagine Celestia trying to do all of this by herself," I chuckled. "I just hope she doesn't take too much longer. This is one of the most boring jobs I've ever held and now I understand why she was looking for a replacement. Imagine doing these things for decades on end without a reprieve in sight, and here I come along, providing her with a responsible alternative. If I were in her hooves, I'd be jumping for joy as well."

"Amethyst, I had no idea it was like that. I'm sorry to have left you for my selfish desires, but I'm here now, and I'm not going to leave you!" Trixie smiled warmly at me as she gently entered the tub. I turned off the water and offered her some sponges and brushes.

"Do you want some privacy? Or would you like me to help?" I asked.

"I wanna help too, mama!" Marina chirped, and leaped up to hover around the tub, flapping her wings gently. We chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"Of course, Marina, you can help," she offered. I soaked a sponge and lathered it with some shampoo. Marina's horn glowed a dark blue as she enveloped the soapy sponge with that dark blue aura and tried to soap up Trixie's coat of fur. Her fine-tune control needed some more practice as the sponge fell into the tub. The show-mare giggled, but used her telekinesis to take the soapy sponge and run it along her body. She was very careful around the scar, a fact that did not escape my notice. Trixie enjoyed my careful ministrations with the sponges, brushes, soaps and shampoos as I gently washed and rinsed her body, her mane and tail.

"This water feels so nice -- it's been too long since I last had a nice hot bath," she smiled. "Thanks for helping me, Amethyst."

"It was my pleasure," I said, returning her smile. "How long ago did you get hurt?"

"It's been about five months or so," she replied. "A rather big Timber Wolf got too close to me as I was trying to fend off about a dozen of them. Tr -- I -- I wish you had been able to help me, Amethyst."

"I'm sorry," I said softly, hanging my head in shame.

"Trixie -- I don't want to be reminded of what happened," she stated with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I notice you still sometimes slip into third pony speech," I mused. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you when you needed me. I --"

"Enough, Amethyst. Trix -- I know you're sorry, you don't have to keep saying that. What's done is done, and we still have more than sixty years we can share with each other!" she exclaimed cheerfully. I could sense something was wrong with her and that she needed some medical help. She got out of the tub and dried herself off. "I'm pretty tired, Amethyst -- I think I need to get some sleep."

"You may sleep in Celestia's bed -- I can only suspect you suffer from extreme fatigue, and I believe Celestia's bed can restore some of your lost strength," I offered and escorted her to the huge bed. Marina trotted behind us.

"Can I sleep with mommy?" she asked.

"You still have a birthday party," I said, smiling at her.

"I wanna stay with my mama," she protested. I nodded my head.

"Okay, Marina, you can stay with your mama," I stated, maintaining my smile. I left the two of them to sleep together as I made my way back to the ballroom where her party was still in progress.

"So, Ammy, where's the little birthday filly?" asked Pinkie.

"She wants to stay with her mama -- I'm sure you could understand her desire after being away from her mama for three years," I said, still smiling warmly. "I'm sorry to have to call the remainder of the party off, but we can reschedule it for later when Trixie's feeling better."

"What's wrong with Trixie?" the pink pony asked.

"There are some health concerns," I stated flatly. "I will have a medical team evaluate her and see about healing her if they can."

"Ooh, I hope it's nothing too serious," Pinkie said optimistically. She then rambled on at length about a relative of hers who had fallen ill at one time and that she had worried herself sick over that issue and was afraid she might have to throw a going away forever party before that relative died, but recovered from what turned out to be just a minor illness, so she held a "Congratulations, you didn't die and you made it back to Ponyville" party for that relative.

"I believe Trixie is in good hooves and that there's nothing to worry about," I responded.

"Okie dokie lokie," Pinkie chimed and wrapped up the party. Everypony departed to return to what they had been doing earlier, offering their farewells to the pink party pony.

"All right, Pinkie, seeya later," I said and returned to Celestia's bedchamber to check up on my wife.

Trixie's Condition Worsens

I returned to Celestia's bedchamber to see about Trixie, the doctor following me rather hurriedly as my swift trotting forced him to canter quickly in order to keep pace.

"Your Majesty, I can assure you that she will be all right," the doctor stated as calmly as he could, given the circumstances.

"Be that as it may, I could sense something wrong with her. I believe your expertise with these matters will allay my concerns."

We arrived shortly at the bedchamber and I opened the doors, ignoring the opulent displays and garish decorations which bedecked the room, trotting slowly to the gigantic bed. Trixie appeared to be very small in the bed as she lay on her left side, snoring lightly, her breathing slightly labored. Marina was curled up against her, a tiny wing against her mother's back.

"Your daughter is truly something special," the doctor smiled. I watched as she examined the show-mare, his medical experience giving him a better understanding of her situation. His horn glowed a very pale green as he used his magic to more intensely examine her. After a moment or two he turned to me.

"How long has it been since she had this scar examined?" he asked me.

"She said she received that scar about five months ago -- said something about a Timber Wolf," I replied.

"Almost all of her magic is being used to fight off a very serious bacterial infection. She needs immediate attention!" he exclaimed almost angrily.

"I shall summon the medical team," I stated flatly. I lit my horn and teleported to the medical wing of the Castle, assembling a team of medical ponies to assist in Trixie's recovery. I group teleported everypony back to the bedchamber, the doctor having set up an IV. Marina was woken up and told that her mama needed some medical help and she started crying.

"Please don't let mama die!" she wailed.

"We will do our best to save her," a nurse stated calmly. The team prepared to move her to another room, as Celestia's bedchamber was not exactly designed to serve as an operating room.

"Can't you just teleport her to the medical wing?" I asked.

"The stress of teleportation could jeopardize her health -- she's actually in very serious condition and we do not want to place her under further stress," the doctor replied.

"If you said bacterial infection, perhaps there are some antibiotics which can be used to rid her of the disease," I offered.

"Those medicines are still in experimental stages," the doctor responded. "We don't know about their effectiveness."

"Have you heard of vancomycin? Amoxicillin? Penicillin? Streptomycin? Bacitracin?" I asked. The doctor's eyes went wide.

"How do you know about those? If we had access to those, we could save her," he answered.

"I'd have to go back to my human home world to obtain those, and getting them might not be easy."

"If you can, please try. We are not sure if we'll be able to save her, considering how far the infection has progressed," the doctor stated. Trixie moaned slightly as she was lifted off Celestia's bed and placed on a gurney and wheeled into a room down the hallway. Medical equipment was being brought in as well. I followed to see the progress as Trixie was lifted again and placed into another bed. Monitoring equipment was hooked up to her body, her vital signs showing somewhat weak. "I'm afraid the infection has spread a bit further than I had thought. She doesn't have much time left, your Majesty."

"How much?" I asked, trying to mask my concern.

"We will do everything we can for her, but without those medicines you named, I figure she might have two weeks left, at maximum," the doctor stated sadly.

Suddenly the monitors started beeping alarms as Trixie's vitals started fading, causing the medical team to engage in a flurry of activity to stabilize her condition. The show-mare's eyes fluttered for a moment and she gasped a little as a sigh escaped her lips. She lost consciousness as she slipped into a coma. I hung my head sadly and lit my horn in an attempt to use healing magic on her. I enveloped her in my yellow aura, but I was immediately stopped by the doctor.

"Do not use your healing magic on her -- she needs those medicines. We will keep a constant watch on her to monitor her condition and we will make sure she does not die. You must hurry to wherever it is you can obtain those medicines and return as swiftly as you can. Truth be told, I'm not sure how much longer she has, your Majesty."

"Very well then. I must have Twilight cover for me again," I stated flatly. I focused on the lavender Alicorn's magic signature and teleported to her vicinity, arriving with a flash of light and a yellow POP.

"Amethyst, I am very busy," she stated almost impatiently.

"Trixie has fallen into a coma," I stated flatly.

"Then you must help her!"

"I need for you to hold Solar Court in my absence -- I must travel to my human home world in order to obtain some special medicines to cure an infection she has sustained."

"Have you checked with Zecora? Perhaps she can help with the healing process," the librarian offered.

"I will do that now. But would you still please cover me in Canterlot until I return? I appreciate it," I said, smiling softly.

"I can't drop what I'm doing right now, Amethyst. I will need about an hour to finish what I'm doing now, but when I'm done, I shall meet you in the Throne Room. I hope you understand," she said softly.

"Very well then, Twilight. I shall return to the throne room, but this matter has me worried and I'm not sure how much longer I can delay getting medicines to her." I then teleported back to the Throne Room to wait on the lavender Alicorn.

Return to Earth

I waited impatiently in the throne room, pacing the perimeter of the room, or at least as much as I was able, as stands for ponies attending Solar and Lunar Court ringed the perimeter of the throne room, making it seem more like an arena than a throne room. I had cleared out the schedule for the day anyway, so as to allow me to do whatever I could in order to help Trixie. The fact that she had slipped into a coma was deeply troubling me, as was the severity of her infection. I could practically sense Death walking around her bed while she was hooked up to the various life-support machines. Marina was being looked after by Summer Song, who graciously agreed to sit for her. I continued to pace around the perimeter, my patience wearing very thin. I was seriously considering asking Luna to cover for me, but then Twilight finally showed up. She had been having morning sickness due to her pregnancy.

"Sorry I'm late, Amethyst -- sometimes my experiments don't go exactly as I planned them --"

"That's quite all right, Twilight. I have to go back to my home world, though it pains me to do so. I suppose I should take the opportunity to visit my parents, as I haven't seem them in years. I wonder how they're doing," I mused.

"I would love to meet your parents!" the lavender Alicorn beamed. "I'll bet they're very nice ponies!"

"They're human, Twilight -- and yes, they ARE very nice people. Perhaps I might be able to bring them here to meet you. I still have to find medicines for Trixie, though, but I think I might have enough time to meet up with my parents again."

"Okay, Amethyst, but don't take too long, please."

"I would also like to talk to you a bit longer about your pregnancy," I offered.

"Yes, I think that would probably be a good idea. I've been feeling sick lately, but I read in a few books that morning sickness is normal. I don't like it, though."

"Truthfully, Twilight, I just hope Trixie will be okay with you having a foal -- I'm sure Marina would love to have a playmate, though."

"She gets enough play time with other foals around Ponyville and Canterlot -- you're going to spoil her rotten!" she giggled. "If you're going to go, you'd better get going! You're burning daylight, you know!"

"Very well then, Twilight. Seeya later," I said and smiled warmly at her, then concentrated on my home world and teleported. My landing point on Earth was the front yard of my old house from a long time ago. It appeared as though nothing had changed about the place, though there were different people living in the house. It was night-time here, and there were some wispy clouds in the sky, illuminated by the light of a waxing gibbous moon. The car in the driveway was a late model Toyota Camry, but I paid it no mind.

I teleported to Sarasota, Florida, where my parents had retired several years ago. I transformed myself into a male human, going from memory as to what I roughly looked like before I had taken the appearance of Trixie more than four years ago. I was half-way wondering if my parents were even still alive, considering they would be in their seventies. I was also going by rote memory as to where they lived, hoping they hadn't moved in that time. The house had a front porch with a couple of chairs, so I decided to take a seat and wait for them to wake. I had no idea of how long it would be before they rose, but I figured I had enough time to wait for morning to come.

I waited for what seemed like hours before daybreak started coloring the sky in paler shades of blue and purple. It would still be another hour before sunrise, so I continued to wait. I waited for what seemed like another hour after the sun rose before I heard movement within the house. I knocked on the front door and my father answered the door.

"Good morning, Mike. Your mother and I had all but given up hope on your return -- we never heard back from you, we tried to contact you, we tried to contact your wife -- even your brother tried to get ahold of you to no avail. Where have you been?"

"Dad, I've spent the last four years or so on another world -- one you have to use magic in order to get there. Did Brenda ever tell you about an incident where I woke up as a pony?" I asked.

"You've got to be kidding! How the hell could you have woken up as ... a ... PONY?!?" my dad asked incredulously.

"Um, dad, I don't know if I should show you what I really look like, as this appearance I have right now is just an illusion spell," I stated. "I don't wanna give you a heart attack or something."

"What, you mean ... you're really ... a PONY?" he asked again as my mom came to the front door to see who was visiting.

"Mike! We've been worried sick! Where have you been?" she asked.

"The name of the place is Equestria," I stated flatly. My dad chuckled. Mom looked confused.

"Ponies, horses, equestrian events ... of course. So why not show me what you really look like, Mike?" he asked, giving me a grin as if to suggest I was joking. I dropped my glamour to let them see me in my Alicorn form. Mom fainted and Dad took a few steps backwards, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to find the words.

"I'm sorry, dad, but this is what I've become. I apologize for the shock of my appearance. There is one other thing, though -- the reason I have returned to Earth is so I could obtain medicine for my new wife -- she has a very serious bacterial infection and I need to acquire some antibiotics in order to cure her disease."

"Your NEW wife?" he asked as he managed to regain a little of his composure. "I suppose your NEW wife is a pony, too?"

"A unicorn to be precise, but yes, a pony," I replied. I smiled warmly at my dad. Mom recovered from her faint, saw me again and started backing away. "Mom, it's me, Mike. My new name is Amethyst Flame, but I am still your son."

"I'd be interested in seeing your new wife, Mike," my dad offered.

"If I can get ahold of some antibiotics, I will be happy to show her to you -- and my daughter as well," I grinned.

"Wait -- you have a ... PONY DAUGHTER?!"

"Yes, she's three years old now -- very smart, pretty, magically strong ..." I said, letting my words trail off.

"I would like to see them as well," my mom offered.

"So how are you supposed to go about getting antibiotics? We don't have any prescription medicines here," my dad stated flatly.

"I will have to seek out a pharmacy and try to get some that way," I mused.

"You know you need a prescription for those before they will give them to you," my dad responded.

"Well ... I have certain ... magical abilities which I can use to ... gently persuade ... the pharmacist to, um, assist me," I grinned.

"What, you can use the Jedi Mind Trick?" my dad chuckled.

"Mmm, something like that," I grinned.

"Might I accompany you, Mike?" he asked.

"It would be best if I go alone. I will have to apply my glamour once again so as not to draw too much attention to me. I shall return shortly, dad, mom. Seeya soon!" And with that, I teleported once again, this time to a local pharmacy. My parents were stunned by my use of magic in their presence and took a few minutes to calm themselves down.

Returning to a human appearance by dint of casting a glamour, I walked into the pharmacy and approached the counter. A cashier asked me for my name.

"Actually, I'm not here to pick up a prescription, but I need to talk to the pharmacist if I may," I offered.

"Let me go get him for you. One moment please," the cashier stated in an annoyed tone of voice. She left and returned shortly with a middle-aged African man.

"Now, how may I be of service to you, sir?" he asked, showing great reverence.

"I need some vancomycin, some amoxicillin, some penicillin, some erythromycin, and some bacitracin," I stated flatly.

"You look like the perfect picture of health! What do you need those for?" he asked.

"My wife is suffering from a severe bacterial infection and only those medicines can save her life, sir," I replied.

"Do you have a prescription? We cannot release that kind of medication without a prescription."

I dropped my glamour at that moment. As the shock of seeing an equine in their store hit them, I lit my horn. "I don't need a prescription for those medicines -- this is an emergency! If I don't get those medicines, my wife will DIE!" I shouted at them. Amazingly enough, the pharmacist grabbed the largest pill bottle he had and scooped about 20 of each antibiotic into it, capping it, and handing it over to me. I enveloped it in my yellow aura.

"Thank you for your cooperation. I apologize for my brusqueness, but time is short. I have no idea of how much longer my wife will live, but I believe your action might very well have saved her life. Your reward is five gold coins," I stated, creating said coinage, levitating it over to the counter, dropping the coins on it. I took the pill bottle with me in my aura and teleported back to my parents' house.

"Mom, Dad, I'm back. Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," I stated.

"Um, Mike, how did you do that?" asked my dad.

"I told you, Dad, I can teleport by using magic. I am what is known as an Alicorn, though I originally stated out as a unicorn. Mom, would you like to come along with me? We don't have a lot of time left."

"Yes, please! I want to see what she looks like!" my mom grinned.

"Very well then. Dad, take my left fore-hoof. Mom, take hold of my right wing." They did as instructed as I lit my horn, concentrating on the room Trixie was in and teleported the three of us into that room.

Trixie Meets Her In-Laws

The room we appeared in was one of the deluxe accommodations in the Castle -- in fact, it was the suite Trixie and I had shared shortly after we got married. Trixie lay in the bed, unconscious, still in her coma, a breathing tube attached to her muzzle, a heart rate monitor, an IV tube, and a few other devices also monitoring other functions doing their work. A nurse was standing watch over her to make sure her condition didn't worsen. Upon seeing the three of us teleport into the room, she let out a shriek. The head doctor in charge of Trixie's health trotted in hurriedly, then gasped when he saw my parents.

"Who -- what -- what -- who --" he stammered.

"Doctor, these are my parents -- they are human, just as I was at one time a human. Mom, Dad, this unicorn stallion is the lead doctor of the medical team here at Canterlot Castle. He is keeping Trixie safe for me. Doctor, I have arrived with the needed medicine for her," I stated, levitating the pill bottle over to him. He used his magic to try to open the bottle, but failed. "Doctor, that is a two-action lid -- you have to simultaneously push down on the top while twisting the bottle," I offered.

"Why is it like that, Amethyst?" he asked. He performed the task and succeeded in opening the bottle. "Huh," he mused.

"That's a child-proof bottle, specifically designed to keep children from opening it and accidentally overdosing on the medicine," I stated.

"So these two ... humans? Are your ... parents?" he asked. "Please forgive me, I've never seen humans before."

"That's quite all right," my dad responded. "So how is my daughter-in-law doing?"

"She has a severe laceration along her right side which has become critically infected. She has been using nearly all her magic to keep herself alive, though the infection seems to have been stabilized by a combination of our magic and the best medicine we have to help her. These pills here might actually reverse the infection," the doctor stated. He had the nurse fetch him a medicine kit to convert the pills into a powder to be dissolved into a solution to be added to Trixie's IV drip. He inserted a syringe from an additional IV setup to allow the medicine solution to mix with the saline solution in the main IV to further dilute the antibiotics.

"Now we must wait to see if the new medicine has a beneficial effect on her," the doctor stated flatly. "I just hope this works -- she doesn't have much time left."

"She looks so peaceful," my mom mused. "She looks very cute. Mike, I wish I could have been there on your wedding day."

"You would have been shocked if you had been here on that actual day," I chuckled. "Trixie had been replaced by an impostor and there was quite a bit of chaos before we got things back under control."

"An impostor? Really? Who was it?" asked my dad.

"She called herself Chrysalis, the Queen of the Changelings. We dealt with her appropriately," I stated flatly.

"Changelings? As in, change their appearance?"

"That's right, yeah. The Queen called on them to attack the wedding attendees, but Celestia, Luna, and Cadance stopped them in their tracks. There's more to the story, but we were able to defeat Chrysalis before she was able to carry out her plans," I replied.

"Sounds intriguing. I would have liked to have seen it myself," my dad mused. "I'll bet it was very exciting."

"That would be an understatement! There was a part of me that was scared, as that Queen was standing right next to me when --"

"Mmm, Amethyst, don't leave me," Trixie moaned. The doctor's eyes went wide as saucers as he gasped and turned to me.

"Amethyst?" asked mom and dad.

"I told you, that's my pony name," I grinned. "Trixie? I'm so sorry," I said softly to her. "Doctor, don't unhook that IV just yet -- we have to let the medicine finish off the infection -- I don't wanna see the bacteria develop an immunity to those antibiotics!" The doctor nodded and trotted to the left side of the bed Trixie was laying in and examined her once again.

"Amethyst? Who -- what --" Trixie asked as she saw my parents.

"Trixie, this is my mom and dad -- they are human, I brought them from my home world so they could meet you in person," I smiled.

"Amethyst? Why don't you look like them?"

"Did I not tell you, Trixie? I used to be human before I had my car transform me into a copy of you," I replied flatly.

"How did your car do that?" my dad asked in exasperation. The doctor and nurse looked up at me in surprise, as did my mom. Even Trixie showed some surprise.

"Trixie, you remember when I had the car drive us to the train station some years ago? Scaring all those ponies on the way there?"

"Oh, so that was YOU who was responsible for that!" the doctor stated in an annoyed tone of voice. "You caused quite a bit of panic in Ponyville when you did that. I was working in the hospital that day when a large number of admissions came in and I had to deal with that little problem. I was late for dinner that night, thanks to you!"

"I apologize, doctor. I had magically enchanted my car a long time ago, giving it abilities I hadn't even considered it capable of doing. When I asked if the car could change me from a human into a pony, it told me that it could. When I asked to be Trixie, I heard soft laughter coming from the speakers as the car enveloped me in its aura and transformed me," I explained. My parents stood slack-jawed at the revelation.

"I remember you telling me that story, Amethyst. I can't believe I forgot about it, but -- I wish you had been with me to keep me safe. Trixie is going to have nightmares about those timber wolves for the rest of her life!" the show-mare stated.

"Trixie, did you just refer to yourself in third person?" my dad asked.

"Oh, sorry. I sometimes fall back into that old habit of mine, usually when I'm thinking about things that really scare me or worry me," she replied. My dad had absentmindedly walked over to Trixie's right side and scratched her behind her ears. "Ooh, that feels nice -- could you keep doing that?" she smiled. My dad seemed to have an almost nervous energy to him as it appeared he might be having a little trouble mentally processing the fact that he was now in a world of talking ponies. My mom stood silently transfixed by all the activity going on before she asked me a question.

"So how long have you two been married?"

"It's been close to four years, mom," I replied.

"Why did Trixie ask you not to leave her? What happened?"

"I believe a little explanation is in order, mom. You might notice I have both wings and a horn, and as I told you, I'm an Alicorn. I also happen to be Acting Regent for Equestria, which means I'm supposed to be sitting in the Throne Room adjudicating the more pressing issues of Solar Court. My duties also require me to raise and lower the sun here."

"That's impossible!" my dad shouted.

"Trixie has seen him do this," she said softly.

"You mean -- you can -- raise and -- lower -- the -- SUN?" my mom asked incredulously.

"Trixie, I'm going to take my parents to meet Twilight -- she's acting in my stead right now, but I think I should show my parents what I'm capable of doing. It should be fairly close to time for Luna to raise the moon, so I need to check up on that matter. I shall return shortly. Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"Amethyst, please hurry back."

"I will, lover girl!" I grinned. She smiled back at me in response. "Okay, mom, dad, the Throne Room is not far from here, so follow me, please." They nodded in acknowledgement and followed me as I left the room and trotted slowly down the hallway, my hoofguards clinking lightly on the carpeted floor.

"That's some nice jewelry you're wearing," my mom mused.

"This is my regalia which is proof of my station. If Celestia were here, I'd still be wearing it, but hers is a little more ornate than mine. I hope she returns soon, I grow weary of the tedium of Solar Court. Now I know why she was so desperate to have me stand as her replacement, though I hope she doesn't expect me to be a permanent replacement for her," I opined.

"I would like to meet this Celestia you speak of," my dad stated.

"She looks somewhat similar to me -- you see these marks on my flanks? Hers is a single sun, considerably larger than the four suns I wear as a cutie mark."

"Cutie mark? I could understand mares having those, but stallions?" my dad asked.

"All ponies in Equestria have them. Those who don't have them are either too young to have one or haven't found their special talent yet, or might not even BE ponies!" I replied, softly chuckling as I spoke the last few words of that sentence. My mom marveled at all the decorations adorning the walls of the castle. Presently we reached the Throne Room, two Royal Guards standing in front of it.

"Kind of reminds me of the guards in front of Buckingham Palace," my dad mused aloud. "Stern expressions on their faces --"

"I know you might be tempted to do the sort of antics I've seen American tourists do to those Beefeaters, but I request you refrain from doing that. These ponies take their jobs very seriously, and playing with them is ... a bad idea," I stated flatly.

"You have returned, your Majesty!" one of them stated, smiling ever so slightly. "And you have ... visitors?"

"Yes, these are my parents. I would appreciate you showing them the same respect you show me," I said to the guard.

"Yes, your Majesty," he said, bowing. My parents were quite impressed.

"Your Majesty?" my dad asked.

"I am considered Royalty here, dad. It's part of my station as an Alicorn," I replied nonchalantly. I opened the doors with my magic and spotted Twilight sitting on the throne, Marina curled up on the dais beside her. I smiled at seeing them. "Mom, Dad, this is Twilight Sparkle. My daughter is sleeping on the floor next to her."

Upon hearing my voice, the little dark blue winged unicorn woke up and smiled broadly. "Daddy! You're back!" she shouted, cantering over to me excitedly. She stopped short when she saw my parents and gasped loudly. Twilight showed some surprise at seeing my parents as well.

"Did she just call you ... daddy?" my mom asked incredulously.

"Amethyst? Did you just call ... whomever it is behind you ... mom ... and ... dad?" asked the lavender Alicorn.

"Yes," I replied flatly. "My dad, Stan, is the taller one. My mom, Martha, is the shorter one."

"This is so fascinating! I don't believe I've ever seen you as a human, Amethyst! Yet your parents are both human! I remember you telling me about your time as a human, but -- wow! Um, they look kinda ... old?"

"I suppose you might remember I told you how old I was when I had my car transform me into Trixie? It was my 49th birthday, remember? It's been more than four years since that happened, and my dad is 23 years older than me. Yeah, my parents are old, but they're in good health. I'm actually quite happy they got to meet you and Trixie."

"How is she doing? She's not gotten worse, has she?" asked Twilight. My daughter had slowly approached my mom and was nuzzling against her left leg. My mom had bent down and started scratching the little filly behind her ears, a goofy grin on her face as she was clearly enjoying the sensation of having her head scratched. I heard soft cooing coming from her as she sat down on the floor, allowing my mom to devote her full attention to scratching her, then moving to her little wings.

"Trixie's doing better. I went to my home world and got some antibiotics for her, but decided to visit my parents as well. They expressed an interest in meeting my new wife. It would appear my mom has made a new friend," I chuckled.

Putting On A Good Show

"So, Mike, what's her name?" asked my mom. The little filly was sighing softly, a big grin still plastered on her face.

"Her name's Marina, and you might wanna be careful about her wings -- they're quite sensitive to touch," I cautioned. Almost as if to emphasize my point, she flared her wings straight out, startling my mom.

"What'd she do that for?"

"Um, well, mom -- it's like this. My wings are the same way if you stroke them in the right place -- it's actually -- um, an erogenous zone for those of us who have wings," I said, grinning sheepishly.

"So, Mike, if I were to rub your wings the same way ..."

"Most likely, yes, that would happen. I would certainly hope you would refrain from doing that to me, as it might be seen as an improper familiarity with Royalty. There's only one or two mares I would willingly let touch my wings like that, mom."

"So you said something about raising and lowering the sun?" asked my dad.

"Amethyst, why not show them you can do that?" Twilight mused.

"Is Luna around?" I replied with a question. At hearing her name mentioned, the indigo Alicorn entered the throne room. Stunned by the appearance of two humans, she trotted slowly over to me.

"Amethyst, We are curious to know --"

"Luna, these are my parents," I stated, gesturing to my mom and dad with my right fore-hoof. "Mom, Dad, this is Princess Luna -- Princess of the Night, Lunar Regent, Diarch of Equestria."

"She's very pretty," my dad blurted out. Mom glared at him.

"We thank you for the compliment, um, Amethyst? What are your parents' names?"

"My dad's name is Stan, and my mom's name is Martha."

"It is a pleasure to meet ones of such stature! We appreciate what you have done for us by providing such a capable pony," the indigo Alicorn smiled.

"Luna, I believe it is time for me to lower the Sun. I would like to have my parents watch me perform this action, as I am sure they would be interested in watching you raise your Moon and set the stars in the sky," I offered, smiling warmly.

"It would be Our pleasure to show your parents Our magic in action," Luna stated, offering a polite smile.

"Mom, Dad, I will escort you to Celestia's balcony, where she normally performs the act of raising and lowering her Sun. Since she's away on vacation, I act in her stead," I stated matter-of-factly. "Please follow me, it's just a short walk."

Luna trotted beside me as my parents followed us to Celestia's bedchamber.

"Marvelous decorations, Mike -- what were all those stained glass windows in the Throne Room?" asked my dad.

"Those illustrate events of critical import in Equestria's history -- quite a few have been added recently with not only my ascension but Twilight's as well. There are those which depict the Elements of Harmony defeating Discord, Nightmare Moon, King Sombra, as well as the defeat of Queen Chrysalis," I explained.

"I would like to spend more time looking at them. They are utterly amazing!" my dad marveled.

"Mike, did you say, 'ascension'?" asked my mom. "What does that mean?"

"As I was saying earlier, at one time, I was a unicorn, much like Twilight had been, and Trixie still is. It was when Trixie and I were to be wed that Queen Chrysalis interfered with our wedding and the Elements of Harmony were used to banish her -- but because I was standing next to her, I too was enveloped in the harmonic magic of the Elements, which transformed me into an Alicorn. I was then given instruction on how to perform my new duties," I explained.

We arrived in front of the huge double-door entry to Celestia's private bedchamber, each door bearing a very large sigil in the form of her cutie marks.

"If Princess Luna is the Princess of the Night, then this Celestia is supposed to be the Princess of the Day?" my dad asked.

"That is correct," Luna stated flatly, before opening the doors with her magic. My parents were astonished by the opulent luxury of the bedchamber, easily covering 1600 square feet by itself. They marveled at the huge bed, a mirror which ran the entire length and height of the wall behind the bed, over-sized closets, and all of the other accoutrements adorning the walls. I trotted towards the balcony, but my parents continued to stand in stunned silence.

"Mom, Dad, this way, please," I said, trying to stifle a giggle or two. "I know Celestia's bedchamber is perhaps a bit over-decorated, but this is her preference. Please step out here onto the balcony, I would like for you to watch this."

My parents slowly walked out onto the balcony and I watched their jaws drop when they got a good view of the panorama.

"Wow," was about all they could say. I chuckled at their reaction.

"Yeah, that was MY first impression as well! I've gotten used to it now, but it's still quite a breathtaking view, isn't it?" I smiled.

"Very," my dad replied in his astonishment.

"Okay, it's time," I stated, placing my forehooves against the railing at the edge of the balcony. I stood on my hind legs, bracing my weight against the rail and lit my horn. I reached out with my magic to find the Sun and enveloped the massive orb with my aura and gently lowered it below the horizon. The day's light faded into blackness, my horn being the only immediate source of illumination.

"Why's it so dark?" my dad asked.

"Luna must raise her Moon in order for there to be some light source during the night," I stated. "I was trained on how to do that as well, though I don't think she would appreciate me doing her job for her right now."

"Indeed you are quite correct, Amethyst. We shall raise Our Moon now," she stated almost ostentatiously as she lit her horn and gently raised the Moon. "We shall now place the stars in the night sky, if you are so inclined as to watch."

My parents watched in wonder as the Lunar Princess illuminated the dark sky with bright white dots, arranging them into the constellations with which she was familiar. I never spent much time memorizing those constellations, as they were alien to my knowledge.

"Amethyst, We must ask you to closely observe Our placement of these constellations -- We have seen your work in this matter, and it displeases Us to see you treat Our stars with such disregard as to their proper placement."

"You have my sincerest apologies, Luna," I stated with reverence.

"Please, just pay attention. 'Tis but a small matter, but it means a great deal to Us."

"What did he do with the stars?" my dad asked.

"He placed them at random intervals and in no particular alignment. We were away on a short vacation and Amethyst represented both Celestia and myself while we were both away. Upon Our return, We noticed the lackadaisical attempt to place the stars in the night sky," the Lunar Princess replied.

"Perhaps he was too busy trying to do both your jobs," my mom offered.

Luna paused in thought for a moment. "We understand that perhaps We expected too much of him so soon. He is still a fledgling Prince, though he has been performing his duties quite admirably for one so new to his station. Amethyst, We apologize for being too harsh upon thee."

"I humbly accept your apology, Luna, and I also offer you mine," I stated reverently. She smiled upon hearing this.

"You have raised him well and are to be commended, Stan and Martha," Luna said and smiled warmly at my parents.

"Where's Marina?" my mom asked.

"I believe she is with Twilight," I replied. "Most likely she is being reunited with her mother -- speaking of whom, I believe I should return to her bedside and see how she is doing."

Celestia Returns

My parents followed me to the room Trixie was in. I noticed Trixie was recovering quite quickly, little Marina practically jumping up and down on her bed, giggling excitedly, a big smile on her face. My parents followed me into the room.

"How are you feeling now, Trixie?" I asked her.

"Oh, much better, Amethyst! Those antibiotics you obtained worked a miracle!" she smiled. She got a good look at my parents this time. "You -- you are -- Amethysts' -- parents?"

"Yes, Trixie -- we were worried about Mike and were quite surprised to see he has taken a pony for his wife," my dad stated.

"Dad, I remember how you and mom reacted when I married that black woman," I responded flatly. "You practically disowned me after that wedding. I will admit that our new marriage might not be in the best shape, but I love Trixie. I wanted to be by her side, and I was for a time, but when I returned to being an Alicorn, there were responsibilities I could not delegate."

"Trixie promises she will stay here in Canterlot now, Amethyst," the show-mare stated almost sullenly.

"The way you refer to yourself in third pony used to bother me, Trixie, but I find it most endearing," I observed. My dad chuckled.

"Trixie, can I feel how soft your mane is?" my mom asked.

"Trixie supposes you may -- Amethyst? You never told me their names?"

"Trixie, this is my dad, Stan, and my mom, Martha. Mom, Dad, I hope you're not too upset about me taking Trixie as my new wife. Marina, what do you think of your paternal grandparents?"

"I like your Mom, she's real nice!" the little filly exclaimed. My mom had started scratching Trixie behind her ears and the show-mare sighed softly.

"Trixie thinks she could get used to humans scratching her ears," she grinned. Martha chuckled softly as she continued to lazily scratch behind the show-mare's right ear. Trixie continued to moan lightly, trying to get my mom to scratch lower on her neck and her withers.

"I'm pleased to see you've recovered so quickly -- Marina can't be without her mother, you know!" Stan said, smiling warmly. The little filly continued to jump up and down on Trixie's bed, giggling as she landed.

"Mama! Please don't leave any more!" the little filly exclaimed as she stopped bouncing for a moment.

"I'll stay here in Canterlot, Marina. Amethyst, I am sorry for leaving you like that," Trixie offered, smiling softly at me.

"Is Marina an Alicorn like you, Mike?" asked my dad. He smiled at the little filly who returned his smile.

"She's actually a winged unicorn, Dad. She has more magic power than a standard unicorn, but not as much as a full-fledged Alicorn," I explained. "The only way for a full-fledged Alicorn to be born is if a male and female Alicorn mate to produce a foal. And no, Celestia has not asked me for such a favor," I chuckled.

"That's rather interesting," he mused. Trixie glared at me for a moment and my Mom saw this.

"You'd better not cheat on Trixie again," she nearly growled at me. My parents turned to me in surprise and asked me about the circumstances. I related the story of Trixie and me being in Las Pegasus and everything we had to go through in order to regain use of our magic, though I tried to sanitize some of the details regarding a certain brown pegasus mare.

"Her name was Chocolate Sweetness," Trixie stated almost angrily. "And Amethyst wanted to start a herd and add her to it! Trixie does not like to share her love!" At that point, the heart-rate monitor started beeping an alarm and the doctor rushed in and gave the show-mare a mild sedative.

"Please, don't stress her any further -- her condition is improving, but it will be awhile before she has made a full recovery. Even so, I am amazed by how efficient those antibiotics are!"

"Mike, why did you cheat on her?" Mom asked me.

"We didn't actually have intercourse -- so technically, I didn't cheat on her," I stated flatly, looking over my left shoulder almost nervously.

"Don't lie to me, Mike," my mom stated a little more firmly.

"Perhaps it is time I return you two back to Earth," I mused, trying to change the subject. I started fidgeting a little, my left forehoof tapping the floor lightly, the golden hoofguard clinking on the floor tiles.

"There's something you're not telling me," my mom deduced, glaring at me in disapproval.

"There is a proper time and place for explanations and I am not prepared to address this issue right now. I'm sure your time is short and I believe you two would rather not spend the rest of your lives here in Equestria," I stated flatly. I glanced at Trixie as she resumed her slumber, the sedative working its magic quickly. Marina curled up next to her mother and fell asleep fairly quickly as well as it appeared she had no interest in listening to the discussion I was having with my parents.

"If you don't want to tell us, that's fine, but it's wrong of you to cheat on your wife -- please don't disappoint us, son," my dad stated firmly.

"We can discuss this matter briefly when I return you to your home," I offered. "Are you ready to go, or would you like a tour of the Castle?"

"We would like a tour, Mike! This place is huge!" my mom smiled. I opened the door to the hallway with my telekinesis just as Princess Celestia reached the doorway. She entered just as I was about to leave.

"Amethyst, I just received the news that Trixie had been injured," the Sun Goddess stated in a worried tone. Her expression turned to one of surprise upon seeing my parents.

"Mom, Dad, this is Princess Celestia, Solar Regent, Princess of the Sun, Diarch of Equestria," I stated reverently. "Celestia, it's good to see you once again. Did you enjoy your vacation?"

"Your parents, Amethyst? Pleased to make your acquaintance --"

"Stan," my dad stated.

"Martha," my mom replied.

"Stan and Martha! I would like to thank you for providing me with such a wonderful pony!" she smiled. "Amethyst, the vacation could have gone a little better," she said with some concern. "It appears that King Sombra returned in the other Equestria while I was conversing with my counterpart. Even though Twilight and Trixie in that other universe are Alicorns, their magic combined is not strong enough --"

"Please don't tell me they died attempting to defeat him," I stated with deep concern.

"No, but they were badly injured and are in hospital. We need to proceed immediately to dispatch him," the Sun Goddess replied.

"I had no idea such dangers existed," my dad mused.

"Yes, there are certain powerful entities we must deal with from time to time," I explained. "I must return you to Earth at once so I may address this new threat. I regret I can't spend more time with you, Dad."

"Amethyst, they can stay here in the company of Twilight until we return," Celestia stated. "That is, of course, if you would like to do so," she smiled as she addressed my parents.

"Mike was going to give us a tour of the castle," my dad offered, returning her smile. "I would be interested in seeing more of it."

"One moment while I summon the Princess of Magic," the Sun Goddess replied and teleported to find her protege, returning very shortly with the lavender Alicorn. "Twilight, have you met Amethyst's parents?"

"Yes, Celestia, I have. Nice to see you again! Um, Celestia, why did you bring me here again?"

"Amethyst and I have an important matter to attend to. I would like for you to escort his parents around the Castle, giving them a tour of various locations. They are welcome to stay overnight and have dinner in the Royal Dining Hall," the Solar Princess stated warmly. "We should return shortly and depending on how soon we return, we may join you in the dining hall."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Princess Celestia, however when we were brought here, it was relatively early in the morning for us. We appreciate the offer of food, though, and we will gladly accept it," my dad stated almost reverently.

"It is my honor to be blessed with your presence," the Diarch offered warmly, maintaining her serene smile as she gazed at my parents.

"Um, Stan? Martha? It would be my pleasure to escort you on a grand tour of the Castle! Please, follow me!" the lavender Alicorn smiled.

"Okay, Mike, seeya later. Be careful!" my mom advised as she and my dad followed Twilight as they began the tour.

"Seeya later, Mom, Dad. Twilight, thanks again," I said softly, giving her a warm smile. "Celestia, I think we should reconnoiter with your counterpart to find out exactly what's going on over there."

"I will apprise you of the details, Amethyst. We have precious little time to waste with such pleasantries as the dark unicorn seeks to expand his empire," she admonished. "If you care about your friends in that other universe, we should make haste."

"I've never dealt with an entity capable of wielding dark magic, Celestia. I'm not sure how to approach that matter," I stated apprehensively.

My Parents Have a Talk with Twilight

Twilight led my parents on a lengthy tour of the Castle, but also asked them many questions about me. They answered her questions as best they could, giving her fresh insight to my character. She expressed a desire for a foal of her own and hoped she would be able to conceive fairly soon. When she told my parents about her little tryst with me, they were shocked and complained about the fact that I was married to Trixie. The lavender Alicorn tried to assuage their concerns by informing them that ponies had a different way of doing things than humans, and since Trixie had been gone for about three years, not informing anypony of her whereabouts, she figured that the show-mare had simply either decided to abandon her responsibilities or had perished in an accident or something. This elicited further shock from my parents, who demanded to be returned to their home and that they be allowed to see me before they left.

"I apologize, Stan and Martha -- I was unaware of human custom. I will escort you back to the Throne Room, where you can wait on your son's return. I believe he has already left with Celestia on their mission to defeat King Sombra," she stated flatly. "I wish you could understand my desire -- helping raise little Marina has given me inspiration to have a foal of my own. I know it may sound callous to you, but mares outnumber stallions by at least three to one. Since your son is the only known male Alicorn, that makes him unique! Only he can sire an Alicorn foal -- and I hope to be the first to carry one for him!"

"It sounds to me like you might already be doing that," my dad stated flatly. "I hope you prove to be a better mother than Trixie -- and I hope my son comes to his senses regarding that pony. From what you've told us, she sounds like bad news. I believe he might be happier with you." Twilight beamed a big smile upon hearing my dad say this.

"Maybe when he gets back he can file for divorce against her," my mom mused.

"It's not that simple here, Martha -- only Celestia can annul a marriage, and both parties have to express a strong desire for an annulment of their marriage. One does not simply enter blindly into such an important pact -- though I think your son might have been blinded by his desire for Trixie. He has seen her true colors, though I don't understand why he still wants to stay with her."

"As you might have heard, my son had originally married a black woman, much to our chagrin. We were very disappointed in him and we told him that she was nothing but bad news for him. We watched in dismay as his life unraveled and he lost almost everything he once held dear. He alienated us and his brother too," my dad said somewhat sullenly.

"I'll have a long talk with him after he returns and takes you two home. I can't take you there as I am unfamiliar with your world and don't know how to get there -- at least, not yet anyway," the lavender Alicorn offered.

"If there's enough time, we would like something to eat before he returns," my dad said in an almost quizzical tone.

"Oh, but of course! I'll take you to the dining hall. We have the best chefs in all Equestria working at the Castle!"

"I wonder what's on the menu," Stan mused.

"Amethyst has told me about the human diet on several occasions -- our chefs will do their best to accommodate your tastes, but if the food is not to your liking, I'm sure they can find something you will like," Twilight stated as they made their way to the dining hall.

"You were referred to as the Princess of Magic -- pretty fancy title there," Stan offered.

"After being called that for more than three years, I never tire of hearing it myself! Even so, I wonder why Celestia took Amethyst with her instead of me -- I don't want to see him get hurt!" the lavender Alicorn said with a hint of exasperation.

"Maybe she needed to talk to him about something and didn't want you or us to hear it," my mom offered.

"Even so, he's the only Alicorn stallion I know of! Marina needs him to be there for her as well!"

"What was Trixie doing for those three years?" asked Martha.

"She was traveling around Equestria, taking her magic show from one town to another. She had a little trouble in Las Pegasus, requiring Amethyst's attention and then she seemed to disappear for the next two years," Twilight stated flatly.

"Who was taking care of Marina during that time?"

"I was, and Amethyst had requested another unicorn mare to serve as a surrogate mother as well. He would spend as much time with her as he could, though his days were pretty hectic while Celestia was away on vacation. Spending so much time with Marina seemed to have inspired my maternal instincts which is why I decided I wanted to have a foal as well."

"What if Trixie finds out he cheated on her?" asked my mom.

"She might go berserk again and try to attack him like she did that one time in Las Pegasus -- although her magic is no match for his, since he's an Alicorn now. It would be extremely foalish of Trixie to attack him. Either that, or she might become so depressed ..."

"Would she become so depressed as to commit suicide?" my dad asked.

"For Celestia's sake, I hope not. I will keep a close eye on the situation, though I hope it doesn't come to that."

"Are you going to tell Trixie about your affair? Or is ... Mike going to do that? Or are you going to let Trixie find out on her own?"

"Um, well ... I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Twilight stated almost meekly as they finally arrived at the entrance to the dining hall. My parents followed the lavender Alicorn into the large hall and took seats near one end of the table, the end chair being reserved for the Solar Princess, though I had usually sat in that chain during Celestia's absence. An earth pony mare came to the table to take the dinner order and returned to the kitchen.

"What sort of future do you plan on having with our son?" my dad asked.

"I'm not sure if you're aware of this or not, Stan, but Alicorns get to live for a very long time. I hope Amethyst and I can spend many centuries together, raising many foals!" Twilight beamed.

"And they'll all be Alicorns as well?" asked my mom.

"Well, yes, of course!"

"How many do you plan on having?" asked my dad.

"I don't know yet -- but the amount of time that passes between each foalbirth may be several years or longer. It also depends on Celestia, and a little on Trixie. Amethyst told me that he and Trixie were supposed to be together for 70 years, but ..."

"It sounds to me like Trixie didn't seem to be all that interested in staying with him," my dad mused. "If she had truly loved him, she should have stayed here with him instead of leaving to do her own thing. That was rather selfish of her."

Unbeknownst to them, Trixie had sneaked out of her bed and had trotted to the dining hall herself in order to get something to eat. She had caught the last part of what my dad had said just as she was about to open the door to the dining hall, and upon hearing it she galloped back to the room she was being held in, sobbing loudly, a few tears trickling their way down her cheeks. She reached her bed and collapsed face down on it, wailing loudly.

Back in the dining hall, the same earth pony mare who had taken their orders brought their food out to them. Upon tasting the food, my parents were quite thrilled by the quality and complimented the ponies on the wonderful food. They wanted to show their appreciation by leaving a tip, though the paper money was more of a curiosity than a meaningful gesture of thanks. Twilight was amused somewhat, but also took the opportunity to examine the rectangular pieces of paper, noting the fine details of the printing, commenting about how interesting the portraits were.

"So this is what passes for money in your world?" asked Twilight.

"Different countries have different types of money," my dad stated. "Mike would probably be able to tell you a bit more about it than I can, as he has an interest in such things."

"I will make a point of doing that. Thank you for showing me this, it's quite fascinating. Stan, Martha, if you're finished eating, I think it's time for us to head back to the Throne Room," the lavender Alicorn stated. My parents nodded and followed her through the hallways back to the Throne Room, not too far away from it, nor too far away from the room Trixie was staying in. As they passed by that room, they could hear a soft moaning and sobbing sound from behind the closed door.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" asked Marina, a look of concern on her face.

"Amethyst ... doesn't ... love ... Trixie ... any ... more!" she wailed, a fresh round of tears making their presence known. Marina tried to comfort her mother, nuzzling against her, then laying down beside her on the bed. Trixie's sadness seemed to infect the little filly as well as she silently wept with her mother.

Bringing Back the Nightmare

Our Celestia and I teleported to the Throne Room in the other universe to see a rather disheveled looking Solar Princess sitting on her throne, a worried look on her face.

"Celestia, are we too late?" I asked her.

"Ah, good. I was wondering when you two were going to show up! Please, let's go to the infirmary to meet up with Trixie and Twilight -- perhaps the three of us working together can heal them," she offered, her concern giving way to gratitude upon our arrival.

"Do we teleport or trot down the hallways?" I asked.

"What do you think, Amethyst? Time is of the essence here!" our Celestia chided me.

"Yes, of course. Let's go," I stated flatly as we teleported to the infirmary. The two junior Alicorn mares were resting comfortably, though they showed bruises and scars from their battle with the dark King. They woke up as we startled them with our sudden appearance.

"Amethyst!" Trixie exclaimed. "I knew you would come back! You must help us! Sombra has gotten too powerful!"

"Please help us, Amethyst," Twilight said softly. She grimaced in pain as she coughed a couple of times.

"Celestia? How badly were they hurt?" I asked. "Is our combined magic enough to heal them fully?"

"They were nearly killed, Amethyst. It's been about all I can do to make slow progress in healing their injuries," she replied, a hint of sadness in her voice. "It's been more than six months -- this has been quite taxing for me."

I turned to our Celestia. "Shall we give it a try? Maybe we can help them heal a bit faster," I suggested. She nodded her head in approval and lit her horn, her golden aura surrounding the two junior Alicorns. I lit my horn and my yellow aura mixed with Celestia's as we focused healing magic upon them. They were quite surprised to see our magic working a near-miracle upon them, then rose to their hooves and doing a small hoof-bump before turning to us and smiling broadly. Satisfied we had done a good job, we released them from our magic.

"Wow! That was amazing!" Trixie exclaimed. "I had no idea you could do that!"

"Considering you two helped me out twice, I felt it only fair I return the favor, even if this might be the only time I get to do so," I responded, smiling warmly. "Now about that Dark King ..."

"We need more help," Twilight stated. "He's become so strong, I don't even know if the five of us could stop him."

"Celestia? Where is that crystal statue of Nightmare Moon?" I asked the native Sun Goddess.

"It still stands in the Statue Garden in the Courtyard," she replied. "But why do you want to know?"

"I think I might be able to persuade her to help us get rid of Sombra," I mused.

"She's too dangerous! She's been a statue for nearly four years! She'll be furious if we release her!" Trixie exclaimed, a very worried expression on her face.

"I understand that, but I believe she can be reformed. If nothing else, I would like to talk to her again," I said.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Amethyst," our Celestia advised. "She is indeed quite powerful and her reaction to being released might prove quite disastrous for us. I believe the five of us are strong enough to deal with Sombra effectively. I doubt Nightmare's presence would be much better than a distraction."

I raised my right eyebrow at the mention. "I believe a distraction might be exactly what we need!" I grinned. "Think about it -- I have a feeling that Sombra might find her appearance entrancing enough to give us the drop on him."

"I believe you may have a point there, Amethyst. So how are we supposed to restore her?" the other Celestia asked.

"If the Elements of Harmony are still available, there are five of us, so that should be enough to reverse the process that transformed her into a statue in the first place," I offered.

"Amethyst, there are six Elements," our Celestia stated somewhat quizzically.

"Not in this universe, there aren't," I replied. "Celestia, I believe we should track down Diane, Fluttershy, and Applejack so we can use the Elements on the statue. Trixie, Twilight, we should make short work of this."

"I continue to be impressed by your thought process, Amethyst," the other Celestia smiled.

"I'm just playing a hunch -- I hope I'm correct on this," I responded.

"Your plan sounds plausible enough to work," our Celestia mused.

"Okay, then, let's get going. Trixie, Twilight, how are you feeling now? Are you two strong enough to withstand a teleport to Ponyville?" I asked.

"You don't have to go that far, Amethyst -- the others are here in the Castle," Trixie stated.

"They've been visiting us while we were recovering, but thanks to you and Celestia, we're feeling great!" Twilight chirped.

"Good, glad to hear it. We're going to need as much help as we can get to take down Sombra, so let's get to it," I said.

"I'll take you to the rooms the other Element Bearers are staying in," the other Celestia offered as she trotted out of the infirmary. Our Celestia and I followed the native Sun Goddess directly, the others trailing us as we trotted down the hallway and made a right turn into another hallway with quite a few doors. She knocked on one door and a pink pegasus opened it.

"Hey, Trixie! Twilight! Ah thought it was gonna be quite a lot longer before ya two were up on yer hooves again!" Diane exclaimed excitedly. Her hair appeared to inflate almost immediately.

"Celestia and I helped out a little," I grinned.

"Mikey? Or -- what's yer name again? Ah remember ya couldn't fly all that well," she chuckled.

"I've had quite a bit of practice since then. My name is Amethyst -- Amethyst Flame," I replied with a slight hint of a chuckle.

"So what'cha need? What's up? Ah see th' way yer all lookin' at me -- ya must want somethin' ..."

"We need you, Fluttershy, and Applejack to come with us to the Statue Garden -- there's a small matter of using some magic for a moment or two," I stated matter-of-factly.

"Applejack's next door, Flutters is the next one after AJ's," Diane offered. An orange pegasus opened her door upon hearing her name -- this was the first time I had seen this universe's Applejack and I was surprised to see her cutie mark of two red apples and two oranges arranged in a square pattern on her flanks. The fact that she was a pegasus surprised me as well as her lack of a southern accent.

"Did somepony mention my name?" asked the orange pegasus.

"That's MY line, AJ!" exclaimed the butter-yellow earth pony mare.

"Okay, since we're all here now, let's head on down to the Statue Garden," I stated calmly. Applejack asked Fluttershy about me, but it turned out she didn't know me in this form either. Trixie explained to them who I was and they nodded their heads in understanding. I must admit I had butterflies in my stomach as I wasn't exactly sure what to expect once we restored Nightmare Moon. I betrayed my calm exterior by flashing a slightly worried look. We chatted quietly among ourselves as we trotted down a few staircases and hallways before entering the courtyard where the Statue Garden was located. The crystal statue of the dark princess occupied a prominent position in the center of the courtyard.

"Don't tell me you have some apprehension about this matter now, Amethyst. This was your idea in the first place," our Celestia chided me.

"I understand that, Celestia, it's just that -- well, the uncertainty of her reaction has me feeling a little trepidation," I replied.

"Are we supposed to stand in a circle around the statue? Use the Elements as normal, just reverse the process?" Trixie asked.

"I believe that's how it should work," I mused.

"Yes," replied both Celestias in unison.

Everypony stood in a large circle surrounding the crystal statue. I watched as the Element Bearers started levitating above the ground, necklaces containing the elemental gemstones suddenly appearing on their necks and glowing brightly. I found myself also levitating, my circlet and torque glowing brightly as well. Magic streamed from each of us before uniting in a large rainbow-hued wave which crashed down upon the statue, surrounding it in a vortex and swirling around and around with ever increasing swiftness before a blinding flash of white enveloped everything. The magic spent, we slowly descended to the ground and now stood surrounding the dark Alicorn of Nightmare Moon. Her expression was one of fury.

"HOW DARE THOU IMPRISON ME LIKE THAT! THOU SHALT PAY FOR THINE ERROR!" she thundered in her Royal Canterlot Voice.

"Your Majesty, we need your assistance," I stated calmly. I watched her scowl turn into a smile before she started tittering, then giggling, then burst into full blown belly laughs.

"You've got to be kidding me! You need MY help? Really? For what?" she asked, trying her hardest to regain her composure and still laughing.

"King Sombra has returned," I offered. Her eyes widened as she stopped laughing immediately.

"Hmm. I believe I might be able to offer you some assistance in that matter ... but tell me something, stallion. Who are you and where did you come from?"

"Your Majesty, this is no time for a game of 20 questions. We must hurry if we are to save Equestria from that dark King," I stated firmly.

"I am willing to assist you in this matter as long as you do not imprison me in crystal again. You have no idea how painful that has been for me. Again, I ask you, stallion Alicorn -- you have four suns as a cutie mark?!" the dark Alicorn asked in great surprise.

I chuckled softly. "Yes, your Majesty. Much has changed over the past four years, including me changing from a copy of Trixie into the Alicorn stallion you see before you. My name is Amethyst Flame." I blushed as she licked her lips at me. "I didn't know I was that attractive to you -- I am flattered by your gesture."

"Well, a nice looking stallion like you deserves such flattery! Perhaps you might provide me with a little pleasure once we're finished with this business," Nightmare mused. I smiled in response, my blush deepening a little. "Ah, the idea seems to please you!" she said, flashing a big toothy grin.

"L-let's g-get on w-with this, th-then," I stammered, my blush giving me away.

"Luna, he IS married," my Celestia stated flatly.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! And ask me if I care whether he is married or not! It matters not to me!" she snapped. "Stallions are in short supply around here and I feel payment is needed for my assistance."

"I never said I wasn't interested," I offered, giving the dark Alicorn a quick glance, a smile briefly working its way across my features. "I've always considered Nightmare to be quite beautiful in an exotic sort of way." Upon hearing this, she hummed happily for a second, giving me another big toothy grin.

"Amethyst! Remember your vows to Trixie!" our Solar Princess chided sharply.

"She left the Castle shortly after you went on vacation, Celestia. For a while, I had lost all contact with her. Then suddenly out of the blue, she shows up on Marina's third birthday, but in such bad condition I had to return to Earth to fetch medicine for her," I stated flatly.

"You mean to tell me that my counterpart abandoned her foal?!" asked the azure Alicorn in disbelief.

"Hate to say it, but ... yeah, she kinda did," I replied flatly.

"That means you were ... alone ... for those years," she mused.

"I told you, didn't I?" asked Twilight.

"If your wife was that unfaithful to you, perhaps ..." the dark Princess began, flashing me an impish smile.

"What's done is done. We have a mission, ladies," I advised. "Now, where is that dark King hiding himself these days?"

"The Crystal Empire is to the north a fair distance, but Sombra has been enlarging his territorial hold," the native Sun Goddess stated almost sullenly. "The crystal ponies ... I shudder to think about it ..."

"You do not understand the full nature of his magic, Celestia. I have dealt with him in the past, working a truce of sorts with him," offered Nightmare. "He is a little stronger than me, though the last time we tangled, we battled to a stalemate. The truce lasted for about five years before he decided to try to conquer Equestria again. Some ponies died in that conflict."

"But with all of us together, we should be able to defeat him permanently, yes?" I mused.

"And when we do, Amethyst Flame, I certainly hope you're willing to provide me with a favor in return for the favor I am granting you. I am only tolerating this situation due to the dire circumstances facing Equestria. When this menace is dealt with properly, I expect to return to my previous position as Equestria's monarch," the dark Alicorn stated flatly.

"Your Majesty, it is my fervent hope that you and your sister will rule together -- is there any way I can help the two of you put aside your past differences?" I asked.

"We shall see, Amethyst. I make no guarantees nor promises regarding that matter. Depending on how well you perform for me," she began, giving me another big toothy grin, "that process may be easier than you think!"

"I know a thing or two about providing pleasure, if that is what you're after, Nightmare," I said almost cheerfully, returning her grin.

"Amethyst! Don't make me report this to Trixie!" our Celestia exclaimed in exasperation.

"And I thought you wanted Alicorn foals, Tia," I chuckled. She blushed furiously at my statement and glared daggers at me. "Your faithful student might beat you to the punch on that one ..."

"Amethyst! Your lack of fidelity to your wife is utterly reprehensible!" she shouted.

"You were gone nearly as long as Trixie was, Tia. I succumbed to a temptation during a moment of weakness when your sister had left as well. If cheating on my wife is necessary to receive Nightmare's help, then so be it. If you're going to be a tattle-tale about it, I will be quite disappointed in you."

"Um, Amethyst?" asked Trixie.

"Yes, Trixie?"

"If you were married to me, you wouldn't cheat on me, would you?"

"Let me ask you this, Trixie. If the fate of Equestria was in the balance, would my faithfulness to you be more important than the lives of countless ponies?"

"Oh," she said almost dumbly, hanging her head, her ears laying flat. "Well, if you put it that way, I guess I'd have to accept it."

"Please understand that I do this not for my own personal enjoyment, but rather for the sake of protecting Equestria from a dire threat," I stated flatly.

"I intend to make you enjoy it, Amethyst!" the dark Alicorn almost giggled. "I can hardly wait! It's been so long ..."

"And I suppose you'd like to carry an Alicorn foal, Nightmare?" I half-asked.

"If that happens, well ... you might make me happier than I have been in a long time," she mused thoughtfully.

"Fine. Let's get on with this. How do we get to where Sombra is hiding?" I asked.

"Um, Amethyst -- I don't think we'll have to worry about finding him," Twilight stated quite fearfully, her eyes widening as she spotted a large dark silhouette looming behind me.

In the Dark

"Twilight? What is it?" I asked. I felt a cold chill across my back as she tried to speak but couldn't. Both Celestias had looks of concern on their faces and Trixie was also looking pretty scared. Nightmare seemed to have a cock-sure grin on her face.

"Well, took you long enough, Sombra," the dark Alicorn chuckled. I whirled around to face him, practically muzzle to muzzle with the dark King, his green eyes trying to hypnotize me.

"Who is this whelpling?" he asked her without addressing me directly.

"I am Amethyst Flame," I growled at him as I grit my teeth. "You trifle with the wrong group, Sombra."

"I do not trifle, whelpling! You have no idea how powerful I am!" he shouted as his form seemed to vaporize without a trace. "I will not stop until this world is mine!" he shouted as his disembodied voice reverberated throughout the courtyard.

"So where did he go?" I asked as I scanned for his presence.

"That was merely a shadow," Nightmare explained, "He goes where he wishes. I believe he wishes to face us on his terms and not ours."

"So he's just teasing us, trying to trick us into following him. I'm open to any suggestions on defeating him -- my parents are on a tight schedule," I stated flatly. The dark Princess turned towards me and raised an eyebrow.

"Your parents? Hmm, I'd be interested in meeting them," she mused.

"They're human, just as I was at one time," I replied.

"My, my, you're just full of surprises, aren't you, Amethyst?" she grinned.

"Indeed. I take it we're supposed to wait for him to return? Or do we travel to his realm to face him there? I suspect he'll be much stronger on his turf -- but time is short. I don't like being faced with these dilemmas," I complained.

"We must make absolutely certain we are fully prepared to face him, Amethyst. We must plan for every contingency and even those we're not expecting to face either. Your assumption about his strength is correct," our Celestia stated matter-of-factly.

"I don't like it where we're put at such a disadvantage. Nightmare? Any suggestions?"

"I know his magic signature, but he diffuses it to the point where it's virtually undetectable, especially when he knows he's being sought. One thing we do have, though, is the fact there are six Alicorns working against him Together we can defeat him, even on his turf. Speaking of which, Trixie? Twilight? How did you two become Alicorns?"

Twilight pointed a hoof at me and Trixie pointed a hoof at the native Sun Goddess. "They did it for us," they said simultaneously. The dark Princess chuckled at this response.

"You two haven't changed, even though you're Alicorns now," she said, smiling softly. "Let's fly to the North, that's where his empire lays. Let's not waste any more time around here."

"What about Fluttershy and Rainbow?" I asked.

"Perhaps you can carry one of them and one of the Celestias can carry the other," Nightmare chuckled.

"Sounds fair, I guess," I said and beckoned Fluttershy to hop onto my back. "Hold on tight, Flutters!"

"You think I'm not?" she said, a slight look of apprehension on her face.

"I shall carry you, Rainbow," our Celestia stated softly, using her telekinesis to levitate the cyan unicorn onto her back. "You will be secure upon my back."

"I've always wanted to fly," the unicorn mused softly. "I wonder how it is that my counterpart in your universe was born a pegasus and why I couldn't be one as well."

"Perhaps I may be able to help you in that matter," she said warmly.

With everypony ready, we took flight and headed north towards the frozen wasteland, taking occasional breaks to rest and recover our energy. I worried about the length of this trek, though perhaps I should have been more concerned about facing King Sombra on his home turf. The flight took us over forest, desert, swamp, and a sea before we made our final landfall on the outer edge of the Crystal Kingdom. Dark spires stretched towards the sky, creating an intimidating and imposing obstacle.

"It won't be long now," the dark Princess chuckled.

"I hope this isn't a trap," I muttered. "Can we fly into that place?"

"Do you see how tall those spires are? Do you think you're capable of flying that high? There's another way inside, and that's why I directed us to this point. We enter by using magic, like this," Nightmare stated, lighting her horn and creating what looked like a shimmering door just a little way in front of us. "Those spires are just an illusion -- there's a barrier preventing anypony from randomly entering the kingdom, which is why we must use magic in order to enter it. Be forewarned -- we are now on Sombra's territory, so we must be ready for anything."

As we entered through the door, an amazing change of scenery presented itself before our eyes. I rubbed my eyes with my forehooves as I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"Celestia, I thought you mentioned something horrible happening to the crystal ponies," I opined.

"These could be illusory, Amethyst. You must scan with your magic to ensure what you're seeing is real and not illusory," our Celestia stated.

There appeared to be a town just a little way in front of us, though off in the distance there appeared to be a very tall tower. I commented on that tower possibly being the seat of power for the Dark King and offered that as a possibility of defeating him.

"He will come to us, Amethyst -- he most likely senses our presence here and will probably waste little time in confronting us," the dark Princess stated flatly. The words weren't even five seconds out of her mouth before a dark swirling mist materialized around us, oozing dark magic. I erected a magic barrier for defensive purposes.

"You made a mistake coming here," said a booming voice, reverberating through the air. "But I see you brought the Nightmare with you -- this pleases me! I haven't had the pleasure of being with her in more than a thousand years!"

"You'll have to wait a bit longer, Sombra -- there's a new stallion in my life now!" the dark Princess chuckled. The black unicorn immediately materialized and strode directly up to me, pushing his muzzle against mine and growled menacingly at me, baring his sharp teeth.

"I don't know who you are, but you will face the same fate as those who tried to defeat me before!" he shouted.

"I don't think so," I hissed through clenched teeth. I lit my horn and enveloped him in my yellow aura and used my telekinesis to attempt to crush his form. Amazingly, he turned into dark mist and escaped my aura, rematerializing behind me. I felt something cold against my back and whirled around to face him again.

"That wasn't very nice or honorable of you," he tisked.

"You don't fight fair, so why should I?" I chuckled.

"You're supposed to be one of the good guys! Good guys don't fight dirty!" he shouted.

"What, and I should give you an unfair advantage? That's illogical," I retorted.

"What is logic? Why does it matter? I am the King here, and I make the rules! And since you're one of the good guys, you fight fair against me -- no more cheap shots!" he shouted, enveloping me in his black aura, whisking me away into a place of total darkness. The others shouted my name as I disappeared. Their fury was vented upon the unicorn King, an unrelenting series of magic attacks dispersing his shadow.

------------------------------

"Where am I?" I shouted, my voice seeming to die off just after leaving my lips. I was surrounded by an inky blackness, devoid of anything of substance -- a vast emptiness which appeared to be infinite. I felt an intense coldness sapping my strength, the complete lack of anything visible causing extreme disorientation, the bitter cold causing me to curl up in an attempt to keep my core warm. I tried using magic to illuminate my surroundings, though the attempt proved almost fruitless. I was able to see a very short distance -- only enough to see my body and little else around it. I cast a protective barrier to shield myself from the intense coldness, then a warming spell to recover my lost body heat. I tried using my magic to seek Celestia's magic signature to attempt to teleport to her location, but that attempt proved futile as well.

I tried to walk but could not, as there was nothing to stand on. I tried to fly, but no matter how hard I flapped my wings, I could not move as there was no wind resistance nor atmosphere to push against. The nothingness which enveloped me caused me a great sense of despair, and the lack of knowledge about this sort of experience caused me to panic. I tried using certain magics to dispel as much darkness as I could, even going so far as to call upon my solar power, such as it was, to drive away the darkness. Every attempt I made to do this failed, so I decided to wait as long as I could, hoping that the others might be able to find a way to reach out to me.

-----------------------

"We must bring him back from wherever it was Sombra sent him off to," our Celestia stated with deep concern. "Everypony join hooves, I shall seek his magic signature and return him with your assistance."

The others joined hooves in a large circle as the visiting Sun Goddess focused her magic, aligning hers with everypony else's. I felt a gentle tugging at my horn as my magic sense detected somepony searching for me. I allowed myself to be drawn to the beacon, responding to it with my magic, amplifying the signal.

"I can sense him! He is ... I will return him immediately," the elder Alicorn stated flatly, her horn glowing very brightly. I materialized in the midst of the circle of mares, a brilliant flash of white light and a golden POP. Everypony called my name in relief upon my return -- even the dark Princess herself showed relief as well.

"You should never have left yourself open to his attack, Amethyst," Nightmare stated flatly. "If you don't mind, I shall teach you how to deal with him effectively." She touched her horn to mine, slowly sliding it up and down. I could sense her presence within my mind, giving me certain information regarding some spells I could use to combat the dark King as well as defend myself against his attacks. After this information transfer had finished, the Alicorn removed her horn from mine. "There, that should help you a little. I want to ensure you and I can actually do what you promised me!"

"And I can't do that without your help. Thanks again, your Majesty. Celestia, thanks for bringing me back. It was really cold and dark in that place," I stated flatly.

"So when we face him again, erect those barriers. We must be prepared -- we cannot afford another mistake like that," the dark Princess chided.

"I thought I did so -- he seemed to brush past them as though they were nothing. Perhaps I should try a different tactic," I offered.

"I shall assist you, Amethyst," said our Celestia.

"Thank you, Celestia. I should have known better than to try to confront him by myself. I won't make that mistake again."

While this spectacle was occurring, a number of crystal ponies had gathered to watch the action, mostly entranced by the sight of six Alicorns facing off against their dark King. After I had returned, one of them had chosen to approach us, offering a piece of advice on how to defeat the unicorn. I thanked her for her advice and asked the others for their opinions on the matter. Nightmare stated that the advice sounded pretty good and formulated a new plan to visit the King in his Castle and defeat him there -- the ultimate goal being to destroy him completely so he would never return.

What's Done Is Done

Back in the other universe, my parents were starting to grow impatient. Twilight tried to reassure them that I would be back before too much longer, but graciously offered them a room for the night. They were placed in the room next to Trixie, who seemed to be muttering to herself and talking softly to Marina. The words were unintelligible, but an occasional word could be made out. The tone of her voice was very downbeat, causing my father to worry a little. He went to her door and knocked on it.

"Who is it?" asked Trixie.

"Stan Walker," came my dad's response. A light rustling noise came from behind the door as Trixie shifted the covers of her bed.

"You may enter," she said flatly. My dad noticed she had been crying.

"What's wrong, you look sad," he observed.

"Trixie thinks your son does not love her anymore," she replied sullenly. Marina hugged her mother tightly.

"Did he actually tell you that? Or did you hear something that made you think that? He hasn't told me that, and if I were you, I'd wait until he actually said those words before making any hasty decisions, Trixie. My opinion of you has largely been based on what I have heard about you -- you will have to make amends for your selfishness to gain respect," he admonished.

"Trixie is sorry -- I know I acted selfishly -- but I couldn't stand being around here while he was acting as the ruler of Equestria -- it gets so boring around here, and as Trixie told Amethyst, she has always lived for traveling -- the roar of the crowd as they cheer their approval is like -- it makes me feel good when I hear them cheer me on!" She smiled at that last thought.

"Perhaps you could show me and my wife what you're capable of doing," he mused.

"Not tonight -- maybe tomorrow," she responded.

"Tomorrow sounds good, but we're hoping to return to Earth soon. I hope my son returns safely -- the mission he's on sounds rather dangerous."

"I hope he returns safely as well. We are going to have a very long talk when he gets back -- I want to make sure he loves me and nopony else!"

"You should be willing to allow him some discretion, Trixie -- don't try to chain him down, he doesn't react well to that."

"Trixie does not want to share his love with anypony else! Amethyst is Trixie's stallion, not some ... what do you call a stallion who wants as much sex as he can get?"

"I believe the term we use is 'playboy'," Stan mused. "You should forgive him any weakness since you were away from him for three years."

The azure mare hung her head sadly. "Yes, you're right. It was wrong of me to be gone for such a long time. I promise I will treat your son better than that in future, just so long as he respects my wishes as well."

"I believe that's what he'd expect of you, Trixie. If you don't mind, I believe it's time for my wife and I to get some rest. If we're lucky, Mike will return before dawn."

"Good-night, Stan," Trixie said, offering a small smile.

"Good-night, Trixie," my dad replied, then left her room and returned to find Martha already asleep. He climbed into the bed with her and drifted off to sleep, admiring the comfort of the bed.

"Mama, I hope Daddy returns soon too!" Marina said almost petulantly before snuggling under the covers, huddling close to the show-mare.

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We flew to the tower to make up for lost time and ascending its height was a challenge. Eventually we came to a landing at the very summit of the dark tower, using magic to force our way into its interior. Sombra was waiting for us, grinning evilly as he prepared a barrage of spells, his eyes burning with a dark purple mist.

"I thought you'd make this sort of entrance!" he chuckled. "Now you face the full fury of my wrath!"

I had already prepared a raft of spells, assisted by Nightmare and the two Celestias. Trixie and Twilight flanked us, their horns glowing with their magic as they erected barriers to protect us. The others took positions in order to surround the King as our entrance served as a distraction, the ostensible purpose to allow the Elements of Harmony to work their magic upon the black unicorn. None of us responded to his taunts or braggadocio as we concentrated on defeating him instead of trying to talk to him. This was a time for action, our faces set with grim determination upon our goal.

"What are you doing? Do you really think you can hope to defeat me?" he bellowed, casting his gaze around to see himself surrounded. He immediately changed into a mist and tried to escape.

"Not this time, Sombra, we were prepared for that," I stated as my horn glowed with a black aura, surrounding his misty form and encasing it in an invisible cube. His form flitted about inside, bumping against the interior walls of it with increasing speed and force as he tried to escape. He was quite strong, but Nightmare assisted me in containing him in his invisible prison.

"Let me out! Let me out! Let me out!" his voice rang out, increasing in its stridency and urgency as he began to panic. The mist continued to move more rapidly and forcefully as his panic continued to increase in its intensity. I lowered the cube to the floor, the Element Bearers in their positions. They slowly began to levitate, their bodies glowing with the harmonic magic. Nightmare and I released him from his imprisonment, though now we held him in our auras until the rainbow-hued vortex surrounded him completely. The eyes of the Element Bearers all turned solid white as the magic emanated from them and crashed upon the dark King, swirling him around until it stopped.

"Ha, ha, hah! It didn't work!" he laughed.

"Actually, yes it did," I said. "This version is time-released to counteract any counter-spell you might have readied against it."

"What do you mean?" he asked fearfully as his body began to disintegrate, slowly dissolving and turning to dust.

"You were never meant to live a thousand years, Sombra," I stated firmly. "So your age is finally catching up to you."

"NOOO!" he screamed as his voice faded away with the last of his body. All that remained was a pile of charcoal-grey dust, which I swept into a dustpan and emptied into an urn. I capped the urn and sealed it with magic wards to prevent any possibility of his escape, then levitated it over to the native Celestia.

"His remains are a gift I present to you, Celestia. Keep them in a safe place and let no pony open that urn," I advised.

"Well, that ended pretty nicely! Now, Amethyst, if you don't mind, we have some unfinished business to attend to," the black Alicorn said, just barely able to contain her laughter.

"Very well then, Nightmare, I guess a promise is a promise," I stated with great resignation. "But let's find a more secluded location for this activity. Celestia, Twilight, Trixie, Diane, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Applejack -- it was a pleasure meeting all of you. I will do what I can to return someday and spend more time with you. I wish to thank all of you for a job well done!"

"Okay, Amethyst, that's enough pleasantries! Come with me, I know just the place for us!" the dark princess grinned. We touched forehooves together and teleported to her private bedchamber in her castle in the Everfree forest. It had been about four years since anypony had last been in this castle, but Nightmare was easily able to restore her bedchamber to its former glory.

"Are you ready to get started? I'm curious to see how well you can perform," she said, smiling warmly.

"Um, yes, well ..." I hesitated.

"Don't get cold hooves on me, or I'm liable to lose my patience with you," she said a bit more sternly. "Don't ruin my mood, Amethyst, unless you like to experience pain."

-------------------------------------------

The two Celestias shared a pleasant conversation over tea for about an hour or so, commenting on various subjects. The Element Bearers were once again praised for their courage and saving Equestria once again. They expressed an interest in visiting the other universe and meeting up with their counterparts again as well as Rarity and Spike. Trixie expressed an interest in meeting Princess Luna, though the native Celestia informed her that Luna was here, just in the form of Nightmare Moon.

The visiting Solar Princess expressed some reservation about allowing the Nightmare to remain in her current form, the possibility of the native Celestia being banished again presenting a persistent danger. The native Celestia confided her concerns, though she suspected that if such an event came to pass that either Twilight or Trixie or both of them would return to request assistance from one of the regents, whomever it currently happened to be. Eventually Celestia bade her counterpart a warm farewell and teleported back to her universe.

The others expressed some degree of curiosity as to my whereabouts, though the native Celestia surmised that I was with Nightmare in the other castle. "He should be finishing up with her fairly shortly," she mused, chuckling softly.

I teleported to the throne room, meeting up with the native Celestia and the other ponies. "She likes to bite," I grumbled. "I take it your counterpart has already left for her universe?"

"Indeed she has, Amethyst. If you don't mind, do you think you could stay here for a little while?"

"My parents are back in the other universe, Celestia. I must return them to their world now, but rest assured, I shall return in the not too distant future."

"Take care, Amethyst. I look forward to our next meeting, whenever that may be."

"Remember what I said," Trixie offered as she galloped to me and embraced me in a tight hug.

"Of course, Trixie. I wouldn't forget about you!" I chuckled, returning her hug and giving her a small kiss on her muzzle. She blushed slightly at that and smiled. "Farewell, all of you! Thank you again for your help! I look forward to meeting you all again someday," I said, giving all of them a big smile before I turned my back to them and teleported back to the other universe.

----------------------------------------

I teleported directly to the room Trixie and Marina were staying in, bypassing the throne room in favor of reuniting with my wife. I slowly made my way to her bedside, though it was still dark outside. She was sleeping, breathing softly, little Marina curled up against her. I summoned a large pad and a pillow, placing it next to the bed and laid down upon it to get some sleep myself. It had been a long day and I was quite tired.

Trixie Concedes

The early morning sunlight shining through the window woke me from my slumber. Trixie and Marina were still in the typical mother/daughter embrace, the little filly snoring lightly, the show-mare breathing softly.

"Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey," I cooed to my wife and daughter.

"Amethyst? You're back! Thank Celestia, I was so worried about you!" exclaimed the azure unicorn.

"Daddy!" Marina cried happily, cantering over to me and trying her best to hug me. She managed to wrap herself around my left foreleg very tightly, sniffling a little.

"Yeah, we took care of Sombra -- I enlisted the assistance of a certain Nightmare Moon, whose help didn't come cheap," I stated somewhat sullenly. "She made certain demands..."

"Do you think you could have defeated him without her help?" Trixie asked, giving me a quizzical look.

"She taught me how to wield dark magic -- without that, I have my doubts about how well we'd have dealt with him," I mused.

"Dark magic? That's dangerous!" she exclaimed, exasperation coloring her words. "That can corrupt the caster!"

"That's why I used it sparingly -- I know the dangers associated with dark magic -- Nightmare showed me."

"Well, as long as you succeeded and returned safely, that's all that's important -- what are these bite marks on your withers? Where did those come from?"

"She likes to bite," I offered, grinning sheepishly.

"Was the price that high?" she asked, her exasperation in full bloom.

"She stated rather bluntly that her assistance demanded an exorbitant fee," I replied flatly. "Trust me, I took no enjoyment from it. She bites pretty hard, and you already know how much I hate pain."

"You still love me, don't you?"

"Trixie, you are the apple of my eye -- I have told you before, remember? My love for you -- I can't put it into words," I said softly as I gazed into her eyes. "Whatever may come to pass, I need you by my side. Those three years you were away were very hard on me."

"Who bit you, daddy? Did it hurt?" asked the little filly. I smiled warmly at her.

"It happened in a different universe, Marina. There is a black Alicorn named Nightmare Moon who sometimes does bad things, like bite certain ponies if they make her angry. It hurt a little, but it will go away."

"Do you want me to punish her when I get older?" Her question caused me to chuckle and Trixie to giggle softly.

"She's very powerful, Marina -- I don't know if you'll become strong enough to challenge her, let alone defeat her," I replied softly.

"But she's a bad pony! She bit you!" she exclaimed petulantly.

"Calm down, little one, your daddy will be okay," I cooed softly to her, wrapping her in my forelegs for a hug. She smiled as I hugged her and she responded by hugging me as tightly as she could.

"Daddy, please don't go away like that again! You made mama cry!"

"I'm sorry, Marina. Trixie, I apologize for leaving the way I did -- Celestia can sometimes be a bit ... insistent," I opined.

"Please tell Celestia not to drag you along on her adventures anymore, Amethyst. Trixie needs you now," she said softly as she crawled on the bed towards me, flashing me a sly grin.

"I will address your needs and desires tonight, my love, but for now I think we should have breakfast. I will see to my parents' needs as well," I offered. Trixie pouted at me, giving me her sad eyes look again. Marina copied her expression. "Oh, Marina, not you too!" I chuckled. "Go find Auntie Twilight and play with her for awhile -- your mama and I need to have a little time together, please."

"Okay, Daddy!" the little filly chirped and galloped off in search of the lavender Alicorn.

"Well, Trixie, looks like it's you and me now," I said, laughing softly.

"Trixie has been wanting this for a long time, Amethyst," she cooed, embracing me, giving me a kiss on my muzzle.

"I'm sure my parents are probably still asleep -- they can wait a little while longer," I mused as I returned her embrace and kissed her on her lips.

--------------------------------------------

"Honey, do you think Mike's made it back?" Martha asked Stan.

"We should probably check with Trixie to see if he did." My dad got up from the bed and went to the bathroom. "We can take a shower in here -- it seems as though they thought of everything we might need," he called out from the adjoining room.

"Sounds like a good idea, dear," she responded as she rose from the bed to her feet to walk to the bathroom. The sound of the shower running drowned out the louder cries from the adjacent bedchamber Trixie and I were in as we engaged each other intimately. Trixie's eagerness for our activity had heightened her sensitivity, thus causing her to be considerably more expressive than normal. Even though I was an Alicorn, the previous day's activity with Nightmare Moon had reduced my stamina somewhat, though Trixie didn't seem to mind. My parents finished their shower about the same time Trixie and I finished our passionate round of activity.

"Trixie wants you to do this with her again -- tonight!" she exclaimed, smiling warmly.

"I promise you I will," I replied, giving her a big smile in return.

"Trixie wants another foal -- this time she will be a good mother and not abandon her," she stated solemnly.

"We shall see about that, lover girl," I chuckled. "Summer Song had to fill in as a surrogate mother while you were gone."

"You didn't ... um ... with HER, did you?" she asked as she gave me an accusatory stare.

"You have my word of honor that we did not engage in that sort of activity. She does bear a resemblance to you, though it's only superficial."

"Okay, good. Trixie does not want to find out you cheated on her," she stated flatly.

"Must you be so possessive? I had that problem with my last wife -- she was always accusing me of cheating on her, though I --"

"You are Trixie's stallion! You are married to me, remember? When I was away from you for those three years, I did not take another stallion to mate with," she protested.

"What about when you went into your estrus cycle?" I asked, flashing a grin.

"Um ... well ... Trixie would rather not talk about that ... Amethyst," she said softly as she hung her head, her ears drooping.

"See, that's just the point. You don't want me cheating on you, but when you were weak, you decided to ... satisfy your urges, my fidelity be damned," I said flatly. "So if you give yourself to fulfilling your needs, you shouldn't hold me to a higher standard. The fact that you attacked me and nearly killed me when I mentioned the possibility of having Chocolate Sweetness, as she prefers to be called, join a herd --"

"That was different!" she shouted at me.

"Don't be difficult, Trixie. It's virtually the same and you know it -- you just want to be able to have your cake and eat it too. But since you were willing to admit to weakness on your part while you were gone, I too will admit to weakness on my part. If you are willing to forgive me my weakness, I shall forgive you as well. Let's resolve not to cheat on each other anymore, okay?"

"Who was it? You said something about Nightmare Moon -- was she better than Trixie? Who else?" she asked as she glared sternly at me.

"Before you returned, I had lost track of you for a year. I had no idea of whether or not you were still alive. It was during that year that Luna took a three week leave of absence, during which time I was forced to pull double duty. It was during that time that Twilight came to me one night --"

"WHAT? Sparkle? You ..." Her fury caused her to assume her elemental form, a cold chill filling the air of the room as she turned ice blue, her breath causing small clouds to form in the air. "I can't believe you!" she screamed. "How could you?"

"I confessed to you -- now you confess to me. Tell me, Trixie. Who did you give yourself to during your estrus cycles? You were gone for three years, you had quite a bit of time to do whatever you wanted in my absence. Tell me," I stated coldly. She returned to her normal form and tears started welling up in her eyes.

"Trixie told you she did not want to discuss that matter, Amethyst. Why must you force her to do so? You cheated on Trixie!"

"And you told me --"

"All right! I give up! I went back to Hoofington to visit my mama! There was a very handsome stallion I remembered from my childhood -- he helped me during a hard time in my life when my father abandoned his family! He had become fairly successful and wanted to share his good fortune with Trixie! In response to his kindness, Trixie offered herself to him as a token of gratitude -- but he hurt me! But THAT is the ONLY time Trixie cheated on YOU!" she sobbed.

I held her in my embrace, cooing softly to her. "Shh, it's okay. I forgive you, Trixie. Remember what I told you -- I love you very much," I said very softly and kissed her on her lips.

"I see you made it back safely, Mike," my dad observed. Apparently, my mom and dad had entered the room while Trixie and I were having our little argument. "I hope the two of you can resolve your differences -- I would hate to see either of you two unhappy."

"Thanks, Dad." I smiled at him. "Mom, Dad, would you two like to join us for breakfast before I take you back home?"

"Yes, that would be nice, Mike," my mom said as she smiled at us.

"Trixie, are you coming too?" I asked as I tilted my head towards her.

"Yes, Trixie is hungry," she replied as she dried her tears.

-----------------------------------------

We discussed several matters over breakfast, with Trixie bringing up the prospect of having a second foal. My parents were a little surprised to hear this and questioned the show-mare about providing proper care for her second foal. Trixie was disappointed to hear that I had told them about how she abandoned Marina and gave me a hurt look. I apologized to her about that, but told her that they had asked me lots of questions, and offered a, "What was I supposed to do? Lie to them?" in addition to my apology. Trixie hung her head in response to that, but also promised to be a better mother in future, which seemed to satisfy my parents.

Presently we finished eating and my parents expressed their desire to return home, though they gave compliments to the chefs for such wonderful food, the best they had ever tasted. I told them there were welcome to return any time they wanted to and gave them a device with which they could contact me whenever they wanted. Trixie waved them goodbye with her right forehoof as I teleported them back to Earth, more specifically, the front porch of their house in Sarasota, Florida.

"Thank you very much for letting us visit you, Mike. Take care, and treat your wife right," my dad advised.

"Would it be possible for us to stay there a bit longer some time?" my mom asked.

"If you can clear out your schedule and take care of matters here, I can arrange for a longer stay for you. There's quite a lot to see and do there," I replied. "Anyway, I've got to go back, so take care and farewell. Hope to see you again soon." With that, I teleported back to the dining hall to meet up with Trixie.

"That didn't take long," she observed.

"Now that my parents can contact me whenever they want, the good-bye was rather short -- at least, they know I'm easily available now. So what do you want to do? You have recovered from your injuries, we have a full day to do whatever -- I'm open to suggestions ..."

"Trixie wants you to prove your love to her," she stated flatly. "It's one thing to tell Trixie you love her, but until you --"

"Enough, you!" I giggled, swooping her up in my forelegs. I teleported the two of us back to the bedchamber she had been recovering in and magically closed and locked the door behind us before I released her. "How badly do you want me to prove my love for you?" I asked, giving her a sly grin.

"Do you have to ask, Amethyst?" she replied, flashing a grin in response.

Politics Is Boring

Princess Celestia approached me once again for another opportunity to have me cover her duties for her -- it seemed as though once she got a taste of actual freedom from her duties, she could not bear to continue carrying out her obligations and responsibilities as Solar Regent for Equestria. I had politely told her, at first, that I was quite reticent about resuming that role, however her persistence, along with promises of financial wealth beyond imagining were what finally convinced me to allow her another extended leave of absence. Her response to my acquiescence was to embrace me tightly and give me a kiss on my lips, a completely unexpected reaction. I responded by telling her to control herself, as such behavior was unbecoming one of her stature. She simply laughed it off and wished me good luck in reprising my earlier role.

Trixie had balked at my seeming willingness to act as Solar Regent once again, going so far as to throw a tantrum of outrage. When I showed her how much money we were to receive, she calmed down immediately, a big smile making its way onto her face as she realized what financial freedom really meant. She occupied her time by performing her magic act in various locations around Canterlot, but after several months of this, she noticed her belly becoming larger once again -- not because she was eating quite well, but because she had become pregnant with our second foal! It was during this time that Trixie noticed Twilight's bulging belly as well. The two of them had a discussion about their pregnancies, though Trixie was still pretty upset about it, and let the lavender Alicorn know in no uncertain terms of her displeasure.

Twilight responded by telling Trixie that the foals would enjoy having each other as playmates and that she would take an active role in parenting all of them, should the show-mare desire some freedom from that responsibility. Trixie was somewhat aghast that such a possibility would be raised, promising that she would be a better mother to her second foal, regardless of the gender. Twilight asked Trixie if she wanted to know the gender of her second foal, admitting that she already knew she was carrying a filly Alicorn foal and had picked out the name as well. This fact astonished Trixie, who then expressed a curiosity to know. Twilight scanned Trixie with her magic and determined the gender of Trixie's foal to be a male, but not an Alicorn.

"Marina is going to be so happy to have a brother!" Twilight exclaimed happily. "Let me know when you choose a name for him!"

"Trixie wants to know how Sparkle can do that," the azure mare mused. "I was never taught that kind of magic."

"Technically, I'm not supposed to use it either, as it is one of those forbidden spells, kind of like the "want it - need it" spell," she explained.

"Oh, breaking the rules, eh? I like it!" the show-mare grinned. "Yours is further along than mine, though I hope I can make amends this time around."

"Don't worry too much, Trixie, I'm sure you'll do quite well. Your little colt might prove to be a real hoof-full though!"

"I hope you're prepared for foal-birth, Sparkle -- mine was kind of painful."

"I've read all the books available on that subject, Trixie -- I am fully prepared for it -- actually, I'm looking forward to it! The name I've picked out is Garnet," the lavender Alicorn said warmly, a broad smile on her face.

"I haven't figured a name for our colt yet -- and until you told Trixie she was having a colt, I hadn't thought about it all that much."

"What has Amethyst said about it? Has he chosen a name yet?"

"No -- at least, he hasn't said anything to me about it -- perhaps I should ask him for some ideas," the show-mare mused.

"That sounds like a good idea. Tell me, Trixie, has Celestia said anything about how long she was going to be gone? I suppose Ammy's getting tired of doing her job."

"No, Sparkle, she hasn't said anything to Trixie about this. I shall ask Amethyst about that matter as well. Trixie will see you later, Sparkle," she grinned as she trotted off to the throne room to meet up with me.

---------------------------------------

I was sitting on the throne and listening to a businesspony from Las Pegasus request a permit for another casino on the strip. Apparently, this pony was a very wealthy one who owned Coltligula's Palace and the Canterlot Casino. He was trying to acquire new land, but the city clerk and mayor had rebuffed his request, so he had come to me for my help. I suspected he was hoping to catch Celestia, as he had heard about what had happened to me the last time I was in Las Pegasus. His apprehension was readily apparent.

"But ... but ... your Majesty! I have been an upstanding pony and have contributed to the Royal Coffers! I don't see why I can't have a permit to build another casino!" he protested.

"I am quite certain that you, as well as nearly every other casino owner in Las Pegasus can attest to, that I hold a very dim opinion of casino owners and operators. Gambling licenses are at a premium and my goal is to see to it that everypony who is wealthy enough to buy land, build and operate a casino gets a fair chance to do so. You come before me seeking a permit to build a third casino, a request I have denied. Return to your city and trouble me not with further such requests," I stated flatly. "You are dismissed. Please leave."

The stallion hung his head and shook it a few times in disbelief. I heard him mutter something about how Celestia would have approved his request had she been the Regent on duty at the time. I frowned in disapproval at him.

"You would do well to refrain from further statements of contempt. I realize that I am not Celestia, but she has given me full authority to act as her equal during her absence. If you have a problem with that, I'm sure certain arrangements can be made to address your concerns upon her return. We have special waiting areas for ponies with your impatience in our dungeon and we would be more than happy to detain you there until she arrives," I said, almost cheerfully.

"You really have it in for us in Las Pegasus, don't you?" he asked bitterly.

"Indeed I do, sir, which is why I denied not only your request, but the requests of every other casino owner and operator in your city. Truth be told, I have a great deal of contempt for you and your fellow owner/operators."

"Why?"

"I should not have to explain myself. The trouble that my wife and I experienced during our stay in your city still raises my ire from time to time. You should be thankful I even allowed you an opportunity to present your case. You waste my time, so please get going. NOW."

---------------------------------

Trixie entered the throne room to discuss certain matters with me as the disappointed casino owner left. She cantered up to me almost excitedly, beaming a big smile.

"Trixie is going to be having a colt," she said warmly, maintaining her smile.

"That's wonderful news, Trixie -- have you picked a name for him?"

"Trixie was hoping you might have a suggestion."

"I will have to give it some more consideration," I mused. "By the way, who gave you this information? Was it Twilight?"

"Yes, Amethyst, it was! Sparkle says she carries a filly and has chosen the name of Garnet for her."

"That sounds nice. She told you she carries an Alicorn foal? Yours is a winged unicorn, a brother to Marina? I thought I told Twilight not to divulge that information, wanting the foal's gender to be a surprise. That having been said, I am pleased to hear we'll be having a colt. I think we should wait until he's born before deciding on a name -- I am curious to see what color his coat will be."

"Trixie is sorry, but she needed to know -- well, I was curious to know -- I didn't know Sparkle could do that," the show-mare mused.

"I think Twilight's pretty close to the end of her term, though -- I've noticed how low her belly hangs," I observed.

"Trixie thinks you stare at Sparkle too much," she chided.

"That's not to say I don't love you, Trixie," I smiled, patting her bulging belly, rubbing it lightly. She giggled at my touch.

"Oh, Amethyst -- be careful, please! I'm not ready to give birth right now!" she said through her laughter.

"I'm curious to know what Marina might think, though she has told me --"

"She says I'm getting fat!" Trixie nearly wailed. "I'm not fat, am I?"

"No, Trixie, you're not fat -- the pregnancy gives that illusion, but that extra weight will fall right off you after you've given birth to our little colt," I stated, giving her a reassuring smile. "Besides, you know I like my mares with a little meat on their bones."

"Don't remind me," she said rather coldly. "You still think about Chocolate Sweetness sometimes, don't you?"

That's a dangerous question, Trixie. "My thoughts of that pegasus are fleeting -- any curiosity I might have about her would be as to her health condition. I haven't seen or heard from her in about two years -- I wonder if she's still alive."

"Trixie suggests you stop thinking about that pegasus and think about Trixie instead! You married me, in case you need me to remind you!" she said sternly.

"Duh, Trixie. I have the right to express a curiosity -- I have no desire to engage her in physical contact again."

"Good, keep it that way! Think only of Trixie, Amethyst! Dream only of her!"

"What are you, the Dream Police? I suppose you'd invade my mind while I'm sleeping to check on my dreams? Not even Luna is allowed to do that to me!" I retorted. This drew a gasp from her. "It's because I'm an Alicorn now -- I have earned certain rights and privileges which come with being the Solar Regent, along with certain responsibilities and obligations."

The show-mare lowered her head and kicked at one of the stone tiles in the floor. "Oh," she said, just barely above a mumble.

"Don't be sad, Trixie, and please don't be mad at me. I apologize for not having more time to spend with you."

"Sparkle told me she might be willing to --"

"Are you thinking about traveling around Equestria again, leaving the raising of your colt to others? I thought you were going to turn over a new leaf and be responsible this time around."

"It's just that ... Trixie gets so bored!"

"Trixie, it's time for you to face your responsibilities instead of running away from them. I would be tempted to tell you to "Man Up," but you're a mare -- I guess I should tell you to 'Mare Up' instead!" I chuckled. "Come on, Trixie, I know you can do the right thing this time. I'm here to help you, and so is Twilight, Summer Song, and quite a few others you can call to your assistance should you need it."

Trixie smiled, feeling considerably more confident about taking on the responsibilities of motherhood and left the throne room as another businesspony was allowed entry. This time, a light brown unicorn mare, smartly dressed I might add, approached me and bowed deeply before me.

"State your name and your request, please," I said, attempting to maintain a serene smile.

"Your Majesty, I am Fleet Orchid, from Fillydelphia. I have an issue with the mayor's office there, as I am attempting to expand my business. I own a couple of flower shops and am wanting to build a third one, though the mayor has informed me that the maximum number I can own is two. I would appreciate it if you would persuade the mayor to change his mind for me."

"I shall give it my consideration, Ms. Orchid. I will contact the mayor's office to see if I can persuade him. There will be a slight increase in your property taxes to accommodate your request should it be approved, though I am sure the increase in revenue from your expansion will more than cover the necessary operating costs as well as the increase in property and payroll taxes."

The mare smiled at me. "Thank you very much, your Majesty!" She then turned and left after bowing to me.

----------------------------------------

The rest of the day continued along these lines, with more ponies and dignitaries from various locations making requests ranging from mundane to outrageous. Dealing with them on a daily basis was quite tedious as I found myself counting the hours during the morning anxiously awaiting my lunch break, then counting them some more until it was time for me to lower the Sun. I would routinely chat with Luna to see how she was coping during her sister's vacation, though she informed me she was ready to take another leave of absence herself and that she would be contacting Twilight in order to have the lavender Alicorn cover her duties.

I told Luna that Twilight was very near foal-birth, which caused the Lunar Princess to express a little dismay over that fact, but she changed her expression when she saw me glare at her. She apologized for her selfish thoughts, considering I had been willing to cover for her sister. She then asked if I could cover for both of them as I had for a three week period roughly a year ago. I told her she should wait until after Twilight had given birth to her filly and asked her why she was so impatient to leave. She confessed that she had become a little envious of her sister getting quite a bit of time to herself and that she felt that she needed a vacation as well. My response was to reiterate my previous request that she wait until Twilight was ready to cover for her, as I felt cancelling Lunar Court during her absence might be a little disconcerting to those ponies who could not make arrangements for Solar Court. Luna relented, but only reluctantly.

"What Was That, Tia?"

Several more weeks passed and Twilight went into labor, giving birth to a beautiful light purple Alicorn filly. I had invited my parents to witness the birth, but they politely refused. True to her earlier statement to Trixie, the little filly was named Garnet -- what Twilight hadn't told Trixie was that the name was my suggestion. Her mane and tail were a medium blue with silver streaks running through them. Her eyes were a pale green color, which I thought was somewhat unusual. I was present to oversee the foal-birth, with Trixie by my side. She seemed happy to witness the event, though her pregnancy was getting quite close to full term as well. The lavender Alicorn was going to take some time to recover and nurture her filly, though I would visit from time to time.

It was a few months later when Trixie's water broke, and once again I stood by watching the procedure. I had asked my parents if they were interested in seeing her second foal and this time they accepted my invitation graciously. Twilight and her little filly were present along with Marina, who was bouncing around excitedly, fluttering her wings fast enough to fly around for a little bit. Her excitement was infectious as she eagerly tried to get a glimpse of her little brother. I smiled at her exuberance, feeling a tinge of giddiness myself. Twilight smiled as well, half at Marina's excitement, half at watching Trixie give birth to our son. Five hours later, she gave birth to a light green winged unicorn colt with dark brown mane and tail, his eyes a pale blue color. Trixie gave him the name of Jade Flare. I nodded in approval at the choice, as did Twilight. My parents simply smiled and congratulated me on being a father for the second time. I responded by telling them I appreciated their presence.

"My little brother is Jade Flare! Yay!" cried Marina in her excitement. "I wanna play with him!"

"That's going to have to wait, Marina," I said, chuckling softly.

As more time progressed, Celestia would occasionally stop by to check up on me and see how well I was running things, expressing a degree of satisfaction with my competence. Luna had a lengthy discussion with her about my particular dealings with ponies from Las Pegasus, who bitterly complained about my treatment of them -- they would show up for Lunar Court, rather than deal with me. They seemed to be eagerly awaiting Celestia's return to resume Solar Court, and when I got wind of this, I decided to crack down a little harder on them to let them know I wasn't playing around. The Solar Princess pulled me aside to discuss this matter with me one day.

"Amethyst, you must ease up on Las Pegasus -- you should not try to run them out of business!"

"I have my motives, Celestia. I will not be deterred on this, mark my words. They contribute somewhat to the Royal Coffers, but they fleece those who gamble there. I am trying to level the playing field, so to speak."

"Luna has told me they complain to her about your harsh treatment of them."

"They tell her their side of the story -- they do not wish to listen to me, since they think they can receive preferential treatment from her. Truthfully, I desire to teach them a lesson -- and I will not tolerate further intransigence on their part," I stated quite firmly.

"For my sake, Amethyst, please show them a little leniency. I understand you still harbor hard feelings toward that place, but it is part of my realm."

"Very well then, Celestia -- I shall do this for you, not because I want to, but because I respect your wishes enough to show leniency to your subjects, even if they happen to desire more than I think they deserve." A hint of annoyance showed in my voice. The Solar Princess expressed her displeasure with my acquiescence by exhaling sharply through her nostrils.

"Amethyst Flame. You test my patience with your treatment of --"

"Greedy business ponies," I snarked.

"Amethyst! How do you know they're greedy?"

"All you have to do is read their body language -- the way they avoid direct eye contact -- the way they shift nervously on their hooves when making their requests -- the gleam of dollar signs in their eyes ..."

"Dollar signs?"

"A figure of speech, Celestia. I can almost sense them rubbing their hooves together in glee when they face you with their requests -- they very eagerly await your return to resume your duties as Solar Regent. They cannot stand me, let alone stomach me -- they resent me deeply and they express the utmost contempt for me. This is why I return their contempt tenfold, with compound interest liberally added. It is no less than they deserve." My words had icicles forming from them, my attitude having turned quite frosty.

"Amethyst, I am disappointed in you. I was under the impression I could leave the affairs of Equestria in your capable hooves, yet you have spurned one of my cities," she stated coldly. "If this is the way you wish to run my realm, I fear I must revoke your privileges as Solar Regent."

"Are you prepared to return to the tedium of daily reports, court sessions, raising the sun, and otherwise being bored out of your mind?" I asked, maintaining an almost snarky attitude.

"If that is what it takes, then so be it. Please remove your regalia and return it to me now."

"I'm sure you realize that this is what I wanted," I said, almost grinning as I levitated the regalia from my body and gave it to her. Her frown deepened.

"If you had wanted a reprieve from your duties, all you needed to do was simply ask," she responded coldly. "I have cause to call into question your proficiency and efficacy as Solar Regent."

"Trixie has grown bored here in Canterlot and desires to return to her travels. I shall accompany her and our two foals on her journey. Should you ever decide you want me to return as your replacement, track my magic signature and teleport to me. If you need anything else, the same rule applies, though your request had better be worth my time," I said almost icily. The Solar Princess glared almost angrily at me as she accepted my regalia. I saluted as I turned away from her, leaving her to resume her duties as Solar Regent. I teleported to Trixie's room to meet up with her.

"Trixie, let's get going. You said you were wanting to get back on the road again -- well, we now have time to do that once again," I offered.

"Amethyst, I would like to go -- but I have to raise little Jade. Marina's studies require her to stay here as well," she responded almost glumly.

"We can make a new home in Manehattan," I replied. "Some of the best schools are in that city."

"Amethyst? Why are you wanting to leave? What happened?"

"Celestia and I had a little disagreement with how I was running things. Long story short, she decided to resume her duties and relieved me of that task. My desire is to show her just how boring it can get -- I'm willing to wager ten bits that she contacts me in less than a month with a desire for me to relieve her of the tedious task of ruling Equestria," I chuckled.

"Amethyst, we can't just leave like that!" Trixie said in exasperation.

"Trixie, I think we can. I can make things happen," I grinned. "Anything you want, I can get for you."

"Hmm. Trixie thinks she likes the sound of that," she mused, flashing an almost wicked grin. "Okay, Amethyst, let's go!"

I had to make several teleports to retrieve Marina from her studies, though she appeared to be playing more than studying. Her teacher, Summer Song, expressed regret at my request to take her to Manehattan, as she admitted to having become quite fond of the young filly. Marina shed a few tears as well, but I cooed softly to her that her mommy and daddy were going to be spending a lot more time with her. I teleported the both of us back to Trixie's room. She had already packed a few bags, along with some supplies for little Jade's needs.

"Daddy, where are we going?" asked Marina.

"Manehattan. We'll be taking a train to get there -- I've already taken care of obtaining the tickets," I stated.

"I like it here in Canterlot! I don't wanna leave my friends!" she protested.

"You'll make a lot more friends in Manehattan, Marina. I have a feeling we won't be gone for very long, though -- we'll be back in Canterlot before too much longer, or I'll be ten bits poorer," I chuckled.

"Okay, then, daddy, we're just going on a vacation?"

"Yeah, I guess you can call it that," I replied flatly. I levitated all the bags and trotted alongside Trixie, with Marina riding on my back. She was waving good-bye to all the ponies we passed through the corridors, the Great Hall, the entry yard, the streets leading to the train station, and even on the train itself until she wore herself out and fell asleep in Trixie's lap. Everypony made way for me as I had made quite a name for myself as the substitute Solar Regent. Even without my regalia, I still drew quite an audience, many bowing before me or trying to ask favors of me.

"I am no longer the Solar Regent, so stop asking me for favors," I stated firmly to quite a few ponies. Their puzzled expressions spoke volumes, though once word had spread of my plans to leave, the hushed whispers raced through Canterlot like an uncontrolled wildfire. By the time we reached the train station, the crowds had dispersed, save for those ponies who were waiting to board the train.

"Guess you're just a regular plain old Alicorn, eh, Amethyst?" Trixie giggled.

"Suits me just fine," I replied coldly. We sat in silence, though Marina made herself busy galloping and cantering around the platform, talking to anypony who was willing to listen to her. Trixie called her back over to her to wait until the train arrived.

The train ride to Manehattan took sixteen hours, with a one hour layover in Ponyville. I made use of the time by visiting Sugarcube corner and picking up a few pastries and a box of cupcakes for the rest of our journey. I informed Pinkie Pie of our plans and where she could find us in Manehattan if she wanted to visit. I asked her to tell her friends about our plans as well. She begged for us to stay for a farewell party, but I informed her that our train was to depart quite shortly and I couldn't allow myself to remain behind while Trixie and our foals were on the train.

I had already made arrangements for a suitable house in Manehattan, not far from the downtown section, just a short trotting distance to most amenities and shops. Marina's new school was fairly close as well, and Trixie was given opportunities to perform her magic act in various sections of the city, a prospect she dearly relished.

We had settled into a new routine, establishing a new normal life of sorts -- this lasted all of two weeks before Celestia showed up at our front door. I answered her persistent knocking and opened the door to see her with a worried expression on her face.

"Princess Celestia. This had better be important," I stated flatly.

"Amethyst, I would request a favor of you," she said, her head lowered a little.

"Ask away, Celestia."

"I realize now I may have acted somewhat hastily in relieving you of your position as Solar Regent," she said softly.

"What was that, Tia? You want me to return to your post?" I asked, a grin widening on my face. Her wordless response was expressed by her lowering her head even further, her ears drooping as well. I shook my head in disbelief.

"Seriously, Tia? What about Luna? Twilight? Or is it that you need ME to take over? I can't believe it's only been two weeks," I said, then sighed in resignation. "We've just established ourselves here."

"Be that as it may, Amethyst, I have certain ... needs ..." she paused for about ten seconds before she continued, her voice lowered a bit more, "And I have become too bored to continue doing this. So please, Amethyst, for my sake, I need you to return to Canterlot. I may not agree with your judgment regarding your way of ruling Equestria, but ... you have been quite fair, for the most part. I apologize for my earlier outburst and shall return your regalia." She produced my regalia from somewhere and placed it on my body, much to my chagrin.

"So basically, you're making me an offer I can't refuse -- must you be so pushy? You haven't even given me an opportunity to present my case," I noted with some exasperation.

"Who Wants to Live THAT Long?"

"Amethyst? We're heading back to Canterlot already?" Trixie asked me. It had taken me a little while to find her, though I was comforted to know little Jade was sound asleep in his crib. I had to get Marina from her school and apologize deeply to her new teacher and the school principal, informing them of my return to position of Solar Regent, a fact which impressed them greatly.

"Yeah, Trixie, I've made all the return arrangements. I told you Celestia would tire easily -- though I wonder what she's been doing on her vacation. Perhaps I should ask her next time I see her."

"Trixie has seen the way Celestia sometimes looks at you --"

"Yeah, I've caught her half-lidded glance a few times myself. Don't let it bother you, Trixie, I'm used to it. Maybe she wants me to provide her with an Alicorn foal, but I know you'll never allow for that --"

"Don't even think of that! Trxie will never forgive you if you do! I'm still upset about you providing Sparkle with her filly!"

"I understand, Trixie, but I told you -- and I apologized for that. You cheated on me as well, so let's not bring up the past when you know it will only lead us down a dark path. I know you want to be happy -- well, I'd like to be happy as well. Let's get going, 'Her Majesty' doesn't want to be kept waiting," I said, offering my wife a soft smile.

She sighed heavily as we set about the task of repacking everything. Marina wanted to help as well, though her attempts proved to be more of a hindrance than a help. The little filly laughed and giggled at some of her mistakes in trying to pack things, eliciting groans from Trixie and me.

"Look, Marina, I know you wanna help, but could you just simply watch us do this? You might learn a thing or two," I suggested.

"Okay, Daddy," she said softly before sitting on her haunches to watch with keen interest.

After packing, we put all the boxes into Trixie's caravan, then pulled it to the train station. I created train wheels for the caravan so it could be pulled behind the rest of the train. When the ponies pulling the train objected to this, I told them I would pay them extra from the Royal Treasury for their trouble, adding that said compensation would be more than worth their while. They doubted my word, though I showed them my regalia and flared my wings, causing them to bow before me and effusively say, "Your Majesty!"

We had a short layover in Hoofington, giving us an opportunity to meet with Trixie's mother, Midnight. We had a short conversation and showed little Jade to his grandmother, who smiled very warmly and graciously thanked me for providing her with such beautiful foals. I told her I was interested in providing her with a third foal, though Trixie stridently objected to this, saying that she was not ready for another foal just yet. Midnight practically begged her to do so, however, and Trixie said that she would make no promises and that a third foal would have to wait quite some time. Midnight begged us to stay for lunch, but since our train would be leaving before too much longer, I offered her a raincheck on it, promising we would return soon to spend some more time on a future visit. We said our good-byes and returned to the train, which stopped in Ponyville for another one hour layover.

Trixie and I made the rounds in Ponyville for the layover, meeting with Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Fluttershy. Twilight was in Canterlot, covering Solar Court for Celestia and eagerly awaiting our return. Rainbow Dash was in Cloudsdale, attending Wonderbolts training -- she had finally been accepted into their group, fulfilling a life-long dream of hers. The signs of weakening bonds of friendship were starting to show, and I implored the others to stay in touch frequently with their other friends, letting them know that there might come a time when they would need to wield the Elements of Harmony and find their bonds of friendship had weakened to the point where those Elements might not work.

"Celestia forbid!" Rarity gasped in shock at my admonition. The others added similar sentiments, pledging to keep their bonds of friendship as strong and as fresh as the day they vanquished Nightmare Moon. I reminded them of her presence in the other universe, noting that she should be pretty close to foalbirth herself, which drew greater gasps from the assemblage of ponies. Trixie scowled at me when I mentioned this, though I grinned sheepishly. After their initial shock wore off, they expressed a deep curiosity to see the foal. I promised to return sometime either with pictures or with Nightmare Moon and the foal themselves, a prospect which actually frightened them. Trixie's scowl deepened and I simply chuckled at the response. Marina expressed a curiosity to see a possible half-sibling, though I reminded her about how much trouble it might cause. The little filly pouted in protest, giving me her best puppy-dog eyes look, a trait she learned from her mother.

"Okay, Marina, I'll take you to meet her when we get back to Canterlot," I sighed in resignation.

"Trixie wants to see her as well," she huffed almost angrily. "Trixie would have words with her."

I scoffed at her statement. "Trixie, do you think you have power approaching her level? She would mop the floor with you if you tried to challenge her."

"Perhaps Trixie would challenge you instead?" the show-mare retorted, her anger beginning to flare. My visage darkened at her boldness.

"I may have been willing to let you attack me in the past, Trixie, but I am a Solar Regent. If you attacked me, I would place you in the dungeon --" I began, then I saw Marina start crying as tears started welling up in her mother's eyes. The other ponies glared at me in disapproval and chided me for losing my temper. "Look, I'm sorry, but she tried to kill me twice, if you all remember correctly. I will not allow a third attempt on my life from her, especially when I have been entrusted to rule Equestria in Celestia's absence. That's why we're headed back to Canterlot. I apologize for losing my cool, but I don't react well to being threatened," I stated flatly. This silenced everypony around me, including Marina. The others apologized to me, noting that they had forgotten that I was now royalty and to be treated as such. It was my turn to glare in disapproval.

"Come on, Trixie, we're going to be late for the train if we don't hurry," I stated, practically dragging the show-mare in my magic aura.

"Trixie thought you loved her," she mewled, a tear trickling from her left eye.

"Trixie, let me tell you something. I love you dearly, though I don't show it as often as I should. I never want you to think I don't love you. Come on, let's hurry now. We'll have plenty of time later on to visit them and have another party with Pinkie Pie."

The train was readying to depart the station as we arrived, quickly boarding and taking our seats. Trixie sat right next to me, leaning against me to show her affection.

"Amethyst, Trixie is sorry for acting out," she said softly. "Trixie is scared of losing you."

"You need not worry about that, lover girl," I said, a slight chuckle escaping my lips.

"I know I told you not to call me that, Sunshine!" she giggled, then nuzzled me in a show of affection. I returned her gesture, feeling a sense of awkwardness at doing so.

It was during the train ride that I received an urgent message from my father, who used the communication device I had given him during my parents' first visit to Equestria. He told me that my mother had fallen and broken her left hip and that he wanted to know if I could help. I told Trixie to continue to the Castle without me, that I needed to help my parents with an urgent matter and that I would return to Canterlot as soon as possible. She begged me not to stay away too long and I reassured her by kissing her on her lips, cooing softly to her that I would be back quickly. I teleported outside the train and used my wings to slow my rate of speed, then landed on the ground. I teleported back to Earth to meet up with my father, who had gone to the hospital to stay by my mother's side. It took some searching, but I managed to locate them and teleported to their room.

"Mike! Thank God you're here," my dad said, an expression of deep worry on his face.

"Mom? How are you doing? Have they given you a hip replacement?" I asked.

"Mmm, Mike ... it hurts ... they've told me it will be some time before I can get a hip replacement," my mother said softly, grimacing slightly in pain.

"Let me help you," I said, enveloping her in my pale yellow aura. I used strong healing magic on her, repairing the bone tissue in her hip and strengthening it. She smiled as the pain receded. My dad stood slack-jawed in astonishment. "You know, I could de-age you and make both of you younger, if you want," I offered, smiling softly.

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Mike -- how are you able to do that?" my dad asked.

"Just as my healing magic fixed Mom's hip, I can use similar magic to remove the effects of aging from both of you, thus prolonging your life, should you wish. I can also give you a winning lottery ticket," I stated confidently, offering a big toothy grin.

"How long can you allow us to live?" my mom puzzled. She sat up in the bed, noticing no pain at all and grinned.

"I can alter your genetic structure and metabolism to allow both of you to live for a thousand years, if you wish." I chuckled at my parents' reaction as they both temporarily lost the ability to form a coherent thought, their mouths flopping open and closed for a few moments before they regained their composure.

"Who wants to live THAT long?" my dad asked in exasperation.

"I don't have much choice in that matter myself, Dad -- as an Alicorn, I'm going to live for thousands of years," I replied sullenly.

"WHAT?!" they asked in astonishment.

"I suppose I forgot to tell you that," I mused somewhat sheepishly. "Sorry. I'm going to live for a very long time -- and so is Twilight. Princess Celestia's already been alive for more than three millennia and so has her younger sister Luna."

"Well, if you can provide us with a winning lottery ticket, I suppose you could take about 30 years off each of us," my dad mused.

"Done!" I said almost gleefully, enveloping both of them in a pale orange aura and de-aging them thirty years and restoring them to full health. "I do not wish to lose you both just yet -- you have been wonderful to me and I wanted to give you at least a small token of my affection and respect for all you've done for me in the past. It makes me happy to know that I haven't lost you two, Mom, Dad. I love you!" I said warmly, a big smile on my face. A single tear trickled from my right eye.

"We love you too, Mike! Thanks again for your help," my dad said in deep gratitude. "Now what about that lottery ticket?"

"Go to any store that sells lottery tickets. Buy a single ticket for the largest jackpot, and just wait," I chuckled. "You will win that jackpot." My parents hugged me in response.

An Unwelcome Visitor

I teleported back to Canterlot to meet Trixie and our foals at the train station, only to find that I had spent a little too much time with my parents. Trixie had already pulled the caravan into the entrance yard and parked it near one of the larger trees. Not knowing immediately where to search, I traced her magic signature and teleported to meet her in our room, finding her laying on the bed with Jade sleeping beside her. Summer Song had taken Marina to another room to resume her studies, though at such an early age, Marina's studies were more play-based to get her used to learning new information.

"Where have you been, Amethyst? Trixie waited at the station for an hour before she gave up on you," she said flatly.

"I lost track of time while I was with my parents. I made them a little younger and improved their health and gave them a winning lottery ticket so they could enjoy themselves fully," I replied softly. "I know you miss me when I'm gone, but sometimes emergencies pop up. You know how it goes."

"I would like to visit your home world," she mused.

"And who would raise Jade? Maybe sometime in the future, when Marina and Jade can care for themselves. My home world can be a hostile place, but I can show you a few things."

"I would like to see everything! I want to see as much of your home world as possible! I'll bet they'd love to see my magic show!"

"I'm sure many people would, Trixie, but that's gonna have to wait. I think Twilight might be growing impatient -- if you need anything, I will be in the throne room."

"Ugh! Trixie wants you to stop being so nice to Celestia! Stop doing favors for her! Trixie wants you to spend time with HER, not addressing the needs of these ponies! You have better things to do with your time, like, spend all of it with Trixie!"

I chuckled at her statement. "Oh, Trixie, what am I going to do with you? Here in Canterlot, all your needs and wants are practically catered to with great alacrity -- I know this place can be very boring, but --"

"But nothing! I want to see --"

"You promised to be a better mother this time, Trixie. I can't believe you would abandon Jade the way you did Marina," I interrupted.

"Trixie is not going to live forever like you, Amethyst! Trixie wants to spend as much of what little time is left for her doing what SHE wants to do!"

"You can travel once the foals are older, Trixie. Until then, I expect you to be a proper mother to them. I will help you in that task, as well as have Summer Song and others assist whenever needed." I reduced my size to match hers and wrapped my forelegs around her withers to gaze into her eyes. "Trixie, I know you hate this place -- I know you want to leave -- but I need you to be here for me and for our foals. Please respect that."

Trixie couldn't help but stare back into my orange eyes, a smile slowly making its way onto her face. "You know how much I like it when you take this form -- I love you, Amethyst, and because you are willing to help me, I will do this for you. I will keep my promise and raise Jade and Marina. But I also want you to join me when we travel again!"

"You know I will, lover girl!" I chuckled softly, giving her a quick kiss on her lips.

A frantic knocking at the door ruined the moment as a Royal Guardspony announced an unusual visitor, fear causing his voice to tremble.

"Your Majesty! N-nightmare M-moon has re-returned!" he shouted. Trixie and I exchanged a worried glance before I trotted to the door and opened it. The guard stared at me slack-jawed, noticing my reduced size. "Your Majesty?"

"As you were," I said flatly, trying to get him to calm down. "I suspect you've never seen me in my reduced size. Where is Nightmare Moon? I would have words with her."

"She is in the throne room -- she demands your immediate presence!"

"Very well then. Trixie? Would you like to join me?"

"Um, Trixie would rather not, Amethyst," she worriedly replied. Without any further hesitation, I teleported directly to the throne room to meet the dark Alicorn. My arrival was signaled by a pale yellow POP.

"Amethyst Flame?" she asked, giving me a quizzical look before a leering smile crossed her lips. "Hmm! You look very tasty like that! I should like for you to provide me with another foal!" she grinned.

"Speaking of which, I suppose you had yours? What have you named her? And why have you come here? Where's Twilight? I thought she was supposed to be holding Solar Court?" I asked in rapid-fire fashion.

"Slow down there, Amethyst! Yes, I have had my foal -- she is right here! Her name is Moon Beam!" she stated proudly, holding a dark blue Alicorn filly with a black mane and tail, her eyes the deepest shade of blue without being true black. I smiled in response to this. "I came here to show you our foal. As for Twilight, she teleported away when she saw me, and the rest of your little ponies fled upon my arrival. As I stated before, I desire a second foal from you."

"So soon? Shouldn't you give Moon Beam a chance to get a little older before having another? You know I'm married, right? And why should I provide you a second foal?"

"Must you talk so fast, Amethyst? I will give you a very good answer as to why I desire a second foal -- if you don't, I will kill Twilight!" she said, flashing her canines menacingly, her eyes glowing a brilliant blue. My visage darkened.

"What have you done with her? You'd better not have hurt her," I growled. She chuckled at my reaction.

"Relax, Amthyst! She's perfectly safe! I'm just holding her in a place where, should my desires not be met, she will meet a rather grisly fate," she replied. To illustrate her point, she lit her horn and created a visual image of the lavender Alicorn's present situation. She was being held in magic stasis, unable to move, an inhibitor ring on her horn. "You give me what I want, and I shall return her to you safely. Don't even think of trying to rescue her -- there are certain very powerful wards in place to prevent anypony from teleporting in or out of that room. Any attempt to save her will result in her swift and immediate death!"

"There had to be an easier way -- there was no need for this," I said flatly.

"One other condition, Amethyst -- your wife must watch us as you give me your seed!"

The Things We Do for Love

"You're kidding. You're kidding, right?" I asked, my eyes flashing red in anger. The dark Alicorn's smile widened, her canines clearly visible.

"No, Amethyst, I'm not. The choice is yours," she stated almost nonchalantly. Moon Beam was curled in her lap, sound asleep. A few moments of awkward silence filled the throne room, empty except for the three of us. "I grow impatient, Amethyst. You must tell me quickly or Twilight will die. I'm sure you don't want that to happen," she added condescendingly.

"Now look here. I already gave you one foal -- beautiful though she is -- but for you to come here, foalnap Twilight and hold her hostage for the sake of me giving you a second? If you had come to visit me and asked me nicely, I might have been able to find an opportunity to do so on more amicable terms. Be that as it may, I guess I have no choice in this matter. Bring Twilight here, and I shall fetch Trixie," I replied, my words dripping with contempt.

"Ah, good. I knew you'd see it my way!" she chuckled. She lit her horn, teleporting the lavender Alicorn into the room with us, though she was still immobile and wearing the inhibitor ring. "Now you bring Trixie," she said flatly. I lit my horn and teleported Trixie into the room, little Jade wrapped in her forelegs. "What is this, you have an Alicorn stallion for a foal?"

"He is a winged unicorn, like his sister Marina. Not an Alicorn foal -- Trixie cannot have those," I noted.

"Amethyst, what is going on here? Why did you bring me here?" asked Trixie. Her gaze turned to the dark Alicorn sitting on the throne. "You! What are you doing here?"

"I have come to ask your stallion to provide me with a second foal, Trixie! And you are going to watch him do this for me!"

"Amethyst! Why didn't you tell her no?" she asked in exasperation, though her expression showed her rage at the dark Alicorn.

"Look to your left, Trixie. If I said no, Twilight would be killed," I sighed. My wife's eyes widened in disbelief as her jaw opened upon seeing the lavender Alicorn. It took her a moment to regain some composure.

"Why did you do this? Amethyst is Trixie's stallion! Why did you threaten Sparkle?"

"Did you honestly think I would be satisfied with one foal? Did you honestly think your stallion would willingly provide me with a second foal? I had to have a little insurance so I could get what I want," the dark Alicorn replied nonchalantly. Trixie glared at the dark Alicorn then at me, then turned her gaze to Twilight. Nightmare woke the lavender Alicorn from her stasis so she could see what was going on -- and when she did, her face contorted in rage.

"How dare you do this to me? You will pay for this, Nightmare Moon! If I don't kill you, I know Amethyst will!" she screeched. The dark Alicorn tilted her head slightly towards the librarian and cackled at her.

"You're in no position to make such utterances! You should be thankful you're still alive! You too will watch as your precious 'Amethyst' gives me his seed so I may have a second foal!" she exclaimed, still laughing at her.

"Ammy! Don't do it!" Twilight pleaded, her expression changing from rage to worry.

"Sparkle! What interest do you have in Amethyst? I'm the one who should be pleading with him not to do this!" Trixie exclaimed indignantly. This exchange elicited more laughter from the dark Alicorn.

"If you two care so much about him, perhaps you'd be willing to form a herd, including me as the Alpha Mare!" Nightmare cackled before licking her lips in an exaggerated fashion. "You'd be surprised by how well he performed for me the last time around! He most certainly enjoyed our little romp and I eagerly await another!"

Tears started welling up in Trixie's eyes, though her face hardened in anger as she glared at me. Twilight's mouth opened a little in surprise at this mention. I facehoofed. "Why do you have to lie like that?" I asked in annoyance.

"'Tis no lie, Amethyst Flame! I speak truth! Do not lie about how much you enjoyed making love to me! You told me you wished you had married me instead of Trixie!" the dark Princess cackled, rubbing salt into the wound. Trixie started sobbing openly at this mention and she tried to leave. Before she could, Nightmare addressed her. "Trixie! You shall not leave this room until your husband and I have finished the act to my satisfaction! If you try to leave one more time, I shall kill you myself!"

"Amethyst! You told Trixie you loved her! Why did you tell this ..." the show-mare began. The dark Alicorn used a magic spell to silence her before she could get the next word out. The only sound coming out of her mouth now was her plaintive crying, tears streaming down her cheeks. She had also been immobilized by Nightmare's magic and an inhibitor ring placed on her horn to boot. Like Twilight, she was helpless to do anything other than watch the spectacle unfold. The dark Alicorn turned her attention to the librarian at this point. "Anything more you'd like to say, Twilight? I will be happy to silence you as well!" The lavender Alicorn simply shook her lowered head sadly in response to the query as tears trickled down her cheeks as well.

"Very well then! Amethyst, we now have a captive audience to watch us! Come here and give your Princess the pleasure she demands! Maintain your reduced size for me, please," she stated, making her request sound more like a demand.

"Trixie, Twilight -- I love you both and I am deeply sorry to have to do this -- please forgive me for what I am about to do," I said softly, but loud enough for them to hear me. The dark Alicorn mocked me by mouthing my words after I had said my piece, lightly chuckling as she did so, provoking angry glares from both captive mares. I slowly trotted toward Nightmare, who lit her horn and summoned a bed to the throne room.

"We're not going to do this on the floor, Amethyst! And don't address either of those two again or I will kill them out of spite!" she spat angrily before laying on the bed, her wings draped wide across it. She motioned for me to approach her with her left forehoof.

"You're not helping my mood here, Nightmare," I stated flatly, a scowl marring my features.

"You forget your place, little Prince! Your mood is irrelevant here! You are to give me pleasure and you must do it without question or regret! You must enjoy this and satisfy me fully! Don't force my hoof in this matter!" she exclaimed, each interjection more strident than the last, to the point where she was practically shouting at me in Royal Canterlot Voice with that last statement. I flinched at the volume of her voice, though I continued to approach her. She had spread her hind legs wide for me, remembering how our previous encounter had begun. I climbed half-way onto the bed, my barrel resting on the edge, my muzzle not far from her nethers.

"That's it, Amethyst! Come closer! Lick me up and down right there!" she cooed to me. Her eyes went half-lidded in expectation of the pleasure I was about to give her.

Suddenly, four bright flashes of light lit up the throne room and a series of POPs of differing colors ushered the arrival of Luna, Celestia, Twilight, and Trixie from the other universe.

"Halt thine actions, thou impostor!!" Luna shouted at her evil counterpart in her RCV. The dark Alicorn looked up in surprise to see the other Alicorns and teleported away, a fearful expression on her face. Celestia used her magic to remove my wife and the librarian from their magic stasis and their inhibitor rings as well.

"Celestia! Thank you so much!" her Twilight chirped, galloping to her mentor and embracing her in a very tight hug.

"Amethyst!" Trixie exclaimed in joy, cantering to me and wrapping her forelegs around me in a similarly tight hug.

"Luna, thanks for getting here in time," I said, almost sighing in relief. "I did NOT wanna have to give her another foal."

"As much as you have done for Equestria, Amethyst, we felt it was the least we could do," Luna said, giving me a warm smile. "But if we had not arrived in time, would thou have done what we think thou were about to do?" I lowered my head, my ears drooping and nodded slowly a couple of times.

"Nightmare threatened both Twilight and Trixie -- I felt I had no choice in the matter," I replied sullenly. "I see Twilight and Trixie from the other universe here -- what brings both of you here?"

"Luna came from your universe to seek our assistance when we heard your Twilight had been abducted. We are happy to see we arrived just in time," other Twilight stated.

"It appears this matter has been resolved," Trixie added.

"Not so fast there, Trixie -- Nightmare has shown her true colors and has proven herself a liability. We must track her down and banish her once again," Celestia admonished. "Amethyst, I would have you accompany us as well, please."

"And who is supposed to be Solar Regent in our absence?" I asked, astonished by yet another request from the Diarch.

"Twilight can return to that post," the Solar Princess stated almost dismissively. My wife cleared her throat loudly and glared at me.

"I understand you desire my companionship on this matter, but I feel that with two Alicorns assisting you along with the Element Bearers of that universe, you should be able to deal with Nightmare without me. I have already given you a wealth of assistance by covering your post in your absence," I stated flatly. Celestia glared at me.

"Do not take orders from your wife, Amethyst. You are indebted to me, and this issue demands your attention. Your wife's needs are secondary to the fate of Equestria. Do not force my hoof in this matter." My left ear and eye twitched at her statement as I narrowed my eyes at her. I blinked hard a few times to express my annoyance.

"This is the last time I'm going to do this for you, Celestia. No more favors of this sort. Frankly, I wonder how you and your little ponies survived without me to assist you in these matters," I offered bluntly.

"That's immaterial, Amethyst. Return to your normal size, please," she commanded.

I did so and turned my attention to my wife. "Out of the frying pan and into the fire. I'll be back, Trixie," I smiled at her. She simply glared at me and gave a slight growl. A light whimpering caught her attention as Jade woke up and started crying softly. Trixie took him up in her forelegs and cradled him snugly.

"You've been a busy stallion, haven't you?" the other Trixie giggled. "If I had known my counterpart's foals were going to be this pretty, I would have asked you for a few myself!"

As if to illustrate her point, yet another whimpering was heard -- a dark blue Alicorn filly had been left behind by her fleeing mother.

"Looks like we have a little bargaining chip," I said flatly, flashing a smile.

"Amethyst? Is that ... your daughter?" asked the other Twilight.

"Nightmare Moon never showed you our foal?" I asked. Luna scooped her up with her wings and cradled her, cooing to her softly.

"Truthfully, Amethyst, we desire a foal as well," the Lunar Princess said softly. Moon Beam's whimpering subsided and she started cooing, relaxing in Luna's warmth. Celestia expressed a similar desire, eliciting an exasperated gasp from Trixie.

"How many times must Trixie tell you Amethyst is her stallion? Trixie does NOT want to be treated like this! Amethyst! Do something! Say something!"

I shook my head sadly and chuckled at the irony of the situation. "As much as I am tempted to provide each of you with your own foal, please respect my wife's wishes. Considering the fact that all of us are Alicorns, save her, there will be time in the future for such desires to be fulfilled -- but not now, not for a long while yet. I am married to Trixie and at the very least, I should do my best to be faithful to her, despite the pony convention of creating herds. She has suffered so much and needs me to be here for her."

The others nodded in agreement and chatted with each other about how they needed to set their desires aside, despite the fact that two of my foals were present as well. While Luna was still cradling Moon Beam, the little filly disappeared in a puff of dark blue smoke.

"Follow the trace of the magic signature!" Celestia commanded. "We must not lose track of her!"

Everypony but my wife did so, teleporting to the other universe, arriving in the throne room of Canterlot Castle to see Nightmare Moon seated on the throne. Moon Beam was curled up in her lap.

"Almost forgot her -- I won't make that mistake again," the dark Alicorn stated flatly. "How nice of you all to show up. I've set up a little trap for all of you. Ah, Amethyst, you too? Good, we can resume our previous activity -- I don't care who watches! This time, there won't be any interruptions!"

Without bothering to answer her, I lit my horn with my pale yellow aura, enveloping the dark Alicorn in it. Her expression of surprise was amusing to me as I strengthened the barrier surrounding her with a second aura and then a third. "Help me subdue her, please," I grunted, grimacing with my effort to contain her.

Twilight and Trixie both teleported to Ponyville and very quickly returned with Diane, Rainbow, Applejack and Fluttershy. My blue diamond started glowing as the other Element Bearers began levitating. I released the dark Alicorn just before she was enveloped by the harmonic magic once again, her cries of rage and anguish reverberating around the throne room. A much smaller dark blue Alicorn lay on the floor by the throne, though Moon Beam appeared unhurt and began whimpering again. Celestia scooped her up this time, cradling her the same way Luna had.

"What happened? Where am I?" the dark blue Alicorn asked as she rose shakily to her hooves. Her gaze turned to the Solar Princess at this point. "Sister? How long has it been?"

"Amethyst, I am deeply indebted to you for this -- thank you for bringing my sister back!"

"Begging your pardon, Celestia, but I believe I should return to my universe. I have a country to run," I chuckled. "Glad I could be of service. As my wife informed you, I request you refrain from asking me any further favors."

"Be that as it may, Amethyst, please remember my earlier request -- I will see you in about a century," she grinned mischievously.

"Oh, come on, Ammy, don't leave so soon!" Fluttershy chided. "I need to throw you another party! It's been so long since that first one! And this one would be a huge celebration!"

"Sorry, Flutters, but duty calls. I will find some time to return so we can have that big party -- but my wife needs me. Celestia, Luna -- take good care of Moon Beam for me, please. I shall stop by from time to time to see how she's doing."

We exchanged good-byes and I teleported back to my universe once again. Trixie was talking to Twilight, who had taken her position on the throne.

"About time you made it back," Trixie chided. "Twilight has given us the rest of the day to enjoy ourselves."

"What about Jade?" I asked.

"Summer Song has taken him with her and Marina as well -- Trixie wants you to prove your love for her again!" she giggled.

Another Surprise Visit

Trixie and I trotted from the throne room to the dining hall to get a quick bite to eat. While we trotted, we had a brief conversation.

"Was Nightmare telling the truth? That you told her you wished you had married her instead of Trixie?" my wife asked, giving me a concerned look.

"You can't trust anything that dark Alicorn says, you know that! Even if I did say those words to her, I was not being sincere with her -- she wanted me to pretend to be her lover, not for real-real, just for play-play." I gauged Trixie's reaction to my words as a short silence became a pregnant pause. I sensed she was not satisfied with my explanation, so I continued. "Come on, Trixie, how many times must I tell you how much I love you? I know I haven't been here with you enough to prove my love for you, but --"

She interrupted me by giving me a passionate kiss on my lips. A few ponies witnessed her display and clucked in disapproval, causing her to chuckle.

"Amethyst is Trixie's stallion! She will give him affection any time she wishes to!" she admonished the nervous onlookers as we continued to the dining hall. We took our seats, ordered our food, and chatted a little bit more over lunch. Trixie once again brought up the issue of her boredom and I informed her once again of my obligations. This caused her to complain bitterly about said obligations and demanded I track down Celestia and force her to resume her duties.

"Hold on a minute, Trixie, I'm going to have some words with Twilight and figure something out. She cannot cover for Celestia, so don't bother asking her -- little Garnet will suffer if she doesn't spend more time with her mother, though I wonder if Summer Song is caring for both of them. Wait right here, I'll be back," I offered, smiling softly and giving her a quick kiss on the lips, causing her to smile and advised me to hurry back quickly. I nodded my head as an acknowledgement of her request and teleported back to the throne room.

"Well, Amethyst, what's going on? Are you ready to resume your duties?" Twilight asked. She seemed to be rather anxious to return her attention to little Garnet, her expression informing me as much.

"Trixie is bored, what else is new? Do you know where I can find Celestia? Trixie wants me to spend more time with her -- Celestia ruled Equestria for a very long time before I showed up. Now it seems as though your teacher doesn't want to continue with those duties anymore and would rather have me be her permanent replacement..." I let my words trail off as the lavender Alicorn's expression changed to one of concern. "Wait, don't tell me you don't know where she is?"

"Celestia now comes and goes as she pleases, Amethyst -- and the last time she met with me, she told me she was going off on another adventure and for me to tell you she would be gone for another year or so. 'He'll understand, I'm sure. He'll be fine,' she said. So what now? Don't look at me like that, you know I have to care for Garnet! Tell you what -- you have Trixie stay with me and we can be with our foals and do things together! Does that sound like a good idea?"

I smiled in response. "Trixie's in the dining hall, waiting on my return. Why don't you teleport to her and give her this idea -- I'm sure she'd be happy to have your company and the two of you can do stuff while I busy myself with the affairs of state -- boring as they are -- if there's any trouble, let me know immediately. Enjoy yourselves, I think you deserve a break after all you've been through."

"Thanks, Amethyst. You don't know the half of it! Nightmare Moon got the drop on me -- what did you do over there? Banish her for good?"

"Yeah, she's going to be gone for a long time -- and that universe's Luna has been returned! Moon Beam will be a little confused and Luna will probably be even more so, since our little filly's going to be a meat-eater," I grinned. Twilight gasped at this mention.

"What? A carnivorous Alicorn?" she asked, still surprised.

"I'm sure you've seen Nightmare Moon's canines, yes? Moon Beam has those as well, so her diet is going to include meat, I'm afraid," I replied nonchalantly.

"Hmm. That will be interesting. I just hope Garnet doesn't acquire a taste for meat -- I wouldn't be able to face Fluttershy if that happens."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that -- I don't think any of my human genetics carried over to my equine persona," I responded, though I was still a little uncertain of my genetic make-up as an equine. "It's been so long since I was last in a human body, I don't even know what that feels like any more."

"Do you miss being a human?" she asked, grinning.

"I haven't given it much consideration, Twilight. I would say probably not, since I have become so acclimated to my status."

"Would you like to go back to being a human?" she asked, her grin widening a bit.

"Nah, I'm cool with this," I replied flatly. "Though I sometimes find myself reminiscing about my time running around as Trixie," I mused softly. My expression turned pensive as I recalled that one night when Trixie and I had been reunited and spent the night in Twilight's guest room.

"Amethyst?"

"Oh, sorry, Twilight, just thinking about something for a moment," I said, grinning sheepishly.

"You must have enjoyed being Trixie quite a bit, didn't you?" she asked, grinning very broadly, a light blush coloring her cheeks. "You know, I remember the night you two spent together in my guest room. There's a part of me that wished to join you in your activities, but I reminded myself that you two had become very close, and that intervening could have caused some problems."

"Truth be told, Twilight, there's a part of me that wishes you had come in to join us," I grinned. "I know it's wrong of me to want that, but..."

"Amethyst, I want you to know I have very deep feelings for you -- little Garnet is proof of that -- but I also know you are married to Trixie." She got off the throne and approached me, rearing up onto her hind legs, using her wings for support. "Please, Amethyst, give me a hug -- I hope you feel the same way about me," she said softly.

I reared up onto my hind legs and wrapped my forelegs around her, embracing her in a tight hug. I leaned my neck forward a little to whisper in her ear. Trixie entered the throne room at this point to see us embracing each other, the guard at the door apologizing profusely for allowing her in.

"Amethyst! What are you doing? Get away from Sparkle!" she shouted. She galloped over to us, her horn lit brightly. Twilight and I released each other just as she skidded to a stop and bumped into the lavender Alicorn. "Amethyst! Sparkle! Don't tell Trixie you were planning on having another foal!"

"Nope, not yet anyway. Twilight came up with an idea -- she wanted to spend time with you and Jade, so you could do things with her while I attend to the duties of being the Solar Regent once again. Celestia is going to be gone for awhile, and Twilight doesn't know where she went or how long she's going to be gone. I'm not willing to force her return, but Twilight assured me that she would be willing to help you raise Jade."

Trixie's expression softened. "Amethyst, you are willing to do this? Trixie likes the idea of spending time with Sparkle," she offered softly, smiling once again. "Twilight, I would be happy to have your company and I would like for you to show me some new things."

"Actually, Trixie, I was hoping you could show me some new things! It's been so long since I've gone on some new adventures," the lavender Alicorn mused.

"Trixie would be happy to have you accompany her, Sparkle!" she grinned. The two of them embraced in a quick hug and trotted off to get their foals as I slowly trotted to the throne and sat on it.

"Guard! Are there any new petitioners wishing to seek an audience with the Solar Regent?" I asked, magically amplifying my voice so it could be heard throughout the room.

"Yes, your Majesty," she replied and ushered the first of them inside. A dark-brown pegasus mare entered at this point. My eyes went wide with surprise upon seeing her.

"Chocolate Sweetness? Is that you?" I asked, not bothering to mask my surprise. She nodded her head sadly. "What brings you here? What is wrong?"

"Ah never thought Ah'd get a chance ta see ya again, Flamin' Star -- Ah know Ah told ya Ah had money ta burn -- well, that ain't th' case no more. Ah ain't got a bit ta mah name and Ah was wantin' yer help," she stated sadly as a tear tracked down her right cheek. She had lost quite a bit of weight.

"How's your singing voice? I was wanting to see you again, performing a song or two," I mused. She shook her head sadly again.

"Mah voice ain't what it used ta be -- Ah cain't sing no damn more," she replied, as another tear fell.

"I will see to it that you recover -- I will provide you a gift. Where do you live now?"

"Um, Ah hate ta say this, Star, but Ah ain't got nowhere ta live anymore -- Ah lost mah house in Neigh Orleans, an' Ah've been stayin' with whoever'd let me spend a night or two."

I called another guard into the throne room. "Please see Chocolate Sweetness here to one of the deluxe accommodations -- she is welcome to stay in the castle for as long as she likes. Please see to it that her needs are addressed as soon as possible." I turned to the dark brown pegasus mare. "Sweets, I feel I owe you a sincere apology for what happened a few years ago, and I will see to it that you have a place to live as well as food to eat. I will also see to it that your voice is restored as best as possible. I want to see you on stage, doing what you do best!" I smiled softly.

Tears of happiness took the place of sadness as she embraced me in a very tight hug. "Oh, Star, thank ya so much! Ah was hopin' ya'd be able ta help me -- Ah wish there was somethin' else Ah could do fer ya, but Ah promise as soon as Ah can sing again, Ah'll put on the best show ya've ever seen!"

"I look forward to it, Sweets. Take care of yourself. Guard, please escort her to her chambers." I watched as she was escorted out of the throne room and the next petitioner entered. I entertained another twenty petitioners before I adjourned Solar Court for the day and teleported to Celestia's bedchambers to lower the Sun. Luna was waiting for me there.

"Amethyst, we have a special request," the Lunar Princess said softly.

"Luna, I will entertain your request after I have lowered the Sun," I responded flatly. I trotted to the balcony and lowered the Sun, the effort requiring very little magic for me to perform. All that practice had rendered such a task mundane at this point. Luna joined me on the balcony and raised her Moon, then turned to face me.

"Amethyst, we know that thou hast been busy as of late, but we desire some affection from thee," she said softly. A light blush colored her cheeks.

"I suppose you were wanting a foal of your own, yes?" I asked, giving her an uncertain look.

"We would be honored if you would bless us with such a gift, Amethyst," she cooed softly and smiled.

"I will need some time to think about your request, Luna. What you ask of me --"

"We know it is a selfish request, Amethyst Flame. Verily, we have been wanting a foal from the moment we saw thee transformed into an Alicorn. We have been wanting an Alicorn foal for a long time, and we feel that thee hath the necessary strength, stamina, and sperm count to provide us with such a wondrous gift."

"If Trixie ever finds out, our marriage is finished, Luna. I'm not prepared to give her up -- I love her dearly, and I do not wish to cause her further grief. She has been through so much," I explained. I watched in amazement as the indigo Alicorn magically altered herself. She became much smaller, almost to the point of looking like a filly herself. She turned on all her charms, giving me her very best big eyes and pouty lips.

"Pweeease? For Woona? Pweeeeeeease?" she asked in her very best little filly voice. This elicited giggling from me.

"Really, Luna? Does it mean that much to you?" I asked, exasperation starting to creep into my voice.

"We were certain that trick wouldst work on thee..." she stated sadly as tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Oh, Luna, I'm so sorry. I know you want a foal to care for, but now is not a good time. Please bear with me a bit longer -- Trixie would be furious," I said softly, trying to comfort her. She returned to her normal size.

"Very well then, Amethyst. We shall bide our time until thou reconsiders our request," she stated rather coldly as she trotted away, most likely to her bedchambers, or perhaps to conduct Lunar Court. Either way, I felt a twinge of guilt for having refused her advances.

"Luna, I hope you understand where I'm coming from on this matter," I called after her retreating form.

"We understand all too well, Amethyst Flame," she retorted, not bothering to look behind her.

Why must these mares be so pushy? I thought to myself before retiring to bed.

Sweets After Midnight

It was while I was sleeping in Celestia's bed that I was awoken in the middle of the night by somepony climbing into the bed with me. I was unsure of who it was, though I initially thought it might be Trixie. I had given her permission to join me whenever she wanted and had also given her free run about the castle with just a few exceptions. Whomever it was snuggled very close to me, wrapping a foreleg around my midsection.

"Mmm, Trixie, I'm trying to sleep," I mumbled. I turned over and pulled the cover a little more tightly over my body. I felt a certain heftiness make a deep depression into the bed, causing me to sit up and cast an illumination spell to see who it was. I was quite surprised and shocked to see the obese dark brown pegasus mare having scooted very close to me. "Sweets? What are you doing in here? How did you get in here?"

"Ah di'n't wanna sleep alone, Star -- Ah saw that sun on the door an' thought you were in here -- there wasn't no pony guardin' th' door, so Ah thought Ah'd jes' sneak on in here so Ah could snuggle with ya!" she giggled.

"Remind me to have a pair of guards posted at the door from here on out. Sweets, this is Celestia's bedchamber -- she's away on vacation, so as her substitute, I'm sleeping in her bed while she's away. I didn't expect you to come in here, though," I mused, though a smile crept onto my face. Truth be told, I kind of missed her.

"Ah'm sorry, Star, Ah di'n't know. Ah'll go back ta mah bedroom if'n ya want," she offered, her head and ears lowered.

"Don't call me Star anymore, Sweets -- my name is Amethyst Flame -- Flaming Star was a stage name, one I won't be using anymore, so please don't call me that anymore. What I want to know is why you don't have any money and how you lost your home. Please explain."

"Amethyst Flame? Oh, that's right, ya did tell me that Flamin' Star was jes' a stage name. Well, ya remember that room in the Visage? The one where yer blue unicorn mare attacked ya? Ah was under contract with that casino and when I fled in terror and returned ta mah home in Neigh Orleans, Ah got a call t' come back t' Las Pegasus -- Ah told 'em Ah wasn't goin' back, no way, no how, an' then they told me if'n Ah di'n't come back, they was gonna sue me fer breach o' contract -- they took everathin' Ah had -- mah home, mah money, EVERATHIN'!" she wailed as fresh tears threatened to spill over her cheeks again. I held her close to me, wrapping my wings around her.

"There, there, it's gonna be all right, Sweets. I'm glad you told me what you did -- those ponies in Las Pegasus don't like me very much, and they're about to find out just how much I don't like them in return. Tell me something, Sweets -- how would you like to own your own casino?" I asked, beaming a big toothy grin.

"Ooh! Which one?" she asked, grinning broadly. She dried her tears and looked at me expectantly, fluttering her wings in excitement.

"The Visage," I replied nonchalantly. I watched her face light up with a big smile before she considered what I had said.

"Um, how're ya gonna do that?"

"As the acting Solar Regent, I am empowered to take certain actions which can not only reverse your loss, but I can also impose punitive measures upon that casino owner, stripping him of his title to it and awarding it to you. Of course, I'll need Luna's approval for that, but I have something she wants and she's willing to give me what I want in return for it. I'm sure if I provide her with a few favors, she'll reciprocate in kind," I said, a mischievous grin on my face.

"Um, does that mean ye'll give me the Visage because of what I suffered? How'm Ah s'posed t' run a casino by mahself?"

"Actually, you'll be listed as the owner of the property, but I will ensure the current employees are retained and their payroll covered by the Royal Coffers -- the casino profits will be apportioned so that you receive a hefty amount on a monthly basis. I will ensure that you can return to doing what you love and I will also ensure that no harm comes to you."

She hugged me very tightly and kissed me on my lips, crying tears of happiness and joy. "Oh, thank ya so much, Amethyst! Ah'm so happy! Is there anythin' Ah can do t' repay ya fer yer kindness? Anythin? Just ask!"

"To be honest, Sweets, I don't like sleeping alone either -- I'm tempted to let you sleep with me, but if Trixie were to return, she'd be furious. She's off with Twilight doing who knows what, but there aren't any guarantees of when she might return."

"Ooh, would ya let me sleep with ya? Ah'll do anythin' ya want!" she exclaimed excitedly and turned over onto her back, spreading her hind legs wide for me.

"Sweets, you seem to know me too well," I chuckled and extinguished my illumination spell. I pulled her close to me and the cover over both of us as we lay next to each other, cuddling and wrapping our legs around each other. I let my concern about Trixie melt away as I succumbed to the temptations of the chubby pegasus.

The Last Straw

Luna entered the chamber to wake me so I could raise the Sun. Ordinarily, I would be up early enough to do it without the indigo Alicorn's insistence, but I had been lulled into a deep slumber with a certain chubby pegasus who had provided me a great deal of pleasure. I wanted to spend even more time in her embrace, but the duties of a Solar Regent intruded at the worst possible time.

"Amethyst Flame! The time has come for thee to raise our sister's Sun!" she announced quite loudly. She illuminated the room with her horn and gasped in surprise when she saw Chocolate Sweetness in the bed with me. I grinned sheepishly at her reaction. "What hast thou done? Who is this thee hast in our sister's bed?! What of OUR concerns, Amethyst?!"

"Luna, I have a special favor to ask of you -- this pegasus mare is the one who was stripped of everything she owned by a rogue casino owner in Las Pegasus. If you give me a moment, I shall raise the Sun, but I will also need to have a conference with you regarding that favor. In return, I shall grant you a few favors --" I said, but let my words stop when I saw a very big smile grace her features when I mentioned said favors.

"Please, Amethyst, we shall hear thee out -- but first, thou must raise the Sun."

"Hey, Sweets, have you ever seen this done?" I asked the pegasus. She shook her head to indicate she hadn't, so I beckoned her to follow me onto the balcony where I used my magic to gracefully raise the Sun into position. This display awed her tremendously, a sight which brought a smile to my face. All she could say in response was, "WOW!" as she followed me back into Celestia's bedchamber. Luna had half a smirk on her face.

"Amethyst, we find thy taste in mares somewhat lacking these days," she stated, trying to stifle a giggle.

"Luna, this mare is the one I wish to give title to the Visage casino in Las Pegasus," I stated, then proceeded to tell the Night Princess the rest of the story. I finished by asking her approval to award the title to the pegasus.

"What is thy true name, Chocolate Sweetness? Thou must have a proper legal name in order to assume ownership of that casino," Luna stated flatly, her expression somewhat unreadable.

"Ah, yer not gonna believe this, Princess, but mah real name is Chocolate Rain," the pegasus replied glumly.

"Very well then -- dost thou wish to retain thy stage name as thy true name?"

"Yes, yer Majesty, Ah would!" she chirped. "Ah thought only Princess Celestia could do that."

"You're in luck, Sweets -- as acting Solar Regent, I can approve legal name changes as well, though I require Luna's final approval for those matters." I lit my horn and summoned ink, quills, and parchment to write out a proclamation awarding title of the Visage casino to Chocolate Sweetness, acknowledging a legal name change as well, and affixing my signature to the space reserved for Solar Regent. Luna signed as Lunar Regent, and the pegasus signed her name using her right hoof with great precision. She could barely contain her excitement and when the proclamation was declared law, she hugged me tightly and kissed me once again. It was at this moment Trixie and Twilight entered the chamber to witness this exchange.

"Amethyst? What are you doing? Who is that?" asked the lavender Alicorn. I grinned sheepishly at her.

Trixie's reaction was a bit more extreme -- she screamed in rage at me, assuming her elemental form immediately and launching her strongest magic attack at me. I raised my eyebrow at her and deflected her attack.

"Trixie, she is here to claim title to the Visage casino in Las Pegasus. Luna and I just finished the paperwork awarding her the title -- Sweets was just thanking me for the huge favor I have done for her," I stated, trying to defuse the situation.

"That's no excuse to let her hug and kiss you! Trixie is the only one allowed to hug and kiss you, Amethyst!" she screeched, readying yet another attack.

"Calm thyself, Trixie!" Luna shouted at her in her Royal Canterlot Voice, causing the show-mare to return to her normal form, the volume of the Alicorn's command disorienting her. I grinned at Luna, who returned a grin and mouthed the word "Later" to me. My grin grew a bit wider.

"What are you grinning about, Amethyst? What are you planning to do? How dare you do this to me! I thought you loved me! Why did you do this?" Trixie asked, her voice trembling as sadness threatened to overwhelm her. She fell to her haunches, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I hate to have this sound as cold as it may, Trixie, but -- your continued absence causes me discomfort. There are certain truths which you will have to confront, truths which will prove to be painful to you --"

"Stop making excuses to justify creating a herd! Trixie told you she will not share your love with anypony! You must choose now, Amethyst! Do you choose Trixie, or do you choose everypony else? You cannot have Trixie if you think you can have everypony else! Trixie will NOT be part of ANYPONY'S herd!" she shouted, tears now trickling down her cheeks.

I sat on my haunches facing her, my head and ears lowered. I sighed very heavily, my voice filled with resignation. "Trixie, I am so sorry to have caused you so much pain, and I am even more sorry to disappoint you like this. I understand you love me deeply and you wish for me to return your love with every ounce of passion I can muster -- but I have told you, I cannot have you running off to wherever it is you wish -- I have told you I need you with me when I lay down to sleep each night, but many of those nights, you have gone missing -- you have left me to sleep alone, you have gone to Celestia knows where -- and it is this uncertainty which causes me to question your love for me."

She started sobbing now, not bothering to control her wailing. "But Trixie told you she loves you! Trixie has not -- I would never -- Trixie loves you, Amethyst! Why won't you believe Trixie? What must Trixie do for you?"

"I don't know anymore, Trixie. I am so sorry," I replied sullenly.

"You say you're sorry, but you don't mean it! You can't be sorry! Trixie knows you cannot prove it!" she wailed as she lay face down on the floor, her tears making a puddle around the base of her head, the stream of tears seemingly unending.

"You have no idea of just how sorry I am to tell you this, Trixie -- I want you to know that I love you deeply and that I desire you to remain by my side, but I know that you cannot do that -- you are unable to do so -- so I must let you go your own way and find your own way from here on out. It pains me deeply to say this to you, but you will have to mature a bit more before you can return to my side to be my wife. I told you four years ago, when we were on that train ride, that I needed time to myself to decompress from my previous marriage -- but you were so impatient, you wanted me, perhaps because I had shown you true affection at that time -- I wanted you, too, Trixie --"

"NOOO! Don't leave Trixie! Please! Trixie cannot be without you, Amethyst! Trixie needs you!" she wailed, her sobs wracking her body as she gave in to her depression. The two other Alicorns simply watched in silence as this spectacle unfolded. Chocolate Sweetness looked extremely uncomfortable and gave me an almost timid expression, one which expressed her desire to leave. I simply nodded my head in her direction and she left, scroll tightly tucked under her left wing. I heard her exhale a sigh of relief once she was out in the hallway leading out of the bedchamber.

"I need you too, Trixie --" I stated as I approached her in an attempt to console her. As soon as I was close enough to wrap my wings around her, she bolted upright and turned to face me quite angrily.

"You are too late, Amethyst! Trixie no longer wants you!" she screeched, pushing me away with her forelegs. She tried to ready another attack, but her previous attempts had drained her magic. Her horn fizzled and popped and she cursed. I backed away from her, readying a magic barrier.

"Go then, Trixie. I will await your return when you are ready for me, however long that takes. One thing I must tell you before you take your final leave, though, is that I never stopped loving you, Trixie. I apologize for disappointing you," I stated solemnly.

"Sparkle, are you coming with Trixie?" she asked, glancing at the lavender Alicorn.

"Are you taking your foals? Or am I supposed to watch them while you're gone?"

"Trixie does not care," she replied flatly and left, galloping away as fast as she could. I could hear her sobbing again as she left.

"Amethyst, why did you do that to her?" Twilight asked, glaring at me almost angrily herself.

"Have you any idea of how many times she would leave me in the middle of the night to go off to wherever? Have you any idea of how much time I've spent sleeping without her? You know, I believe your assessment of her may have been correct and that I should have married you instead of her -- but I allowed my compassion for her to color my opinion of her -- I thought I could tame her fiery nature -- I guess I was wrong. Twilight, I am truly sorry for all this disappointment I have caused."

"Amethyst, thou hast requested a favor of us and we have granted it. We now retire to our chambers, but request that thou accompany us to provide us with the favor thou hast promised us," the Lunar Princess stated serenely, a warm smile gracing her lips.

"Amethyst! What favor is she talking about?" asked a very exasperated Twilight.

"Luna assisted me with matters pertaining to Chocolate Sweetness -- a legal name change and title transfer of the Visage casino. I will travel to Las Pegasus later today to inform the owner that he has been stripped of his title and that his former star stage performer is the new owner. He's not going to be happy," I said, grinning mischievously. "Since Luna did this for me, I promised her a favor in return -- you're probably aware she has requested I provide her with a foal -- I hope you're not too unhappy with me for agreeing to do so."

"Oh, Amethyst, you're just too much to take. Now I see why Trixie is so upset with you. She will be back soon, I can guarantee you that -- my guess is that she'll be seeking revenge for you wronging her like that -- do you think you can face down an Ursa Major? She might bring one of those here," the lavender Alicorn mused.

"Luna has assured me she knows how to calm such a beast," I replied confidently, dismissing her concerns.

"I'll tell you this much, Amethyst -- you have disappointed me as well. I hope you're satisfied with what you've done -- and as far as marrying me is concerned, I will need some time to think about your offer," she stated flatly.

"Sorry," I responded, grinning sheepishly yet again. She turned and left, presumably to address the needs of our foals. I trotted down the hall to Luna's bedchambers and entered to find the indigo Alicorn lazily stretched out on her bed, eagerly awaiting my arrival.

"We were wondering what hath kept you, Amethyst," she grinned. "We desire that thee show us how thou makest love, as we hath heard that thou were human at one point in thy previous life."

"Thou hast heard correctly, Luna," I grinned, climbing onto her bed to lay next to her. I drank in her beauty and planted a kiss on her lips. She responded by kissing me much more passionately, embracing me tightly in her wings.

Taking Care of Business in Las Pegasus

A royal guard unicorn manged to track me down -- or at least, I suspect Twilight informed him of my location. Solar Court could not proceed without my presence, so I was being summoned. I smiled at Luna, grinned sheepishly yet again, and muttered "Duty calls" under my breath as I left her bedchamber.

"We request thou makest a habit of bedding with us, Amethyst," she said softly, returning my grin.

"I shall consider your request, Luna," I replied through my chuckling as I left her chamber and trotted to the throne room to conduct the day's business. "Have somepony bring me something to eat, please," I requested of the guard escorting me.

"Yes, your Majesty," he replied tersely.

"Please also have a courier relay information to Las Pegasus City Hall that the Visage casino has been awarded to Chocolate Sweetness and that I will be personally overseeing the transfer of the deed to the new owner," I added.

"Yes, your Majesty."

I took my position on the throne and allowed the day's business to commence, addressing the needs of various nobles, foreign dignitaries, and various others who sought an audience with me. The daily rigors of Solar Court had begun to weigh heavily on me and the banality of many requests had pushed me beyond a point of annoyance and almost to the point of contempt for the ponies.

I'm the Solar Regent, for Celestia's sake! Such petty concerns are the province of local courts, not the Royal Court of Canterlot!

I called the court to recess for lunch and decided to check on Twilight before getting some more food. I managed to find her looking after Garnet, Jade, and Marina.

"Twilight, I need to go to Las Pegasus to take care of a title transfer," I offered. "Would you be kind enough to cover Solar Court for this afternoon? I shall return soon to resume my duties."

"I'll do it this time, but please be sure to make your absence as short as possible -- Summer Song tells me she is getting tired of watching the foals all the time," the lavender Alicorn replied, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I will attempt to make this as quick as possible, but I cannot make any guarantees."

"Just be sure you're back tomorrow, Amethyst."

"I'll try, Twilight. Perhaps Celestia might return and resume the business," I offered optimistically.

"Yeah, right. She's been gone for so long, I sometimes wonder when she'll return," she muttered.

A blinding flash of light and a golden POP ushered in the arrival of the Solar Princess, who seemed a bit perturbed.

"Amethyst, I have been watching you from the shadows," Celestia began.

"Really?" I asked, sarcasm dripping from my voice.

"No, I just wanted to see your reaction. I have sources all over Equestria who keep me informed of events which transpire in my realm. I have been informed that you caused your wife extreme displeasure," she averred.

"Yeah, I did. I'm sorry. Look, Celestia, I have some personal business in Las Pegasus and I need to leave as soon as possible -- and since you've returned, I'd appreciate it if you would resume your duties as the true Solar Regent of Equestria," I stated matter-of-factly.

"Amethyst, I entrusted you the care of my realm --"

"Spare me the lecture until I return, Celestia -- I've got to go," I interjected. Considering the distance to Las Pegasus from Canterlot, taking the train would prove too time-consuming, and flying by myself was out of the question, as was using a royal chariot for that purpose. This basically left me with the prospect of using my automobile to perform a teleport.

"I'm not done with you, Amethyst," the Solar Princess intoned, annoyance coloring her words.

"I'm using my car -- I'll be back fairly soon," I responded, matching Celestia's annoyance with that of my own.

"He's getting too big for his hoof-guards," Twilight whispered into her mentor's ear. "Thinks he can control everypony and make them do what he wants. He's even trying to do it to you!"

"Agreed. We will have to do something about that," she concurred.

I didn't hear this exchange as I teleported to my car's location and used my magic to unlock it. I had to make myself smaller to fit inside it and sat in the driver's seat, inserting the key into the ignition and starting it up. The cheery female voice greeted me once again.

"Good afternoon, Michael! Where are we going today? It has been so long since you've been here!"

"My name is Amethyst Flame, TS. We're going to Las Pegasus, City Hall, please," I replied flatly.

"Recalibrating data. Driver information corrected. Acquiring target destination. Preparing to teleport," TS stated in quick succession before the purple aura enveloped the car, the blinding whiteness of the teleport causing me a little disorientation before we rematerialized in front of the requested destination. I exited the vehicle and turned it off, resuming my normal size and appearance, then trotting up the steps and into the building. Everypony milling about gawped at me as I slowly trotted to the Mayor's Office, a grim expression on my face. I knocked three times on the door but was intercepted by the secretary.

"The Mayor is attending a fund-raiser and is not in," the secretary offered. I heard a noise from behind the door and motioned her aside.

"I don't think you're being honest with me," I said somewhat sternly and used my magic to open the door. The Mayor was sitting at her desk, a worried expression on her face.

"Y-y-your Majesty," she stammered.

"I have a special order for you, Mayor. I have decreed, along with Princess Luna, that the deed to the Visage casino is to be transferred to a pegasus mare by the name of Chocolate Sweetness," I stated matter-of-factly, placing the scroll on the Mayor's desk. "I trust you will take the necessary measures to transfer the title."

"Y-y-yes, your M-majesty," she stuttered, taking the scroll into her hooves and unrolling it to examine it closely. "Consider it done -- you realize by doing this, you're endangering her -- the owner of this casino has certain agents --"

"If any harm comes to her, I shall see fit to personally visit the former owner and mete out an appropriate punishment for him. You can tell him that that is not a threat, but a promise," I hissed through clenched teeth.

"Y-y-yes, y-your M-m-majesty," she stuttered, her eyes trying to avoid making contact with mine. I narrowed my eyes at her, thoughts of certain political connections giving me an inkling that this Mayor might very well be in that casino owner's pocket.

"The way you're acting tells me you might be on the take," I intoned flatly, giving her an accusatory glare. I watched the color drain from her face. "Yeah, I thought so. This whole town is corrupt to the core and I think I ought to do something about it. You know what? I think I'd better pay that owner a visit to deliver a very special message to him in pony."

A look of terror crept across her features for a brief moment before she regained her composure. "Please, your Majesty, don't go to any trouble --"

"Oh, it's no trouble at all," I stated confidently. I turned and left the Mayor's office, hearing her shout angry curses at my retreating form as I made my way outside, returning to my small form and entering the car.

"Where to, Michael?" asked TS, her voice still sounding quite cheerful.

"The Visage casino," I offered.

"Estimated distance, twelve point four miles. I will chart your course and you can drive there if you wish," came the voice from the speakers.

"Just teleport there, please," I requested. "I'm in a little bit of a hurry here."

"Very well then, Michael. Preparing to teleport."

In the blink of an eye, the car materialized on the strip in front of the Visage casino. I saw Chocolate Sweetness sitting on the concrete walkway leading to the front door of the casino, a sight which shocked me, as I hadn't figured on her getting to Las Pegasus for awhile yet. I trotted up to her to find out what was going on.

"Sweets, what's up?" I asked softly. She looked up at me tearfully.

"Mah scroll was torn up by security when Ah tried to tell them Ah was the new owner," she replied. Tears streaked her face.

"You should have waited for me. I shall address this issue at once," I responded, anger tinting my words. "Follow me, please."

The mare rose to her hooves, though it took a little effort for her to do so, and she followed me to the front door. I called for security immediately, and they showed up quite promptly. They bowed before me as I was still wearing my regalia.

"You do well to bow before me, my little ponies," I stated flatly. "This casino is under new ownership -- the dark brown pegasus mare behind me is the new owner of this casino. You will still retain your jobs, but your owner has been effectively fired from his position."

"Your Majesty? How can you do this? You don't have the authority --" one of the security officers began.

"I am the acting Solar Regent of Equestria! I have all the authority I need to award ownership as I see fit!" I bellowed in my magically-enhanced voice, a shade or two lower in volume than RCV, but still quite impressive nonetheless. The security officers and other employees of the casino who were present stumbled backwards or fell to their hocks in amazement at my outburst before the concierge called up to the owner's office for assistance. It took a moment or two for security to regain their composure, and several of them surrounded us.

"We don't care who you are, you can't just come in here and tell us you've fired the owner!" one of them shouted at me. I noticed the torn shreds of a scroll and used my magic to retrieve them and piece them together.

"You see these signatures here on this scroll? Mine, Princess Luna's, and Chocolate Sweetness? This document effectively awards custody and ownership of this casino to the pegasus mare who accompanies me!" I thundered, causing the assembled security forces to slowly back away. Another contingent of security ponies arrived with the pony who claimed ownership, who was none too happy about being called to the front vestibule.

"What is going on here?" he asked indignantly. "I'm trying to run a business here, not answer the call of --" he interrupted himself when he saw me. "You! What are you doing here?!" he practically shouted at me. This was the same pony who had come to visit me in Solar Court several days ago requesting another casino permit.

"Well, well, well," I chuckled. "So it's you who is the former owner of this casino!"

"What do you mean, 'former owner'?" he asked almost nervously.

I showed him the document. "You are no longer the owner of this casino -- the title and deed have been transferred to Chocolate Sweetness here," I said, motioning to the pegasus who seemed to be cowering behind me, a nervous smile on her face.

"You don't have the authority to do that!" he shouted at me.

"Check the signatures. I've already been to the Mayor's office to make it official," I said softly, flashing a menacing grin at him.

He scowled at me, then at the pegasus. "You're going to regret this, mark my words! I have connections --"

"I don't respond well to threats, little pony," I growled.

"I don't make threats -- I make promises!" he shouted.

"So do I," I said, matching his stridency with measured anger. "If any harm comes to her, you will wish you had never crossed me." I tuned to the security chief. "You are to escort him out of this casino, which is no longer his. The casino now belongs to her," I stated, motioning to Sweets. "Sweets, welcome to your new casino!" I grinned at her.

"You're dead! You hear me? Dead! Dead! Your children are dead! Your grandchildren are dead! You hear me? DEAD!!" he shouted as he was shoved out the front door by the security chief.

Facing the Music

I made a mental note to have that pony tracked, trailed, and watched at all times as I made my way back to my car and teleported back to Canterlot Castle Main Courtyard. I wasn't exactly sure when I'd be using the vehicle again, but left the fob on the driver's floormat and locked it up. I resumed my normal size once again and trotted through the castle to the throne room to meet up with Celestia to see what she had to say to me. There was a nagging feeling in my gut that certain actions I had taken would prove to be rather disconcerting. As I made my way along the various stairwells and corridors, I was warmly greeted by many ponies I didn't normally see -- I had a tendency to teleport wherever I needed to go, the only exceptions being trotting from my bedchamber (which I shared with Trixie), Celestia's bedchamber (which I occupied sometimes when I was covering for her), the throne room itself, and various other locations. The result of a lack of adequate exercise coupled with my appetite had caused me to gain a fair amount of weight, though this didn't seem to be that much of a concern to me.

I finally reached the throne room and opened the doors with my magic to see an unhappy Solar Princess sitting lazily on her throne. She glowered at me in disapproval -- as did Twilight, who was standing next to her.

"Celestia? What is Twilight -- oh, I guess the two of you wanted to address me --" I began before I was brusquely cut off.

"Amethyst, I am deeply disappointed in you," Celestia stated. "I was under the impression I could trust you to rule Equestria fairly -- and in most respects, you have done so quite well ... in the past. Recently, it has come to my attention your judgement has been lacking in compassion."

"Everypony who has come to petition you during the past several days has been complaining bitterly about your treatment of them," Twilight added, a hint of exasperation in her voice. "They think you're being too mean to them!"

"I apologize -- I will try to be more compassionate," I offered. I lowered my head and ears as a sign of my contrition.

"Amethyst, I feel that you are no longer capable of performing the duties of Solar Regent. I must ask you to return your regalia, as much as it pains me to do so," Celestia stated somewhat sadly. A smile crept across my features as I swiftly removed all of my regalia, placing it at her hooves.

"You have my thanks, Celestia," I stated, perhaps a little too cheerfully.

"I am not finished with you yet, Amethyst," she admonished sternly, casting a glare of harsh disapproval at me. "That is not the total extent of what punishment I am imposing upon you." My face fell when I heard that. My stomach seemed to leap into my throat as I felt a certain itchy feeling trying to make itself known. "Luna, please assist me," Celestia called out. I was rather surprised to see the Lunar Princess teleport into the throne room to stand next to her sister, her face an undecipherable mask. "Luna, I will need you to assist me in returning Amethyst to his former station as a unicorn."

This statement caused me to gasp in horror as my nausea made itself evident by manifesting itself into my sudden regurgitation of this morning's food intake. I made a mess on the floor of the throne room. "Um, I'm terribly sorry about that, your Majesty -- I shall clean it up immediately," I offered, bowing before the Royal Sisters. I quickly summoned a mop and bucket using my magic and cleaned up my mess as swiftly as I could.

"Amethyst, it saddens me to have to do this," Celestia stated. "I feel it is for your own good -- you need a lesson in humility, and even though your contrition appears to be sincere, it is my opinion that your previous actions have prejudiced my favorable attitude towards you. If you can prove your worthiness to me once again, I may consider returning you to Alicorn status."

"Amethyst, we thank thee for thy gift, but we concur with our sister. This is for thine own good," the indigo Alicorn said softly, giving me a small smile.

"Twilight? Is there anything you would like to add to this sad affair before I am completely emasculated?" I asked, a fair amount of resentment in my voice.

"All I can say is that I'm still quite disappointed in you, Amethyst. I suggest you go find Trixie and try to make amends for what you have done to her," the lavender Alicorn intoned flatly. I reflected upon what she said, my emotions in deep turmoil. I hesitated to voice any concerns as far as my plight was concerned, and knowing the Princesses as well as I did, I chose not to anger them further by giving voice to my resentment. I tried to remain calm and reserved, keeping my darker emotions in check for another time. Now was not the time or place for rash action or words I might later regret.

"Very well then. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna -- your Majesties -- I am ready to accept my punishment. I shall try to find Trixie and apologize to her -- I shall endeavor to offer you my services in whatever capacity you wish -- I am so sorry to have disappointed you like this," I stated sadly, a tear trickling from my right eye. Crocodile tears always were your specialty, Amethyst, I silently thought to myself.

"Amethyst, I can only hope you succeed in finding Trixie and restoring her faith in you," Celestia stated before lighting her horn. She nodded to her sister, who also lit her horn. The two of them then enveloped me in their auras, surrounding me with their magic. I felt myself being made smaller, my wings disappearing, my horn shrinking, my coat color changing from white to medium purple once again, and my cutie mark shifting back to the four stars in a square pattern. I felt their auras leave me, my body feeling quite cold on the floor of the throne room.

"I'm surprised you didn't transform me into a copy of Trixie's body," I muttered loud enough for the three Alicorns to hear me. This caused all three of them to chuckle and grin.

"We see thou hast not lost thy sense of humor, Amethyst," Luna said softly. "We hope that thou hast provided us an Alicorn colt as our offspring."

I considered her words thoughtfully before choosing mine carefully. "If my effort to provide you an Alicorn foal results in a colt being born to you, I hope you remember me fondly, your Majesty," I stated.

"Amethyst? Luna?" Celestia asked in surprise. I offered a thin smile at her befuddlement.

"Tia, we requested of Amethyst that he provide us with a foal," Luna explained. I simply nodded my head in response, though this elicited another glare of disapproval from the Solar Princess.

"Amethyst, I suggest you take your leave now," she advised somewhat sternly. Another pregnant pause ensued as I allowed myself to prepare a somewhat conciliatory response.

"Yes, your Majesty. I'm sorry to have caused so much trouble," I stated, saluted her, then turned about sharply on my hooves and marched out of the throne room. I trotted down the hallway to find my bedchamber to see if Trixie was still there, hoping I could make amends for my past transgressions. I reached the doorway and pushed against it, opening it to see Trixie laying on the bed. I trotted over to her and called her name, and when she turned over to see me, a gasp of surprise escaped her mouth.

"Amethyst? What has happened to you? Trixie hasn't seen you like this since --"

"Trixie, I am so sorry for what I have done to you," I said sadly, trotting over to her and wrapping my left foreleg around her.

"If you truly mean it, Amethyst, you will need to prove it to Trixie. Trixie is not ready to forgive you just yet," she replied flatly.

"What is it you wish of me?" I asked.

"Trixie will admit she likes you when you look like this -- but Trixie still wants you to love only her, and no pony else."

I knelt on the floor in front of her and took her left forehoof with my right, lifting it close to my lips, then planted a kiss on it, causing her to blush. "Trixie, I want to prove to you that I will love only you -- I know that my words probably ring hollow, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to try to make you happy once again."

Trixie smiled at me and looked me in the eyes. "Trixie wants to believe you, Amethyst, but it will take time."

"Take all the time you want, Trixie. I shall find another bedchamber to sleep in --" I began.

"Trixie still wants you to sleep with her, Amethyst," she said softly, a warm smile on her lips. I hugged her tightly in response.

"Anything you want, my love," I replied softly. Her grin widened a bit when I said that, though I didn't see it.

An Existential Crisis

I continued to hug Trixie for awhile, contemplating my intent to tell her something, though gathering my courage to tell her this caused my resolve to flounder. For awhile, I simply lingered in her presence, wanting to allow myself to take comfort in her warmth. The fact she allowed me to hold her made me feel happy for a time, but I may have held her for a little too long as she seemed to sense something within me and gave me a quizzical glance.

"Is something wrong, Amethyst?" she asked, perhaps in an attempt to read my emotions or to gauge my sincerity.

"Trixie, I've been thinking," I mused pensively as I noticed a look of unease make its way across her face.

"What have you been thinking about? How sad you made Trixie?" she asked, her voice taking on an almost accusatory tone. She seemed to want to break free of our embrace, though she chose not to force the issue. She furrowed her brow as she frowned at me, sensing my concern was perhaps a bit deeper than I was letting on.

"That's part of it, Trixie -- but there's something else. As you may know, being asked to rule Equestria took a heavy toll on me -- there were times when I was bored out of my mind, as I'm sure Celestia may have told you about how her days go when she holds Solar Court," I offered. I gazed into her eyes at this point, trying to convince her of my feelings.

"Do you not think Trixie is bored here in Canterlot? There is nothing to do here!" she replied with a degree of exasperation.

"I think about that as well, Trixie, but there's something else that's bothering me." I ruminated over the previous times she had stated this fact, reflecting upon the years she had been gone and what measures I had been forced to undertake to rescue her and help her out of certain predicaments.

"Amethyst, you're talking in circles! What are you trying to say?" she asked as her exasperation became a bit more evident.

"All that time gave me opportunity for introspection and contemplation -- time I spent reflecting upon my life, re-examining the choices I made, re-evaluating myself, and ultimately trying to come to grips with a certain inevitability," I replied flatly.

"Trixie does not understand, nor does she like where this is heading," she intoned as worry started to overtake exasperation.

"Trixie, I know I did wrong by you, and for that I am deeply sorry. I want to do everything I can to regain your trust and earn your forgiveness. But there is something that troubles me on a very deep and existential level -- something that I've been trying to deal with for the entire time I've been in the body of a pony," I explained as some sadness started to creep into my voice. My ears started to droop a little as a frown expressed my unhappiness.

"Trixie is not sure what you mean by that," she responded, her concern deepening. She sensed a change within me at this point. "Trixie wants to know why you bring this up now."

"Trixie, I've been trying to put it off for as long as possible -- I have been thinking that I could go around as a human wearing a pony's body, that I could allow myself the luxury of trotting around looking like a pony -- and when Celestia interfered by turning me into an Alicorn, it served as a distraction from that concern I had -- I had no intention of being a Solar Regent, nor did I desire such an occupation --"

"Amethyst, Trixie loves you regardless of what you are! Trixie needs you, Amethyst!" she exclaimed as tears started to well up in her eyes.

"I think you know what I mean, Trixie -- I do not wish to make you sad or see you cry -- it's hard for me to hold back my tears as well. Oh, Trixie, I love you so much -- but I don't know if I can keep going on living a lie. I was never meant to be a pony, Trixie. I was never born a pony, I was never raised or educated as a pony, but as a human. There is this part of me (I raised my right fore-hoof and tapped that side of my head) that knows I can never hope to be a pony, no matter how hard I have tried to be one, no matter how hard I have wished to be one." I stopped talking at this point, as tears had started to trickle from my eyes. I took a moment to regain my composure. "Trixie, I need you -- I love you more than life itself -- but I just don't know --"

My show-mare wife embraced me even more tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried to choke back her sobs. I needed her to hold me as tightly as she was holding me.

"Trixie forgives you, Amethyst -- but she needs you to stay with her! Trixie cannot face the thought of being alone any more! Trixie is sorry for everything she has done to you, Amethyst! She wants you to be with her for as long as you can! Please be happy for Trixie once again -- it makes Trixie happy when you're happy!" she cried, increasing the tightness of her hold on me.

"Trixie, it is not your forgiveness I need, though I thank you deeply for doing so. It is my forgiveness I need, and considering what I have done, I don't know if I can bring myself to do that. Trixie, I need your help -- I want to love you as much and as deeply as you love me -- but I don't know if I can go on any more. I cannot escape the truth that I am a human wearing a pony's body, and the thought of losing what little humanity I have left scares me, but the thought of continuing to live a lie leaves me feeling extremely depressed and unsure of my future. Trixie, please hold me as long as you can -- I promise I will hold you forever, Trixie. I want you to be happy as well, Trixie. I need you and I love you, Trixie," I stated through choking sobs. I had never felt such deep emotions coming forward, but my internal conflict was creating chaos in my mind. There was a part of me that wondered if Discord was still out there, messing around with me or other ponies.

Trixie said nothing as I continued holding her, though the sounds of both of us sobbing and crying as we embraced each other tightly were the only audible noises in our room. I don't know how much time we spent in each other's forelegs, but it felt reassuring and comforting to have her in my embrace like that -- it could have been hours, it could have been days or even weeks. It seemed to me that all that mattered to me was to hold onto the love of my life with all my might in an attempt to maintain some shred of hope that I could find a middle way through my internal conflict. We didn't notice the sun having been lowered, nor the moon raised, nor did we acknowledge any hunger, except for that we shared for each other. Our shared feelings were interrupted by a knocking at the door.

"It's open, come in," I announced, still maintaining my embrace with Trixie.

"Um, am I disturbing something?" Twilight asked as she entered our room. She had brought Marina, Jade, and Garnet with her, and our little filly hopped onto the bed to greet us. When she noticed me, she gasped in astonishment..

"Daddy? What happened to you? I thought you were white, not purple!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"Twilight? You didn't tell her? Way to surprise her," I stated with some small annoyance.

'Um, it slipped my mind, sorry Amethyst," the lavender Alicorn responded, grinning sheepishly.

"Thanks for bringing my foals back, Sparkle," Trixie offered warmly, a small smile on her lips.

"Mommy? Daddy? Have you been crying?" asked Marina. "Why?"

"It's complicated," I replied flatly. "Perhaps when you're older, I can explain it fully. Your mama and I love each other very much."

"Amethyst told Trixie about his past," the show-mare replied matter-of-factly.

"All this time you've been here, Amethyst -- you never opened up to me about your past like that," Twilight stated somewhat disappointedly.

"I did -- but that was way back during my birthday party about four and a half years ago," I chided gently. "There are other things which are bothering me at the moment, but I feel that this is not the proper time or place to express those concerns."

"Oh, um, okay. I guess I can come back some other time then -- Amethyst, if those concerns are that serious, perhaps you might bring them to Celestia's attention -- perhaps she might be able to help you if you're having a hard time adjusting to your new status," the lavender Alicorn offered cheerfully.

"That's not what my concerns are, Twilight, though that's perhaps a small part of it. There are other, more pressing matters concerning my psyche and an internal conflict which rages inside me. I would like to address my concerns with her Majesty, but at this late hour, I think it would be a better idea to sleep on it. Tomorrow, perhaps."

"Trixie would like to come along as well," my wife offered, a hopeful look on her face.

"Me too!" Marina chimed in, smiling broadly. I think I even heard little Jade coo in agreement as well, though he had a tendency to make random utterances whenever the mood suited him. Trixie giggled a little at the sound.

"It's late, Trixie, Twilight. I'm hungry, but that can wait until tomorrow morning. Let's get some rest," I suggested, before straightening out the bed sheets and fluffing my pillows. An extra bed had been brought in for Marina and a little crib for Jade so we could share the chamber.

"Sounds like a good idea," Twilight concurred, adjusting Garnet on her back and trotting towards the door. "Sleep well. I'll see you at breakfast."

"Good night, Twilight," I replied.

"Bon nuit, Sparkle," Trixie added.

"Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite," Marina offered in a sing-song voice, causing me to chuckle.

"Where'd she learn that?" Trixie asked me, glaring at me in disapproval.

"It's a little something I taught her from my human home world," I chuckled. Twilight grinned before closing the door behind her and trotting to her bedchamber. As soon as Twilight had left, Trixie and I laid down in our bed, wrapping our forelegs around each other, our muzzles lightly touching. I gave her a small kiss, which she returned.

"I will renew my vows to you, Trixie," I said softly. "I promise to love you and only you."

"It makes Trixie happy to know you will do this for her. I love you, Amethyst," she cooed softly to me. "You make Trixie feel special."

I chuckled softly and kissed her again, a little more passionately in an attempt to prove my love for her. I mentally promised myself not to succumb to the temptations of any other mare for as long as Trixie and I were married.

"You have no idea how special you make me feel, Trixie," I whispered into her ear before giving it a very light nip with my teeth, causing her to sigh in contentment.

Attempt Foiled

The morning found us still wrapped in each other's forelegs, seemingly not having broken our embrace. We were woken by a royal guardspony who escorted us to the dining hall for breakfast. I was treated to something I chose on rare occasions -- Prench toast -- a choice which puzzled Trixie, who was having pancakes and coffee. Marina asked for a bite of my food and agreed with the taste and asked for, and was given, a slice of Prench toast as well, which she gobbled up heartily.

We chatted over breakfast about my plan to meet with the Solar Princess and what her judgement might be, discussing the possibilities of a course of action. We finished eating and were escorted to the throne room, though we had to wait in line behind a number of petitioners. When Princess Celestia heard who was waiting in line, she beckoned me ahead of everypony else, who grumbled and complained about my special treatment.

"Don't you remember who I was?" I asked almost bitterly. "I used to be the Solar Regent, so I don't see what you're complaining about." Some of the ponies chuckled nervously, some gave me looks of sympathy, others simply remained silent, not bothering to look my way. Trixie accompanied me into the throne room to meet the Sun Goddess, who smiled serenely upon seeing me.

"Amethyst, please come forward. It has come to my attention you wished to discuss something with me?" the Alicorn half-asked, maintaining a warm tone to her voice.

"Your Majesty, I have been trying to reconcile an internal conflict. As you are probably aware, I was at one time a human, who chose to become a pony. I have tried my hardest to emulate and assimilate myself into the ways of the pony, but I have not had the level of success I was hoping to achieve in that endeavor," I offered. Celestia tilted her head toward me and made a circular motion with her right forehoof, requesting I continue my explanation.

"I would postulate that your effort to transform me into an Alicorn was an attempt to delay or offset this conflict -- that perhaps having a high level of responsibility thrust upon me would distract me long enough to conquer the doubt which lingered within. It worked, as well as could be expected -- but it only delayed the inevitable resurgence of that conflict, one which has my mind in a virtual civil war. I would beg of you a favor -- that you might be able to perform some magic upon me to allow the pony part to take full control -- though the prospect of losing what little humanity I have left frightens and terrifies me, Princess."

"Amethyst, I will need some time to contemplate your request. I understand to some degree what you must be going through, and I apologize for passing such hasty judgement against you yesterday. If you desire, I can call Luna to assist me in allowing you to resume your previous station as an Alicorn."

I shook my head in response to the offer. "Your Majesty, I am deeply flattered by your offer, but I must politely decline it. Please understand that I do so not out of disrespect, but that I feel I am not worthy of such honor. I disgraced Equestria with my contempt, and I feel my continued presence here only serves to cause resentment in most of the ponies who have had the unfortunate circumstance to petition Solar Court while I adjudicated in your absence," I stated reverently.

The Alicorn expressed a great deal of surprise at this. "Amethyst, I am quite moved by your contrition. I reiterate my earlier request, that you allow me the convenience of enjoying myself -- you see, the time you spent ruling Equestria in my absence allowed me the opportunity to relax and take time for myself for the first time in many centuries. Ponies of your type come along maybe once in a millennium, and I would beg of you the opportunity to allow me --"

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your kind words -- I am utterly flattered by your praise, though I do not deserve it. I have pledged my love to Trixie, and I feel that it would be most unfair of me to continue to neglect her and her needs. I will give your request further consideration, but I feel that I cannot in good faith return to your post until such time as I have reconciled the warring parties inside my head. I came to you requesting help, but I see I may have to find it elsewhere. Thanks for trying, your Majesty. I must request my leave now."

"Amethyst, I beg you! For my sake!" Celestia pleaded, giving me her best sad puppy-dog eyes look. "Please?"

"Princess Celestia! You have ruled Equestria for what, two millennia? Until I showed up, you didn't seem to have a problem -- and when I provided you a three year break, you took full advantage of it -- and now you want me to -- even after removing my status -- ugh! I can't take this any more!" I groaned. "Why not have Twilight -- oh, that's right -- little Garnet. This is only making things worse for me!"

Trixie wrapped her left foreleg around my withers. "Amethyst, Trixie is here for you," she cooed softly.

I dropped to my haunches and hung my head, my ears laying flat against my head. "Trixie, I don't know how much more of this I can take," I said, just barely above a whisper. "Whatever happens, Trixie, I just want you to know I love you." Gathering strength and courage, I rose to my hooves once again to face the Princess. My horn started glowing as I began a spell.

"Amethyst, have you chosen to honor my request?" the Alicorn asked, a hopeful look on her face. I slowly shook my head in silent reply to her question as tears started to well up in my eyes.

The spell I had cast caused a small spike to form from one of the stones I was standing over. This spike had started to slowly increase in size as it made its way upward, the point having become quite sharp.

"Amethyst, what are you doing?" the Alicorn asked as her expression changed to one of worry.

"I am very sorry, your Majesty. I was never meant to be here. I was never meant to be a pony," I stated as the tears which had been welling up in my eyes spilled over my cheeks. The sharp point of the spike had now reached my underside and was inexorably making its way upward, my magic having compelled it to continue its unimpeded upward momentum. Not even Celestia's magic could stop it. A small trickle of blood made its way down this stone spike as it continued its way upward, piercing my barrel.

"Amethyst! Please don't do this!" Celestia commanded. "Equestria needs you! I need you!"

Trixie turned to me in shock, tears streaming from her eyes. "Amethyst, you promised Trixie! You told her you would never leave her! Why? WHY?!" she wailed.

"Oh, Trixie, I love you so much," I said as the spire impaled me, piercing my back as it continued upward, now increasing its speed as my magic fueled its rise. My blood flowed freely down it and trickled from the corners of my mouth. The Alicorn could only watch in shock as my body was lifted off the floor by the stone spire I had created, my body hanging limply from it, my blood staining it dark red.

"AMETHYST!! NOOOOO!!!" Trixie screamed before falling to the floor, her chest heaving as sobs wracked her body.

"Why did you do this?" Celestia asked aloud as she used her magic to lift my body off the stone spike. A few tears trickled down her cheeks as she used her strongest healing magic to seal my wound, doing her level best to revive me. My body convulsed and spasmed as the magic she used knitted up tissue. From seemingly out of nowhere, Trixie and Twilight from the other universe must have sensed something and materialized in the throne room. They gasped when they saw me and the bloody spike of stone.

"What happened here?" asked the azure Alicorn. "Who is responsible for this?"

"He did this to himself," Celestia replied flatly. "I need your help in order to revive him."

The three Alicorns enveloped my body with their combined auras and I felt a tugging from somewhere, though I could not place its origin. I felt the sensation of falling, weightlessness, darkness, and the tugging. The tugging seemed to terrify me more than anything else, but that sensation of falling was pretty bad as well. Finally, those sensations stopped, but then I was hit with overwhelming pain. I blinked my eyes open to see three very worried Alicorns standing over me and my azure unicorn wife crying tears of happiness as I coughed up a little blood.

"I was having a really nice dream," I said, a raspy hoarseness to my voice. "I thought I was in heaven or something."

"You had us worried for a minute there, Amethyst," Twilight stated, smiling warmly.

"How are you feeling?" asked Celestia, her expression having returned to a serene smile, though beads of sweat were still dripping from her head.

"Do you remember the first time Trixie attacked me when I was still in a copy of her body? I feel like I got hit by a truck -- a very large truck," I replied weakly.

"Amethyst, Trixie needs you! Please don't do that to her again!" the show-mare pleaded angrily.

"I can't take it any more, Trixie. I know I can't run away from my problems --" my words were cut off by Trixie trying to hug me tightly, her attempt to comfort me making my aching body scream out in agony. "AAAAH! Trixie, please don't! It still hurts!" I cried out in pain. Trixie backed away, but only just a little. Her expression had returned to one of concern.

"Trixie is sorry, Amethyst, but she is so afraid of being alone! Trixie thought she had lost you forever!"

"I'm sorry, Trixie. I was never supposed to come here. I wish I had never asked my car to transform me into you," I muttered, though the hoarseness of my voice made it hard for her to hear me. I turned toward the three Alicorns, who were still expressing a great deal of consternation over my rash decision. When they caught my gaze, I addressed them directly, but only after coughing up a little more blood.

"Celestia, Trixie, Twilight -- I am so sorry to have caused so much trouble. Why did you revive me? I was so close to the other side -- it was beautiful, I felt at peace for the first time in my life --"

"You have certain obligations, Amethyst. I could not allow you to abdicate your true purpose here -- I will give you more time to resolve your inner conflict, but mark my words -- one day, you will be called upon to rule Equestria as my permanent replacement. I see within you the greatest potential I have seen in anypony, save Twilight herself."

The lavender Alicorn turned to face the alabaster one and grinned like a little school-filly. "Celestia, you flatter me!"

"No, I meant your counterpart in my realm," the Solar Princess stated, though she maintained her serene smile. Twilight's smile dropped a little at this mention. "I trust you and Trixie have been doing well in your universe?"

"Yes, Celestia -- we came when we sensed a magic distress signal in our universe -- Amethyst is very strong, and when we sensed his life-force exiting his body, we teleported immediately to determine the source. We were quite shocked to see what happened," the azure Alicorn explained. She then turned towards me. "Amethyst, why would you do something like that? What would cause you to attempt suicide?"

"There are so many thoughts running through my head -- Trixie, do you not remember, way back when I first showed up in your universe, before you were changed into an Alicorn, I told you I was a human? Do you not remember my explanations of things concerning my human life back then? Please understand, there is a war raging within me -- I have tried to ignore it, but I cannot do so now. I will have to admit that I am weak, that I cannot face myself any more, that --" *cough, cough* "I cannot keep on living a lie. I was never supposed to --"

"You're repeating yourself, Amethyst. You need some time to recover from your wounds, I shall have a medical team take you to the infirmary at once," Celestia stated matter-of-factly. "Trixie, do you wish to accompany your stallion?"

Both of them answered, "Yes!" simultaneously before my wife glared almost angrily at the azure Alicorn.

"You are not married to Amethyst, Trixie! I am his mare, not you! Don't act like you're me!"

"I wish I had convinced him to marry me instead," the azure Alicorn mused somewhat sullenly. "I think he might have been happier with me -- he told me about the three years you were away from him, the fact you tried to kill him twice -- you're not fit to be his wife, Trixie."

The show-mare screeched in rage, assuming her elemental form. "Don't you DARE tell Trixie she's not fit to be Amethyst's wife! You know NOTHING!"

"Trixie, please calm down. Twilight, would you be kind enough to escort your Trixie back to your universe? I believe you two have done enough here," the Solar Princess stated firmly. The lavender Alicorn nodded her head in response.

"Come on, Trixie, let's go home. We can address our concerns later -- Amethyst is going to need to recover before we can ask for his help again."

"If I may ask, what seems to be your problem over there now? It would appear to me that your presence always heralds bad news in your universe. Please understand that even though Amethyst would be happy to help you, I believe he would not be much use to you in his present state," Celestia intoned.

"Well, we're having another problem with Chrysalis -- she has decided to test our resolve again and is threatening all of Equestria again," the other Trixie replied glumly.

"Aren't the two of you, with the assistance of my counterpart and her sister, powerful enough to drive away the changeling queen and her army? Even in his Alicorn form, he was able to dispatch them rather easily. Surely you don't really need his help for that."

The medical team of ponies entered the throne room at this point and gently levitated me onto a gurney and transported me to the infirmary, my show-mare wife trotting behind the team so as to be with me during my recovery stay. I coughed up a little more blood, then fell asleep as my fatigue overtook me.

"Celestia, we are sorry to have come here asking for help again -- we offer you this promise -- we shall not return for these emergencies any more, but instead to visit during better circumstances. We shall take our leave now," Trixie stated. "Wish us luck, please."

"Good-bye, Celestia. I hope we get a chance to meet again in better circumstances," Twilight offered.

"Fare well, and good luck, you two. I know you can defeat her without Amethyst's help," the Solar Princess responded optimistically, offering her serene smile as the two Alicorns from the other universe teleported back to their world.

Recovery Time

I was laid on a bed in the infirmary and was given an IV and had monitors attached to my body. I quickly fell asleep, my fatigue overtaking me as my injuries were still quite severe. I felt very disappointed that I had been pulled away from my approach to the other side, noting that selfish actions on my part had resulted in selfish actions by the Solar Princess. Her words still stung -- that I was supposed to be her permanent replacement. Who does she think she is, anyway? I mentally asked myself as I lost consciousness.

I spent the next few weeks recovering in the infirmary, drifting in and out of consciousness, receiving quite a few visitors. Trixie stayed with me as much as possible, worrying every time my monitors would beep in alarm. Twilight visited daily, but the tension between the lavender Alicorn and my wife was such that the two of them would try to keep their distance. Luna visited me almost nightly to ensure my dreams were peaceful, though she needn't have worried too much about that. Celestia would visit me whenever she could to ensure I was healing well. All of them expressed disappointment of various sorts over my suicide attempt, though I told them to stop talking about it. Trixie took it the hardest, her emotions causing her to act out -- at times, she would scream at me for being selfish, other times she'd cry and weep over me as the memory of seeing my lifeless body hanging from the bloody stone spike came back to haunt her. Celestia had already had the offensive construct demolished and placed wards on the stones to prevent another such occurrence.

Marina would come by to visit when she was not being schooled or doing other things -- there were a quite a few other foals in the castle she enjoyed playing with -- but whenever she saw me laying in my bed with the tubes and wires stuck in me, she would turn away, as the sight was a little too much for her to take. She begged me to get better and I would softly tell her I would. She asked me one time what had happened and I had responded by telling her that I had been feeling very sad, which caused her to start crying again and then tell me not to be so sad. Instinctively, I wanted to wrap a wing around her, but I was no longer an Alicorn so I couldn't. All I could do to try to comfort her was to softly shush her and let her know I was going to be okay pretty soon.

Twilight and Trixie from the other universe stopped by as well, but when the azure Alicorn encountered my wife, the two of them nearly came to blows again -- apparently, the other universe's Trixie still harbored regrets over not having tried harder to persuade me to be her stallion. Truth be told, there was a part of me that wondered what being married to her would be like. I wanted to tell her to be patient for me, but I wasn't really sure if I still retained the long life-span of an Alicorn or not, given my forced regression to unicorn status. The other universe's Twilight had to step in and prevent the two of them from getting too carried away with their animosity toward each other -- I told them it would be best if they returned another time when I was fully recovered, though I thanked them for visiting. Twilight told my wife there was a possibility they could use their combined healing to speed up the process, but the show-mare would have none of it and loudly told them to leave.

Toward the end of my recovery, I was starting to feel quite a bit better. I was told I would be put on a regimen of physical therapy to strengthen my muscles, though I assumed I'd still be able to walk or trot fairly well. There were a few times during my recovery when the Solar Princess would ask me if I had made any progress in resolving my inner turmoil, but my response was that it was still going to take more time. Again she requested I allow myself to be transformed back into an Alicorn, and again I politely declined her offer. She cautioned me that delaying that decision might prevent me from returning to being an Alicorn and that her patience was starting to wear thin. I responded by telling her that such admonitions did little to help my present mental state and by requesting that she exercise a bit more patience with me. I politely reminded her that she had initially given Trixie and me seventy years to be together, a fact she seemed to have overlooked but upon reminding her of it, she acquiesced to my request.

Trixie accompanied me during my physical therapy -- she tried to accompany me to mental therapy as well, something that Celestia had recommended, but something I balked at. During the first session of counseling, Trixie got to know me intimately well -- there was information she had never learned about me, which elicited sympathy from her. She was surprised to find just how many similarities there were between us, and expressed a deep gratitude that she was the one I chose to be my wife. When she was with me during my physical therapy, she would always shout encouragement to me, grinning, laughing, and reveling in my successes. I'll have to admit, seeing her happy like that made me feel good and I let her know this, which seemed to make her even happier. The mental therapy had become an opportunity for both Trixie and me to engage in confronting our inner demons and vanquishing them, something that we both deeply appreciated. It seemed to me as though I might finally have put an end to my internal conflict.

My diet had changed as well -- I was no longer eating large amounts of food, I was prescribed a regimen of healthy foods designed to improve my health and strength as well as my digestion. It took some doing, but I finally managed to acclimate myself to that diet. My excess weight dropped off rather quickly, some of it becoming muscle as my physical therapy had become weight training and muscle building, though I informed my trainer I didn't want to end up looking like Snowflake, which caused him to chortle loudly. I was also encouraged to spend my time in recovery by reading books. I was amazed to find that pony literature was quite a bit more interesting than I thought and requested that I be allowed to acquire certain books for a personal library. When Twilight found out about this, she practically deluged me with her suggestions!

My birthday came up again, and since it was also Trixie's birthday, we celebrated in style. The Royal Sisters practically demanded I allow them to transform me back into an Alicorn, causing me to laugh heartily -- they then suggested that I just allow it for my birthday, but I told them that such a frivolous use of magic seemed counterproductive to me. They dismissed my concerns and transformed me anyway, much to our chagrin. They then used their magic to transform Trixie into an Alicorn, but again, only for the day. She was absolutely thrilled to be given an opportunity to enjoy the experience and stated she was going to make the most of it! She was admonished to behave herself and I stated I would ensure she did. I had to teach Trixie how to fly, though for me it seemed almost second-nature.

Being returned to Alicorn status brought back some memories I had forgotten and a sense of giddiness -- I even toyed with the idea of informing the Royal Sisters of my intention to resume my previous position as Acting Solar Regent, though after some consideration, I dismissed that thought. Trixie seemed to enjoy flying, but tired out rather quickly and complained about muscles being too weak. We finished the day by having Pinkie Pie throw us a combined birthday and happy recovery party, which lasted long into the night. Trixie and I retired to our bedchamber after that to enjoy a quiet night of sleep together, as I had finally been allowed to leave the infirmary. My body had finished healing, though I would still be required to undergo continued physical and mental therapy until I had been cleared by the medical teams in both aspects of my recovery. What was supposed to be a quiet night of sleep proved not to be so, as my show-mare wife decided to provide me with a level of intimate affection we had not shared in quite awhile.

The next morning arrived to find us entangled in each other's embrace, our muzzles lightly touching. We kissed and greeted each other before getting out of bed. Upon rising, I noticed that I had not reverted to my previous unicorn form -- I was still an Alicorn, but Trixie was not.

"Trixie thinks this is most unfair!" she exclaimed dejectedly as she examined herself and nearly cursed the fact she no longer had wings. "Trixie wants to go back to being an Alicorn Princess!"

"I'll have a talk with Princess Celestia about it, Trixie," I responded, trying to console her. She trotted to me and embraced me again.

"Trixie hopes you can succeed in that task, Amethyst," she said optimistically, nuzzling me affectionately. I smiled warmly in response and suggested we head to the dining hall for breakfast, a suggestion she heartily agreed with. We trotted from our bedchamber and arrived at the dining hall while the Royal Sisters were eating.

"Ah, Amethyst, Trixie! Please take a seat, I would have words with you both," the Solar Princess stated, smiling warmly.

"Your Majesty, I am curious to know why it is that I have not reverted to my previous form even though Trixie has," I inquired as I took a seat a couple of chairs away from her. She seemed to give me a sly wink in response, though I think my eyes might have been playing tricks on me.

"Amethyst, I have a certain mission for you which requires your return as an Alicorn Prince," she offered softly, maintaining her serene smile.

"Princess, what about my desire?" asked Trixie. "I wish to be turned back into an Alicorn Princess!"

"That was a special gift for you, just for your birthday, Trixie. I would need to see a greater improvement in your judgment, your actions, your willingness to accept responsibility -- I would like to transform you, however you need more experience and you need to show me you can handle the level of responsibility wisely," Celestia stated firmly. Trixie pouted in response.

"In a way, she reminds me of my earlier self -- impetuous, impatient, impulsive -- it took me many years to overcome those weaknesses, and in some cases, I still have a tendency to display those negative qualities," I offered. "If it is your desire for me to return to your post, Celestia, then I shall accept it, much as it pains me to do so, given Trixie's current state of boredom."

"Amethyst, I have a different mission for you, one which I'm certain will prevent your wife from becoming bored. As far as providing me with a respite from my current duties, that will not be necessary -- at least, not for awhile anyway. I am assigning you a new location to govern for me, owing to its remoteness. You will be overseeing the governance of Las Pegasus," the Solar Princess stated flatly.

"You're kidding. You're kidding, right?" I asked incredulously. "Have you any idea of just how much I hate that place?"

The regal white Alicorn grinned broadly at me. "Consider it a challenge, Amethyst. I have need to assess your skills once again, and this assignment shall prove to me whether or not you have matured enough to serve as my permanent replacement. Be forewarned, though -- poor governance will not be tolerated and the consequences for that will be most unpleasant for you."

"How much leeway do I have? Shall I insist on fair income distribution, allowing for a high quality of life for everypony who lives there?" I asked. "And how do you define poor governance? I won't run the place into the ground, if that's what you're thinking -- but I will insist on fixing the corruption in that town."

"You will have to trust your judgment, Amethyst. Depending on what word reaches me from there --"

"Begging your pardon, your Majesty, but many of those ponies are untrustworthy and will be tempted to speak ill of me, though I will do my best to govern fairly, despite my unfavorable opinion of that town."

"I will verify their claims, Amethyst. As long as you do your best, you should be fine. I will visit from time to time to assess your progress," she smiled warmly.

Return to Las Pegasus

Trixie stood in stunned silence at the revelation, though a few moments after the information had sunk in, she decided to voice her displeasure.

"Princess Celestia, Trixie has no desire to return to that place! She was unfairly singled out for --"

"If memory serves me correctly, Trixie, you had cheated at the blackjack table," the Di-arch responded flatly, interrupting the show-mare's train of thought. "This will also serve as a challenge for you. Depending on how well you behave, you may find yourself being rewarded sooner than you think."

Trixie's face lit up as she beamed a big smile. "Trixie accepts this challenge!" she nearly giggled.

"Amethyst, Trixie, we wish thee well," Luna stated softly as she rose from the table. "Tia, we desire sleep. We shall see thee this eve."

"Must she always be so formal?" I asked. "How long has it been since she was returned?"

"Verily, Amethyst, we desire to retain the old ways, lest they be forgotten. Somepony must remain true to those old ways," the Lunar Princess smiled softly.

"But of course, Luna. Perhaps I should follow your example," I mused.

"Thou wouldst do well to do so, Amethyst," she chuckled as she left the dining hall. A brief silence fell over the room before Celestia spoke up.

"Amethyst, Trixie, I suggest you make the necessary preparations for your journey to Las Pegasus. I shall assign a few guards to assist you in those preparations."

"Yes, your Majesty," I replied almost mechanically.

"Must I keep reminding you, Amethyst?" the Alicorn chuckled. I grinned in response.

"Celestia, I have to admit that these sudden changes can cause a little confusion, even in somepony who has undergone so many of them in such a short period of time. For 49 years, I was in one body, yet over the past 5 years I have been transformed several times. I only call you 'your Majesty' because I still respect you enough to do so. If my formality causes you discomfort, I apologize," I replied.

"Very well then. I must reiterate my previous suggestion, though I also request you take your leave at the earliest convenience. I have already informed the mayor of Las Pegasus of your impending arrival, though she was not all that pleased to receive that news."

"That's because she's on the take, Celestia. The pony who owns the High Roller and Pink Swan casinos also owned the Visage until I took it away from him and awarded it to the pegasus who used to perform there. It is her casino now, and I intend to take my residence there," I replied flatly, eliciting a gasp of shock from my show-mare wife.

"Amethyst! We can't go there! Trixie forbids it!" she protested vociferously, glowering at me.

"If you're worried about me cheating on you with Chocolate Sweetness, that is not going to happen, Trixie. You have my word of honor on that -- I'll even Pinkie Promise you I won't cheat on you, if that means anything to you," I offered sincerely.

The pink party pony popped from behind the corner of the nearest wall and shouted "FOREVER!" at us before she disappeared again. I simply nodded at Trixie and her expression softened.

"Trixie accepts your word and promise -- but if you break it..." she stated, letting her words trail off in a thinly veiled threat.

"I understand full well the consequences, Trixie, which is why I made that promise to you. I chose the Visage because it's one of the newest casinos in that city, but I have also chosen it because the former owner threatened my life, your life, and the lives of our foals. I need to keep a close watch on him to make sure he doesn't do something he will come to regret."

"Amethyst, I strongly suggest you return ownership of that casino to him -- I believe it was unfair of you to strip him of one of his casinos," the Solar Princess opined.

"Be that as it may, Celestia, he stripped Chocolate Sweetness of all her worldly belongings -- she came to Canterlot to petition me, begging for assistance -- she had lost everything she owned and I felt at least partially responsible for her state at that time. Seeing her in such a sad state made me feel a deep compassion for her. She confessed that she left Las Pegasus fearing for her life as a result of Trixie's attack on me when we were still traveling around Equestria. I felt it was a matter of personal honor and duty to teach the owner a lesson and apologize to the pegasus for the harm I inadvertently caused her."

"Amethyst, your actions were hasty and though I am sure you attempted to make amends for your previous transgressions, I am somewhat disappointed you chose that option. I entrust you to act a bit more equitably in future, which is why I have made the specific request regarding ownership of the Visage," she admonished, giving me a serious look.

"I'm sure we could discuss the merits or lack thereof regarding that decision, Celestia, but the truth is that it's not only this particular casino owner but several others who have abused their privileges and have taken advantage of your kindness. They see your kindness as a weakness, and even though it's nice to be kind, one should always be cognizant of those who seek to game the system, so to speak. I was primarily concerned with ensuring a level playing field for all the ponies of that city, not just those who have more money than they know what to do with," I explained, though the Alicorn's expression still appeared somewhat neutral. She seemed to be pondering my assessment of the situation and a silence took hold for a moment as neither of us spoke. Trixie appeared to be bored again.

"Very well then, Amethyst. Perhaps I have been too lenient in the past regarding the excesses of certain ponies from Las Pegasus -- but I still implore you to treat them fairly when you begin your governance of that city, for my sake, please. I desire weekly progress reports from you, Amethyst."

"Considering the size of that city, perhaps the best I can do for you is bi-weekly reports -- one week's progress is negligible, considering the task I am about to undertake," I responded.

"You will have plenty of time to send me weekly reports, Amethyst -- this is part of the assignment and I have set rather high expectations of you. I am counting on you to do this correctly and I will be deeply disappointed if you fail me."

"As you wish, Celestia," I replied tersely. "Come on, Trixie, we need to get Marina and Jade. We'll be taking the car to get there."

Trixie followed me as we exited the dining hall and were greeted by four guardsponies. Two of them left to retrieve Marina and Jade as we continued to our bedchamber to pack what few belongings we had, then trotted to the entry yard to check on my vehicle.

"Mommy, Daddy, where are we going?" asked Marina. The little filly seemed to be concerned about our dour expressions.

"We're going to Las Pegasus," I replied flatly. Trixie was wearing a carrier with little Jade strapped in it. Our little colt was still sleeping, the sensation of being held so close to his mother quite comforting to him as he snored faintly, a smile on his face.

"Ooh! I've always wanted to go there!" the filly chirped, beaming a big smile and flapping her wings excitedly, lifting off the ground a little.

"We're going to have guards around us at all times while we're there until I can deal with a certain threat," I stated in a dull monotone, maintaining a very serious expression. Trixie seemed to be frowning as well and remained silent.

"What's wrong, Daddy? Are you angry?"

"Yes, a little," I replied flatly. Marina frowned a little. "Cheer up, Ray, we'll be okay," I said softly, tousling her mane a little which caused her to giggle. Trixie let a smile slip across her lips momentarily as I opened the car's doors.

"Ooh! I've always wanted to see what this was like!" the filly chirped again, bouncing excitedly before I lifted her into the back set.

"Settle down now, Ray, this will only take a few minutes," I said as I closed her door. Trixie removed the carrier and placed it in the back beside Marina, fastening it securely with the seat belt. She then sat in the front passenger seat and gave me a small smile.

"It's been awhile since Trixie last rode in a vehicle with you, Amethyst. Trixie would like to go back to those days where we would travel together like this!" she offered cheerfully, refreshing a more pleasant memory.

"I would like that very much, my love," I responded softly as I inserted the key into the ignition. Remind me to enhance this car with a push-button or voice activated engine start and stop system. Using a key is so last-century, I thought as I turned the car on.

"Analyzing driver and passenger data," TS stated in her flat monotone. "Amethyst Flame, Trixie Lulamoon -- I sense a presence in the rear seat area. Please state a name."

"I'm Marina!" she chirped. Jade woke up and started crying. TS started playing a soft soothing instrumental song on the radio, lulling little Jade back to sleep.

"Rear passenger data confirmed. Amethyst, where are we heading today?"

"Las Pegasus," I replied flatly.

"Specific destination?" asked TS.

"The Visage casino," came my terse response.

"Target destination acquired, preparing to teleport," TS stated in her monotone before we disappeared in blinding flash of white light. I felt my stomach drop as we teleported, materializing in front of the Visage. I drove the car to an area behind the casino and turned it off.

"Okay, Trixie, Marina, we're here. Let's get our stuff and take care of some unfinished business," I announced. Trixie retrieved the carrier little Jade was still sleeping in and fastened it around her body, the colt secured at the base of her neck. Marina was very excited, gawking at everything.

"Wow, these buildings are so tall!" the filly exclaimed excitedly. "Is this the one we're gonna be staying in?" she asked as she gazed skyward, impressed by just how tall the Visage was.

"That's right, Ray, this is the Visage, and we're gonna be staying here," I replied softly, tousling her mane again. I retrieved some of our belongings from the trunk of the car and locked it up. I then placed certain protective wards on the vehicle to prevent anypony from moving or damaging it. We then trotted to the front entrance of the casino and were greeted by security.

"Foals are not permitted in the casino, sir," one of the security agents stated flatly.

"Please have Chocolate Sweetness come down to meet us," I responded tersely. I lamented the fact I was not wearing my regalia, which would have commanded the pony's attention.

"Who?" he asked.

"There is a dark brown pegasus mare who is supposed to be the owner of this casino. I am Amethyst Flame and I have been appointed by Princess Celestia herself to govern this city. I have come to this casino specifically to take residence here. If Chocolate Sweetness is no longer the owner of this casino, I request whomever is to come down here to meet us."

"You came to the wrong place if you're seeking residence," he replied flatly. I flared my wings in annoyance, causing him to express deep surprise. "Oh -- I'm sorry, your Highness -- I will contact my supervisor." He bowed then turned tail and left in a hurry. Trixie shifted on her hooves uncomfortably and sighed.

"Trixie hopes that pegasus does not own this casino," she offered flatly. We waited a bit longer and the security pony returned with his supervisor, but a dark brown pegasus mare had joined them. She smiled upon seeing me.

"Amethyst, welcome back! It's good ta see ya again! Oh, yer wife is here? Are these yer foals? They're so pretty! Please, please come in! What can I do fer ya?"

"I was hoping to see you again. Trixie and I are here to take residence in your casino, as Princess Celestia has assigned me the task of governing this city and its inhabitants," I offered, smiling warmly at the brown mare. Trixie glowered disapprovingly, but said nothing. Marina bounced happily alongside us as we entered the casino proper. "So, has the previous owner given you any trouble?"

"Well, yeah, a little bit -- but the security here is good and kept him away. Ah've had ta hire extra security guards for mahself as a precaution. Lemme get a key fer ya, ye'll be stayin' in a penthouse suite, jes' down the hallway from me!" she chirped.

"You promised Trixie, Amethyst," my show-mare wife admonished sternly, turning her steely gaze toward me.

"Yeah, I know, Trixie. Give me a little credit, won'tcha?" I asked, some exasperation creeping into my voice.

"Trixie, Ah'm sorry fer doin' what Ah did -- ya scared me real bad the last time you were in mah room. Ah hope ya behave yerself, fer mah sake," the pegasus stated, a slight amount of apprehension coloring her words.

"Trixie will behave herself if Chocolate Sweetness behaves herself. Trixie demands Amethyst behave himself as well!" she stated quite stridently.

"Mommy, please be nice to Daddy, he wasn't trying to hurt you," Marina half-asked, half-said. She gazed up to her mother, pouting and giving her very best sad eyes look. Trixie's resolve broke at the sight of her daughter pulling the same trick on her as she would sometimes use on me.

"She's pretty good at that, isn't she? Takes after you, she does," I chuckled, smiling at my show-mare wife. She chuckled softly in response.

"Trixie will try to be nice to you, Amethyst," she offered softly as we continued trotting to the elevators, the pegasus returning with a room key. I was surprised to see that it resembled something akin to a skeleton key and had a small metal tab attached to it.

"Hey Sweets, I thought this was a modern casino. What's with the antique key?" I asked, giving he a quizzical look.

"There are only four rooms on the penthouse level, Amethyst. Those are special, and they have special keys. The rest of the hotel rooms in this casino have normal keys," she explained. She flashed me a brief smile before returning to a more businesslike demeanor.

We entered the elevator and the pegasus used another key to allow the car access to the penthouse level. I don't recall the elevator taking nearly a minute to reach the top level, but all of us remained silent for the entire ride up. The doors opened with a ding and we trotted out, escorted to our room by the pegasus. She opened the door to our room and hoofed me the key.

"Lemme know if ya need anythin' else, Amethyst. By the way, how long are ya gonna be stayin'?"

"I dunno, Sweets. It all depends on how things go around here and whether or not the Princess approves of my governance," I replied flatly. "And thanks for letting us stay on the penthouse level." Marina cantered over to one of the beds in the room and started jumping on it, laughing and giggling as she bounced on the mattress. "Ray, please stop jumping on the bed," I admonished gently.

"Aww, come on, Daddy! Please?"

"It's a bed, Ray, not a trampoline," I chided, chuckling softly. She reminded me so much of myself when I was that age. She stopped bouncing and groaned in disappointment.

"Well, if ya need anythin', jes' holler," the pegasus giggled as she closed the door behind her. She trotted to her room to resume sleeping.

Trixie glowered at me once again before expressing her displeasure. "Amethyst, please remind Trixie why we're here again? Why must we stay in the hotel with that ... Trixie can't believe you'd want to stay here! After what you did --"

"Must I remind you, Trixie, that you did not need to attack me the way you did," I admonished her. "And as Celestia stated, this is a challenge not just for me, but for you as well. Might as well get used to it. Perhaps Sweets can set up a stage for you to perform your magic act on a nightly basis?" I grinned.

"Hmm. Trixie will consider it," she replied flatly. "However, Trixie feels she should be here for her foals," she offered a little more softly. "Trixie was hoping she could find somepony to watch them when she's performing -- she also desires your assistance on stage, Amethyst!"

"I wanna watch you do your magic, mommy!" Marina chirped, resuming her bouncing on the bed, giggling and laughing. I smiled at her, amused by her actions, though her jumping caused me a little concern.

"Ray, what did I tell you about jumping on the bed?" I asked, trying not to sound too stern about it.

"Aww, c'mon, daddy! Please! This is so much fun!" she pouted.

"I'll see about getting you a trampoline," I chuckled. She smiled broadly at that. "Besides, I think it might help you learn flying a little better as well."

"Ooh! Thank you, daddy!" she exclaimed happily, cantering over to me and giving me a big hug, burying her face in my chest, causing me to chuckle.

"I love you too, Ray! I've got some business to attend to, give your mama a hug, why don't cha?" I asked, tousling her mane yet again. She giggled and trotted over to Trixie, climbing on the bed and wrapping herself as best she could around the show-mare.

"Amethyst, where are you going?" my show-mare wife asked me.

"I need to pay the Mayor a visit," I replied flatly. "I will also be visiting the police station."

Foalnapping

Trixie was in the process of making our room to her satisfaction when Chocolate Sweetness returned to our suite in great haste, her expression one of great fear. My wife was flabbergasted by her appearance and wondered why she had barged in.

"What do you want?" the show-mare asked in annoyance, doing her level best to control her anger.

"Y'all are in great danger," the pegasus replied, her voice nearly trembling. "Y'all need to hide! NOW!"

Giving her a bewildered look, she asked, "Trixie does not understand. Why do we need to hide?"

"Security couldn't keep 'em out -- they're comin'! They're comin' here! They know y'all are here!" She turned to look at the door she forgot to close behind her and trembled as she heard heavy hoofsteps approaching from down the hall. "Shit! Yer outta time!"

The door, which had been left partially open, was flung hard by a group of the biggest, burliest stallions Trixie had ever seen. Most of them were earth ponies, but there were a couple of unicorns to assist with their magic. The pegasus tried to stall them, but they pushed her aside.

"A-hah, I knew I'd find you here!" a rather smallish unicorn stallion exclaimed. He was flanked by six of the stallions who served as his personal guard. They frowned deeply. "So, you are that bastard's wife! Oh, and I see you have your foals with you! This is perfect!"

"Who are you? Why are you here? Trixie demands you tell her why you have broken into her room!"

"You see this pegasus here?" he asked, pointing to the brown mare. "Your husband gave control of my casino to her! She has tried to keep me away from my casino, but she underestimated how much money I was willing to spend to get it back! I will show you what happens to those who cross me! Seize her!"

Two of his guards grabbed the pegasus by her wings, hoisting her off the ground. She screamed in pain as her wings could no longer support her weight, the stallions grunting with the effort to carry her.

"Please! Please let me go!" she whimpered. The guards holding her carried her to a window overlooking the strip and with all their might, they heaved her through the window. The pegasus screamed as her body crashed through the glass and fell fifty stories to the street below. Trixie was aghast at this scene and Marina started crying, which caused her little brother to start crying as well. The sounds of other ponies screaming at the ground level made their way up to the penthouse suite, eliciting a grimace from the show-mare.

"You'd better not try that with Trixie," she stated defiantly, lighting her horn. She readied her magic to defend herself. "How could you do something so heartless?"

"Your husband is the one who engaged in heartlessness by taking my casino away from me. Well, I'm taking it back, and I'm paying his cruelty back in spades. I'm not going to kill you -- not yet anyway -- I need you and your foals as bait. I intend to kill your husband!" he cackled gleefully.

"You realize Amethyst is an Alicorn Prince?" asked Trixie.

"I didn't leave anything to chance! I have enlisted the services of the strongest magic users in Las Pegasus -- so you're coming with me! Take her now!"

His unicorns were indeed very strong magic users, who quickly subdued the show-mare and our foals. Trixie tried to fight back, but was caught off-guard from her blind side. An inhibitor ring was placed on her horn as well as one for Marina and Jade, who continued to cry, considering how much pain the ring was causing him. Two earth pony stallions carried her, two more took our foals. Marina whimpered and cried out for her daddy.

"Jade can't use magic yet! Take that ring off him!" Trixie demanded.

"You should be thankful I don't have my guards toss him out the window after that pegasus!" the casino owner shouted, causing Trixie to scream in rage at him. "Silence her!"

One of the earth pony stallions struck the show-mare quite hard in the back of her head, knocking her out. Marina started wailing when she saw this, and one of the other stallions taped her mouth shut. Her whimpering was about all that was heard, save for the small stallion's laughter. The group of ponies took the elevator down to the main level, Trixie and her foals being carried by some of the earth pony stallions. Before leaving the casino, the former owner stopped by the security desk and informed them that he was taking his casino back and that they were now working for him. They then left for another location which served as a command center for this casino owner.

-------------------------------------------

My meeting with the mayor proved to be quite frustrating -- I was trying to exercise restraint, but the mayor's intransigence angered me greatly. After informing the mayor that I was to govern the city, under authority of Princess Celestia, the mayor scoffed at my claim and told me to prove it. I wrapped a wing around her and teleported to Canterlot Castle's Royal Throne Room to have the mayor meed the Solar Princess herself. I grinned as the mayor prostrated herself before the elder Alicorn, who scolded me for bringing such a matter to her attention.

"Celestia, might I remind you of just how corrupt Las Pegasus truly is? This is why I had to bring the mayor here, as she doubted the veracity of my claim. I still need to talk to the Chief of Police for that city to arrange for certain security measures for my wife and foals -- I'm not sure of how much time I have before the former casino owner tries to do something."

"Heh. You're about to find out," the mayor chuckled. "That stallion met with me earlier today -- once he finds out you're back, and that you've brought your wife and foals with you -- heh, heh, heh -- he swore revenge --"

"That's enough!" Celestia thundered, causing the mayor to fall flat to the floor. The mare pissed herself, making a mess, causing the Alicorn to glare in disapproval and wrinkle her nose. She lit her horn and used magic to clean up the mess immediately.

"Amethyst, you have free reign to do as you please in that city," Celestia stated with contempt in her voice. "Take this mare back to her office and don't trouble me with these matters any more. You have my blessing to do as you wish."

"Celestia, if what this mare says is true, and if my wife and foals are in danger -- I cannot be held responsible for my actions in tracking them down and dealing appropriately with any pony who might cause them harm," I stated almost venomously, glaring daggers at the mayor. She seemed to shrink back in fear from my gaze, then saw an equally harsh stare from Celestia, who nodded her head at me. For a split-second, I saw a corner of her mouth turn upward in a smile.

"Thank you, Celestia," I offered almost cheerfully. I wrapped my wing around the mayor and teleported back to her office. "So, mayor, you see how serious I am."

"Uh -- uh -- I'm sorry, your Highness," she said very meekly. Without bothering to address her further, I trotted out of her office and back to the street. The sounds of ponies screaming caught my attention, so I galloped towards them to find out what was going on.

"Help! Somepony fell out of a window!" a lime-green pegasus shouted as she saw me galloping towards her.

"Did you see who it was?" I asked, huffing a little as I caught my breath.

"Looked like a brown pegasus -- a fat one," she replied. I returned to my gallop, increasing my pace as I feared the worst. A team of medical ponies were gathered in a circle in front of the Visage casino and my heart sank when I saw them.

"Excuse me, please, I need to see who it is," I announced loudly. A few of the medical ponies parted to allow me to see what had happened. The sight was enough to turn my stomach as I approached the lifeless form of Chocolate Sweetness.

"Who's responsible for this?" I shouted, my frustration giving way to rage. "Whoever did this is going to pay!"

"Your Highness, who was this pony?" one of the medics asked.

"She was the owner of this casino! Somepony had to have thrown her out of a window! I know she would never jump," I uttered angrily. "My guess is that the previous owner is responsible -- I'm going to turn this city upside-down to find him -- he is going to pay for this with his life!"

I teleported to the police station and stormed inside to the front desk. "Tell me where the police chief is, right NOW!" I shouted. My anger had caused my mane and tail to take on the appearance of living flame, my eyes burning red with fury. To say the police ponies in the station were intimidated would be a serious understatement. One of them hurriedly fetched the captain, who trotted out to meet me, an expression of fear evident upon seeing me in my present state.

"Um, your Highness, how can I help you?" he asked, his voice trembling a little.

"I need to know everything about a stallion named Strong Arc," I replied firmly. "He is the former owner of the Visage casino -- and he's responsible for murdering Chocolate Sweetness. My wife and foals are in danger -- he threatened their lives as well as mine -- but I intend to make him pay not only for his threats, but also for murdering a friend of mine."

"Um, I don't think that's such a good idea -- he's very wealthy and has connections all over Equestria -- he owns nearly half of Las Pegasus -- I can't tell you anything else about him -- if I did, he would have me killed," the captain offered, shuddering at the thought of what horrible fate might befall him and his family.

"I don't want to have to destroy this city in order to accomplish my objective," I responded flatly. "But if my wife and foals have been harmed..." I said, letting my words trail off. I witnessed the captain slinking back toward his office in an attempt to avoid further confrontation. "Run, you coward! Run!" I shouted after him. I turned to the other ponies in the station who were watching this spectacle unfold. "Do any of the rest you know where I can find Strong Arc?"

My query was met with a cacophony of answers, all of them in the negative, along with a great many shaking their heads to express their doubts. "Are all of you being paid off by him?" I asked incredulously. I received the same answer.

"Let me just simply say this -- if you are on the take, and he is the one bribing you, you will all suffer a worse fate than what he threatens," I stated, a deep contempt dripping from my words. "Your lack of cooperation will be addressed." I turned to trot out of the station, only to have one rather bold stallion accost me before I reached the front door.

"I will not tolerate you bursting in here and threatening us," he said. I scowled at him and allowed my fury to cause my mane and tail to burst into flame once again. My eyes flashed red as I met his gaze, my size intimidating him into submission.

"I will not tolerate any protection of those who would do harm to me or my family or to anypony I consider my friend. Considering this Strong Arc stallion murdered a friend of mine, I will take whatever measures are necessary to bring him to justice. If you are protecting him to protect yourself, then you are a coward of the highest order. I have no further time for these distractions," I nearly hissed as I strode forward through the door, leaving a very stunned police stallion behind.

The sun had been lowered for the evening and the lights of all the casinos on the strip lit up the night sky with a colorful barrage, the intensity almost overwhelming. I took a moment to observe it before reminding myself of my purpose. I teleported back to the penthouse suite Trixie and I were staying in, though I found the door to the hallway blocked by police tape. One of the windows was still broken, brown feathers and bits of brown hair clinging to some of the jagged edges. I scanned the location with my magic to trace the magic signature of anypony who might have been here, noticing a great many unicorns had been here. Without any other clues to assist me, I began teleporting to each trace.

It took nearly fifteen teleports before I finally found a unicorn who knew who I was looking for and where to find him, though he cautioned me that I was on the trail of a very powerful pony who had lots of connections and would stop at nothing to destroy any who would interfere with his plans. I thanked her for her information, then followed the next trace. As it turns out, this one was the one who had attacked Trixie. My teleport took me directly to his location, though he wasn't alone.

-------------------------------------------

"There's somepony coming," a pale green unicorn stallion announced to his associates. "He's -- he's very powerful," he added almost fearfully.

"Might be the pony boss is looking for," one of the earth ponies mused. "Think he'll be pleased by this."

A flash of blinding light and a pale yellow POP heralded my arrival in the midst of the lounge Strong Arc's personal security detachment were relaxing in. I erected a strong magic barrier around me to ward off any attacks as I surveyed my surroundings. The pale green unicorn gave me a worried look as I met his gaze.

"You. You know where my wife is. Tell me where she is. NOW," I stated firmly.

"Boss didn't say nothin' 'bout us messin' with an Alicorn!" one of the other earth ponies exclaimed fearfully.

"You have five seconds to show me where she is. Then I will start taking lives," I stated a bit more loudly as I tried to keep from going into full rage mode. "Five."

"You're kidding -- you're kidding, right?" another earth pony asked, his voice trembling. I lit my horn, glowing an angry red and zapped him with a bolt of lightning, causing him to scream in agony.

"Four."

"Shit! He's not kidding! Get the boss here now!" another earth pony shouted.

"Three."

The pale green unicorn lit his horn and summoned Strong Arc, and then disappeared. I witnessed the disappearance and scowled, using my magic to trace the signature of that pale green unicorn, then teleported after him.

"Um, boss might be in trouble," one of the earth ponies announced.

"Heh, I think that Alicorn's in for a world of hurt," another one chuckled.

Capture or Rescue?

One blinding flash of white and loud POP later, I stood in an office overlooking the brightly lit skyline of Las Pegasus. Sitting behind a large wooden desk was a smallish yellow unicorn stallion. To his right, the pale green unicorn stallion I had traced and teleported after. Strong Arc glared at me initially, then allowed a very creepy smile to cross his lips.

"I was hoping you'd follow Vern Glimmer -- which would lead you into my trap. I have something special planned for you," he chuckled. The other stallion stood impassively, a somewhat bored expression on his face.

"You have five seconds to tell me where my wife and foals are before I inflict massive pain upon you," I hissed through clenched teeth. I narrowed my eyes to slits at him, rage clouding my higher judgment.

"Relax, your wife and foals are safe -- for now. I have something else in mind for them -- they're going to watch me kill you!" he cackled, lighting his horn. His magic summoned a large net from somewhere which fell upon me.

"A net? Is this the best you can do?" I asked incredulously.

He grinned at me and gave his best villain laugh. "That's no ordinary net, scumbag! It drains your magic!"

I lit my horn and tried to remove it, but for some reason, the net seemed to be sapping my magic power. He started laughing when he saw me struggle against it, my expression changing to one of fear. "What the fuck is this? Get this fucking thing off me!" I shouted.

"I told you! That net drains your magic! You misunderestimated me!" he giggled.

"When I get out of this, you are soooo dead," I growled. I sensed the power of the net, noticing it wasn't as strong as he claimed it to be -- I almost let a grin cross my lips, but maintained my poker face. I decided to allow myself to be taken to wherever it was Strong Arc decided to try his worst on me. He saw me relax and smirked, confident in his belief that he had me right where he wanted.

"You seem to be taking your last few minutes of life in stride," he mused nonchalantly. He used his telekinesis to lift me, then transported me outside his office. As it turns out, his office in the Pink Swan was his main hide-out as I was unceremoniously carried to a wagon. He didn't bother trying to restrain me as he had simply assumed I was unable to break free of the net. I was formulating a plan to rescue Trixie and our foals as I was being given a ride to yet another location, though my position in the wagon gave me little chance to get my bearings on my surroundings, and I hadn't yet memorized the locations of every building in the city.

Two of Strong Arc's earth pony guards were pulling the wagon down the main strip -- a most unusual sight, though the yellow unicorn would return stares with glares of his own. Those who knew him knew better than to say anything, at least while he was in earshot. Some caught glimpses of me being transported, but none dared help me. After about what seemed like an hour of trotting, the wagon was brought to a stop in front of the service entrance to the Clown's Pocket casino. Once again I was transported by telekinesis, still trapped in the net. We went down a staircase, then along a hallway to an elevator. We went down two more levels into the sub-basement level of the casino.

Does this asshole really own this much property? I silently asked myself. Another door opened, this time with Vern Glimmer's magic to reveal Trixie and our foals strapped to a wall, inhibitor rings on their horns and tape over their mouths to keep them quiet. The azure mare's eyes went wide when she caught sight of me -- it appeared as though she started to cry at this point as tears started to trickle down her cheeks. That was not as painful a sight for me as seeing little Marina and Jade crying as well. I kept my silence as I bided my time, waiting for the proper opportunity to strike.

"So you see, Trixie, I have brought your asshole of a stallion here to prove to you that nopony fucks with Strong Arc! Behold, the death of your beloved husband!" the yellow stallion shouted, lighting his horn and readying his strongest spell. I began chuckling at this point, measuring his strength and noting its level even lower than Trixie's.

My body began glowing brilliantly, increasing its luminescence as I strengthened my magic output. The net was obliterated by the intensity of the heat radiating from my body as I regained my footing on the floor to face the terrified unicorn stallion directly. Strong Arc's expression changed to one of outright fear as he discovered he had been outmatched by my force. I scowled at him, my rage causing my eyes to glow a bright crimson. I stood tall, my wings flared, my horn glowing an almost angry red as I readied my Royal Canterlot Voice.

"Who has misunderestimated whom?" I queried, my voice booming throughout the relatively small room. Trixie and Marina winced at the volume of my voice and Jade seemed to lose consciousness. I caught Strong Arc readying a teleport, though he had also lost control of his bladder, a puddle of urine showing on the floor around his hind legs. I found the spectacle somewhat amusing, but also glowered at him. I took Trixie's inhibitor ring off her horn and placed it on Strong Arc's horn, nullifying his magic before he could finish his teleport. He writhed in agonizing pain upon having his teleport disrupted by my action. I bound his legs together and upended him, his back now laying in the puddle of his piss. A look of terror showed on his face now as I slowly trod over to him, towering over his form.

"You thought your little net could hold an Alicorn? How stupid are you? You think you can abduct my wife and foals and not pay any consequence for your actions? You thought you could fuck with ME?!" I shouted at him, readying a stronger spell. I heard somepony shout from behind and felt a slight tingling sensation as a magic spell hit me. I turned around to see Vern Glimmer's horn still lit as he tried to protect his boss, though now he appeared to be shaking in fear as I gave him my angriest stare, my eyes glowing red, my mane and tail still crackling in the air as my body continued to exude a great deal of heat. Without further thought, I freed Trixie and our foals, but also cast a freeze spell on the pale green unicorn stallion.

"You're going to regret doing that," Strong Arc shouted as he struggled in his bonds. I used my telekinesis to levitate Vern and maneuver him into a position beside his boss and took the opportunity to address them both.

"I believe there's a certain Solar Princess who might want to have a short discussion with you," I stated coldly. "I was tempted to kill you, but that would be counterproductive -- and Princess Celestia would be disappointed in me if I did that -- so I shall escort the both of you to Canterlot Castle, where you will face trial for your actions," I added. The two stallions stared at me with wide eyes, their mouths agape at the prospect of facing HER and started offering effusive apologies.

"It's too late for apologies -- I believe the Royal Treasury will be the beneficiary of the profits of your casinos, Strong Arc," I said, adding a slight chuckle to the end of my statement, causing them to cringe as best they could. I heard them pleading with me for mercy, though given what they had done...

"Mercy? You have the unmitigated gall to beg for mercy?" I asked incredulously. Trixie had rejoined me at this point, having strapped little Jade to her back and Marina trotting beside her. I heard her hoofsteps and smiled at her. "You should be thankful you didn't kill her or my foals -- I would have burned this town down if you had done that," I growled. I heard audible gasps at that mention as I lit my horn once again, wrapping the two stallions in my aura and teleporting to Canterlot Castle. I knew such a jaunt would take quite a bit out of me, but this was very important and couldn't wait. Princess Luna was seated on the throne and holding Lunar Court when I popped into the room with my captives.

"Amethyst, what is the meaning of this? Who hast thou brought and wherefore art they bound?"

"The yellow one is named Strong Arc -- he foalnapped my wife and foals -- he is also responsible for the death of one Chocolate Sweetness. The green one is Vern Glimmer, an associate who conspired with Strong Arc to commit these crimes," I stated coldly. "It is my desire that they receive the maximum punishment for those crimes. I chose not to pass judgment and sentence on them as it is not my authority to do so, Luna."

"Guards! Seize these criminals and take them to the dungeons! Ensure that they be stripped of any magic powers! Amethyst, we shall inform our sister of thy troubles -- if thou hast any further trouble, do not hesitate to ask our assistance," the indigo Alicorn stated warmly, flashing me a brief smile.

"I shall return to Las Pegasus immediately -- Trixie and our foals still await my swift return. When things have settled down a bit, I shall return here to apprise Celestia of the situation. I sure hope something this bad doesn't happen again, but -- I would hate to have to destroy that city in order to save it."

Luna gave me a quizzical glance, but shrugged off my comment. "We wish thee well, Amethyst."

"And you as well, Luna," I replied warmly, offering a sincere smile before I teleported back to where Trixie was still waiting for me.

"Trixie is tired and desires sleep, Amethyst," she said, taking a moment to yawn and stretch her legs.

"How badly did he hurt you, Trixie?" I asked with deep concern. I took a moment to look at her body to check for any bruises or scars, but other than the reminder of her encounter with the Timber Wolves about a year ago, she did not appear any worse for wear.

"Only Trixie's pride is hurt, Amethyst," she replied.

"Chocolate Sweetness is dead," I stated sadly. "She --"

"Trixie knows -- she saw those stallions throw her through the window."

"Do you remember what they looked like? I will need to track them down, as they are co-conspirators and accessories to murder -- they must stand trial for their crimes as well," I stated angrily. "I want to send a very powerful message to those who would do harm."

The Clean-up Begins

After reconnoitering with Trixie and ensuring Marina and Jade were safe, I teleported us back to our room in the Visage -- noticing the window was still broken, I used magic to repair it, then placed wards on the windows to prevent another incident of that sort from occurring.

"Can't be too safe anymore, Trixie -- I have to make sure nopony else tries to throw somepony out," I stated flatly as I enchanted the windows. "Nice view, though."

"Trixie doesn't feel safe here, Amethyst -- is there somewhere else we can stay?"

"Hmm. Tell you what -- lock the door behind me and I'll place wards on it so that only I may return through it. I will see to it that you remain safe here -- I'm going to have a talk with the rest of the security detail here and let them know that this casino is now the property of the Royal Throne of Canterlot and that all the employees who worked under Strong Arc are now in the employ of Princess Celestia. I will see to it that you and our foals are completely safe, Trixie," I averred. I lit my horn to teleport but Trixie stopped me before I was able to complete it.

"Please let Trixie accompany you, Amethyst -- she wants to be sure she is safe," she pleaded. I gazed into her eyes for a moment, noticing a degree of fear behind her expression. I took another moment to ponder the situation.

"Okay, Trixie, you may accompany me -- probably be best you do, anyway. Ray, you can join us as well," I offered warmly to the young filly, who bounced excitedly and giggled, offering a short, "Yay!" as she half-flew, half-cantered to my side. Her exuberance made me chuckle softly as the show-mare smiled, sidling next to me and nuzzling against me in appreciation of my kindness.

We trotted down the hallway to the elevators and rode down to the main level, the ride taking too long for my liking. Marina didn't seem to like how long the ride took either, though she was fascinated by watching the numbers count down from 50 as we descended.

"Why doesn't it show the number one, daddy?" she asked as we reached the lobby.

"I dunno, Ray, that's always puzzled me as well," I replied with a slight chuckle. "I once remember hearing a comedian talking about how they didn't know how to count down from 5, by going, 5, 4, 3, 2, M, Zed, P, B, SB1, SB2, Aaah!" I exclaimed exaggeratedly, causing Trixie and Marina to giggle in amusement as we continued trotting to the hotel's front desk. Upon seeing me, the clerk retreated to the office behind the desk -- I noticed this and frowned, taking longer strides to the desk. I tapped on it with my right fore-hoof in an attempt to get somepony's attention. The clerk returned with her supervisor, a pegasus mare who gave me a look of apprehension for a brief moment before regaining her composure.

"Ahem. I need to call a staff meeting -- it is imperative that this be done as swiftly as possible," I stated flatly.

"And who might you be?" she asked, causing me to frown more deeply.

"Remind me to ask Princess Celestia for the return of my regalia -- if I'm going to govern this city, I'm going to need it so I won't be asked pointless questions by ponies who should already know who I am and why I am here. Ma'am, I have been assigned the task of governing Las Pegasus under authority of Princess Celestia. The previous owner of this casino, a unicorn stallion by the name of Strong Arc has been arrested for murder and foal-napping. The new owner of this casino is Princess Celestia herself -- I have received her assurance that I am to assume control of the properties previously owned by Strong Arc and that all employees under his purview now work for the Crown. I am now your supervisor," I stated, flashing a grin before resuming my neutral expression. I watched her eyes go wide as saucers as I relayed this information. To dispel any doubt of my statements, I flared my wings as a display of my status as royalty.

"Um, y-yes, y-your M-majesty," she stuttered as she hurriedly began to contact her supervisor, the security chief, and various other management ponies, informing them of the impromptu conference. Trixie watched passively, an expression of boredom on her face. Marina was oblivious to the gravity of the situation, cantering around excitedly as she tried to take in the sights and sounds of all the activity going on and pestering some of the patrons. I cleared my throat to get her attention, causing her to give me a look of disappointment and returned to my side. We waited about fifteen minutes for the necessary ponies to arrive, then trotted to one of the conference rooms, where everypony took a seat after I had rearranged the tables so I would be the center of attention.

"I suppose you probably know why you're here," I began. I surveyed the room and noticed most of the ponies nodding. "Good. This is going to be short so you can return to your previous duties." I then informed them of their new owner and their new boss, though some of them expressed disbelief at the change of ownership yet again. I was asked some very pointed questions about Strong Arc and let everypony know in no uncertain terms what he had done and the repercussions of his actions. I gave them an opportunity to find work elsewhere if they did not approve of the new changes -- and none of the assembled ponies made any attempt to leave the room, though their expressions showed a degree of uncertainty.

"As your new supervisor, it is my duty to ensure that the continued operation of this casino and the others now under the control of the Crown resumes without interruption and that all employees continue their duties as previously assigned. You will continue to receive your pay as before -- there may actually be a slight increase, depending on the casino's profitability -- and you will be treated with respect. In return, I request you adhere to the standards of professional conduct required for the uninterrupted and seamless operation of the casino until this period of transition of ownership is finalized. Are there any questions?"

"What's going to happen to Strong Arc?" asked the concierge.

"He will have his day in court, though the evidence against him is strong enough to ensure a conviction. His fate is in the hooves of Princess Celestia. All of his property now belongs to the Crown," I replied flatly.

"I just hope you don't breach our contracts," the security chief grumbled.

"New contracts are in the process of completion -- your old contracts are considered void as a result of the actions of the previous owner," I stated tersely, glaring at the chief, who seemed to shrink back in his chair under my steely gaze. "Any more questions?" I asked, my face now a scowl. All the assembled ponies remained silent or shook their heads. "Very well then -- seeing as there are no more questions, you are all dismissed and may return to your previous duties. I have a few other ponies to talk to and will appoint somepony to be the lead supervisor of the casino and another to be vice-president of operations for this specific casino."

Some of the ponies grumbled as they left the conference room. "Please remember you no longer work for Strong Arc -- you work for ME now." I turned to Trixie. "Come on, let's get some sleep -- it's been too long a day for me."

Trixie's Third Foal

The next few days were filled with activity -- I made visits to each of the casinos Strong Arc either owned or had substantial interest in. I gave the same speech or one similar to it to each of the bosses and supervisors -- reactions varied from eager acceptance to outright hostility. There were some ponies who maintained an allegiance to the yellow unicorn stallion and they were extremely reticent to give up those allegiances. I had to smooth over lots of ruffled feathers, in more than one sense of the phrase. For the sake of safety, I encouraged Trixie and our foals to accompany me until such time as I had ensured there would be no more threats to them. I found myself having to interview casino supervisors and hold meetings with them to get status updates. The process was rather tedious, but it was needed in order to ensure the Royal Treasury would be receiving its cut of the profits.

I met with the Mayor of Las Pegasus to oversee the transfers of titles and deeds, something which shocked her. When I informed her of Strong Arc's actions and subsequent arrest and pending trial, her incredulity grew exponentially. The process of those transfers took quite a while and considering just how much property he owned and how much he had a controlling interest in, I was astonished that it seemed easier to get the casinos operating smoothly than to address the matter of signing all those documents. I was told it had taken Strong Arc more than fifteen years to accumulate this much property, but also discovered he was a tyrant when it came to running his operations, demanding utter compliance from every one of his employees.

There was another matter of maintaining a sense of order to the continued smooth operation of the casinos and dealing with rival owners, who vociferously protested the idea of the Crown owning five of them with a controlling interest in three others. The owner of the Canterlot Casino decided to join me in an alliance and the owner of the Four Alicorns followed suit shortly thereafter. Eventually, I managed to succeed in getting everypony on the same page, thus allowing for a collective sharing of profits. Initially, this idea had proven to be quite controversial, but when the money started flowing in, everypony congratulated my business sense. That was a process which took about four months, but the other owners thanked me profusely when they realized a substantial increase in their profits.

Getting security issues addressed likewise took several weeks, but eventually Trixie, Marina, Jade and I were able to relax in safety. I managed to find a good school for our filly and dependable day-care for Jade. Trixie assisted me with overseeing casino operations and management, learning how to perform certain administrative duties. It turns out she had quite a knack for it, despite my initial misgivings regarding the possibility of having her oversee operations. I had acquired a personal cadre of guardsponies to escort me in relative safety and assigned a security detail for Trixie as well as our foals. I had assigned the top ten floors of the Visage casino to be the barracks for my guard and considered the possibility of taking the entire hotel to enlarge it. Marina wanted to play with them all the time, so I ensured the ones assigned to her would be willing to engage her and keep her happy as well as safe.

I had finally managed to settle into a routine in Las Pegasus, though it had taken six months to do so. My progress reports seemed to be bringing Princess Celestia's satisfaction, though sometimes her responses seemed a bit cryptic. I had been very busy cleaning up the city and weeding out the corruption within the city's government and businessponies' association as well as dealing with crooked casino owners and operators. I had also managed to find Strong Arc's co-conspirators and bring them to justice, though seeing some of the burly earth pony goons break down in front of Princess Celestia was worth my efforts in pursuing them and teleporting them all the way to Canterlot. I smiled in satisfaction as their sentences were given -- the ones who acted as accessories received five years, whereas Strong Arc received the harshest sentence, being forced to spend the rest of his life in the dungeon.

Trixie was able to perform her magic act, though she only did so on rare occasions. I would routinely take her to some of the clubs in the casinos where we would have a few drinks and go dancing until it was time for bed. We enjoyed ourselves as much as we could, given the circumstances. It was during this time I noticed Trixie was beginning to show her third pregnancy and she expressed great consternation over the fact she was going to have a third foal. We had a chat over breakfast in the Visage, which had become our home in Las Pegasus for the time being.

"Amethyst! Trixie is not ready for a third foal! Jade is only a year old!" she exclaimed in exasperation. She gave me a very worried look and appeared to be chewing her bottom lip.

"Look, Trixie, these things happen. I'll find a way of taking care of our new foal and looking after his or her needs. I'm so happy to see we're having a third foal! You should be proud, Trixie!" I smiled warmly. "I'll let the Princess know right away!"

"Trixie is not ready," she reiterated a little more softly as I held her close, wrapping my wings around her.

"Shhh, it's gonna be okay, Trixie -- I have the best ponies around for helping with foal care, you know that -- and you also know that I will always be close by to help out whenever you need me," I cooed softly to her. She smiled weakly at my reassurances.

"Trixie wants to make her third foal her last one, Amethyst," she averred, though her voice seemed to waver just a little.

"You want an operation to render you incapable of bearing any more foals after this one? I will see to it, but I will also make sure that if you want to have that procedure reversed, it can be done." I continued to smile at her as I held her in my embrace.

"You know how to make Trixie happy, Amethyst!" she chirped, almost giggling. I responded by kissing her on her lips, a kiss she returned with a little more passion.

"You have a name picked out yet?"

"No -- you will help Trixie when the time comes, yes?"

"Of course, my love. I'm curious to see whether we have another colt or filly."

"Trixie thinks this one is going to be a filly."

"How about Velvet Rose?" I asked, causing her to grin.

"Trixie likes that name -- she thinks she will give her foal that name," she said softly.

As time continued to pass with my governance of Las Pegasus, I was pleased to continue reporting to Celestia that things had settled down to the point where I believed I had succeeded in eliminating the corruption that had been rife within the city. My routine was now one of visiting each casino on a daily basis and inspecting the operations, meeting with each of the ponies I had assigned the role of Chief Operating Officer for each casino, as well as weekly meetings with the Mayor and Chief of Police. I had other ponies providing me with reports indicating steady improvement, and in turn I would relate this information to the Solar Princess, who expressed deep gratitude at my efforts.

I had also informed her of Trixie's pregnancy, which resulted in a personal visit from the Alicorn. She expressed a curiosity to see the foal after her birth and checked up on my wife to ensure she was in good health. She responded in her usual fashion, stating that, "Trixie can take care of herself, thank you very much, Princess," causing the Alicorn to chuckle softly and me to roll my eyes at her.

"Amethyst, your efforts have been highly productive, therefore I am allowing you to remain as an Alicorn yourself. I would like to offer you another opportunity to return to Canterlot so that I may take another vacation."

"Princess Celestia, that would not be fair to Trixie -- she's only a few more weeks until she gives birth and I need to be there with her. Please, if you would be so kind, delay your vacation for another six months or so," I implored.

"Do you like your current arrangement here in Las Pegasus?" she asked, her eyes narrowing at me.

"That's not the issue, Celestia -- you know I would be willing to provide you a break whenever you wish -- but right now's not a very good time," I replied, bowing slightly to her.

"I understand, Amethyst. Please keep up the good work here -- you have done an outstanding job with this city, as I had nearly given up hope on it myself," she chuckled. "Take care and good luck, Trixie." She surprised me by teleporting away -- I thought she normally tried to conserve her magic.

It was about a week after our birthdays when Trixie went into labor with her third foal. Las Pegasus has a large hospital, one of the best in Equestria, so I gathered our foals and we got into my car, which I had used my magic on yet again. It now resembled a fairly large sport utility vehicle, comfortably seating all of us. Marina was quite excited to get in and hopped on the middle bench, giggling as she did so. I secured Jade, who seemed to protest by whining as I strapped him in.

"Sorry, Jade, but this is to make sure you're safe -- think of it like being hugged by your mama," I said softly to the little colt. He seemed to smile at that, then allowed himself to drift off to sleep, given how comfortable his seat was. "Ray, can you stop jumping on the seat and sit down?"

"Aww, come on, daddy! Just a little bit more! Pleeeeeease?" she asked, flashing her puppy-dog eyes at me again.

"Look, Ray, this will only take a minute -- I'll see if the hospital staff can find a play room for you when we get there," I offered.

"Yaaaaay!" she cheered, giggling excitedly.

I had now given the car the ability to levitate and fly, requesting the hospital as our destination. The car flew silently and swiftly there, shocking some of the pegasi who were flying around and other ponies who happened to witness the flying vehicle. When we arrived at the hospital, the car lowered itself to the ground, returning to its normal appearance.

"Trixie would like to do that again, Amethyst," she opined, giving me a grin of approval.

"Yeah! Me too!" chirped Marina.

"Ooma-gah!" observed Jade, a light giggling coming from him.

A staff member exited the front door of the hospital to see what was going on and I informed him of Trixie's pregnancy. She rushed back inside and four ponies returned, escorting Trixie through the front door. I carried Jade and had Marina accompany me as we checked in at the front counter -- upon seeing me, ponies would bow before me. As I had promised, our filly was shown to a playroom where I supervised her activity, letting Jade trot around a little while Marina played with various objects. She seemed to have developed a little world of her own where she allowed her imagination to run free -- her antics caused me to chuckle lightly at times.

"Your wife wants you to be with her," a nurse told me, breaking me from my amusement.

"Okay, Ray, it's time for us to go see your mother," I stated, causing her to express her disappointment. I used my telekinesis to lift Jade into a carrier I had attached to my back, then followed the nurse along the hallway to the delivery room. Marina alternately flew and cantered, giggling excitedly about getting to see her new baby sister. Upon seeing her, I noticed she had already delivered the foal, a light pink filly with a slightly darker pink and orange mane and tail, her eyes a very pale lavender.

"Trixie named her Velvet Rose as you had requested, Amethyst," she stated, holding the little bundle close to her chest and smiling warmly at me.

"I hope she didn't give you too much trouble," I said, flashing a slightly worried look.

"None at all, Amethyst! Trixie told the doctor she wants that operation so she cannot have any more foals, but he said that will have to wait a few more weeks until Trixie has recovered fully," she said softly. I leaned forward and kissed her on her lips.

"Mommy, can I see her?" asked Marina, the filly jumping up and flapping her wings excitedly as she tried to get a better look.

"Of course, Marina!" she replied warmly, turning to meet her gaze and exposing the tiny filly's head, just the barest nub of a horn poking out of her forehead.

"I take it she has wings as well?" I asked.

"Yes she does, Amethyst -- the doctor said she's another winged unicorn, something he said was quite rare," she replied.

"Then I think he'd probably be shocked to see Ray and Jade," I chuckled, causing Trixie to giggle. "By the way, will you be staying overnight, or will you take a second day of recovery as well?"

"Trixie thinks she will stay two more days, Amethyst. The doctor says he wants to keep Rose for some observation to ensure she's okay to go home."

"Do you want us to stay with you?" I asked.

"Trixie would like that, Amethyst," she replied softly.

"Trixie, your guests will need to return to the waiting room -- oh, I apologize, your Highness," the doctor began as he caught sight of me.

"No, it's okay, doctor -- we will be staying here in the hospital while Trixie is here. I trust there are accommodations for visitors?"

"I'm sorry, your Highness -- this is a hospital, not a hotel. There are guest accommodations across the boulevard in the Pink Swan casino," he offered. I glared at him in disapproval.

"Have housekeeping set up a room for me and my foals, doctor -- frankly, I think my status should be enough to grant such a request. Normally, I would not impose upon you, but I desire to remain close to my wife if I cannot be in the same room as her," I stated with some annoyance, flaring my wings a little to get his attention.

Do I really need to wear my regalia all the time?

"Y-yes, your Highness, it shall be done for you," he conceded, trotting quickly out of the room.

"Trixie thinks you shouldn't abuse your power like that," she mused, a slight giggle escaping her lips.

"Ah, well, sometimes you have to flex a little muscle to get what you want," I replied, chuckling weakly. We waited about ten minutes before the doctor returned, informing us that a room had been cleared out for us, then had an orderly escort us to the room. I trotted behind the young mare, Jade cradled on my back again as Marina bounced and giggled alongside us.

"So where is our room?" I asked. Silence ensued for a moment as our hoofsteps echoed through the halls.

"Please follow me, your Highness -- I will show you to your room," she replied, her annoyance at my query quite evident.

"I had no idea it would be this much trouble," I mused aloud.

"We don't normally receive royalty in our hospital, your Highness," she stated tersely. She led us to an elevator and took us to the fifth floor, then trotted along the hallway. I could hear muffled screams echoing through this hallway, causing me to hesitate in the elevator car. Marina and Jade started crying when she heard the noise.

"I will not stay in this ward," I stated firmly, glaring at the orderly. The elevator's doors closed on us and the car started ascending to the 15th floor. We were brusquely pushed aside by a medical team, carting a wheeled gurney with somepony whose body was completely covered by a white sheet.

"Daddy, what's that? Who is that?" asked Marina.

"I don't know, Ray," I replied sullenly. "Probably somepony who died a little while ago, I think."

"Daddy, I don't like it here," the filly observed as tears started to well up in her eyes again. "Didn't the doctor say hotel?"

I sighed in resignation. "Okay, Ray, we'll go to the hotel. This place is starting to give me the creeps as well."

There Were Complications

I scooped Marina up and put her on my back next to Jade, who had started crying.

"Excuse me, please," I stated quite coldly at having been pushed aside. I flared my wings in annoyance and frowned, then lit my horn and summoned my regalia, my aggravation having reached the breaking point. After receiving silent glares from the team wheeling the gurney onto the elevator, I cleared my throat.

"I'm sorry, your Highness, but we have to take this body to the morgue," one of the doctors offered sullenly. "We tried to save him, but we failed."

"Very well then. I'm sorry to hear that. Carry on," I responded, my voice losing the harsh tone I had used earlier.

"Daddy, when are we going to the hotel?" asked Marina. I craned my neck around to smile at her.

"I think we'll be leaving now, Ray," I said, teleporting us to the street level entrance to the Pink Swan.

"That was fun, daddy! Can we do that again?" she asked almost excitedly. I heard Jade gurgle happily.

"Don't get too used to that, Ray -- I only do that in emergencies. Let's get a room -- we can visit your mama later," I replied softly. I trotted to the front counter and got a room, though I made sure to ask the desk clerk to inform hospital staff that I was staying here and would be visiting Trixie regularly. With the evening drawing near, I took the opportunity to take Marina and Jade with me to the hotel's dining area, which consisted of four restaurants. I chose the one which appealed to my daughter, who insisted on a large plate of hay fries and a glass of sarsaparilla.

"Pinkie Pie told me it gives you extra sass!" the filly explained, giggling as she said it. I smiled at her.

"Where I come from, we call it root beer," I noted, taking the opportunity to have one myself with my food. My dinner was a plate of pasta with a tomato-based sauce and a vegetable salad. I took the opportunity to steal some hay fries from Marina's plate, causing her to complain about it. "You're not gonna be able to eat all those," I chided.

"Yes I can, daddy!" she retorted, pouting at me. Jade started crying in his high chair as I tried to feed him, batting away the spoon I held in my pale yellow aura. He lit his horn and his pale green aura grabbed the spoon, dipping it into his food and then bringing it to his mouth, surprising me at his ability.

"Um, Ray, how long has Jade been able to feed himself?"

"Mommy taught him how to do that about six months ago, daddy! You never spend any time with us any more!"

"I'm sorry, Ray -- it's just that I've been so busy, you know," I offered softly, smiling warmly at her.

"Mommy says she wants you to spend more time with her as well."

"I will, I promise," I replied My thoughts turned to Trixie and a hint of worry crept on my face as I began wondering how she was coping in the hospital without me. There was something about that hospital I didn't like and it caused me to ponder the possibility that it too was one of the properties either owned outright or largely controlled by Strong Arc. I had a deep sense of foreboding and my discomfort was evident enough for my daughter to notice it.

"What's wrong, daddy?"

"There's something wrong with the hospital your mama is staying in -- I think I'm gonna have a talk with Celestia about it," I mused.

"I thought hospitals were supposed to be safe!"

"Me too, Ray -- but something doesn't seem right about that place." I took a bite of my pasta, and Jade decided he wanted to try it as well as he grabbed a fork with his aura and speared some of my farfalle with it, taking a few bites. He smiled in approval, though he also giggled at my consternation, which elicited a few giggles from my daughter as well. We finished eating after a little more conversation about Trixie and then headed up to our room.

As I lay in bed trying to get some sleep, I focused my magic on Celestia in an attempt to communicate with her. My car still has a comm link with her -- perhaps I should use that instead. As the thought passed, I received a faint message, something that I was just barely able to make out. The Solar Princess caught the gist of my message to her, one which indicated a sense of trouble -- her reply was to let me know she was on her way to meet up with me. Satisfied by her reassurance, I drifted off to sleep after making sure Marina and Jade were sound asleep as well.

In the hospital, Trixie was making some rather unreasonable demands. Her doctors were having a bit of trouble trying to accommodate them and became increasingly more frustrated. The fact that little Velvet had been taken to a nursery didn't help her mood either.

"Trixie wants to have that operation as soon as possible! Trixie does not want to have any more foals!" she demanded of one of the doctors who had been unfortunate enough to have entered to check on her status.

"Ma'am, you need time to recover from foalbirth before we can do that," he protested.

"Trixie doesn't care! She wants this taken care of NOW!"

"I'll talk to the lead doctor about this, Ma'am -- though I'm sure he'll have the same recommendation." He turned and left, causing the show-mare to repeat her demand even louder. The lead doctor returned with a full medical team in an attempt to convince her she needed more time before her requested operation, but she would have none of it.

"I see you're determined to have this operation. Since you have refused to follow the recommended course of action, I have another option for you. Before we proceed, I will have to have you sign this release form, absolving us, the surgeons who will be performing the operation, as well as the hospital itself from any liability resulting from any complications your operation may cause. Are you still willing to go through with this?" asked the lead doctor. He rubbed his temples when she nodded firmly.

"Trixie doesn't care what happens to her -- she wants this operation! No more foals!"

The lead doctor sighed heavily and called upon his team to set up a gurney to have the show-mare wheeled into the operating room. The procedure she wanted was normally a routine matter, but so soon after foalbirth, there were certain dangers -- blood clots, aneurysms, infections -- and the surgical team who worked on her did their best, the entire operation lasting only two hours. She was wheeled back into her room and the monitors reattached to her. The anesthesia would wear off in a few hours and Trixie was expected to sleep another eight hours before breakfast was to be served.

The morning sunlight woke Marina first -- she clambered up to me and pulled the cover back from my head.

"Come on, daddy! Wake up! It's time for breakfast!"

I groaned at the thought of having to rise from such a comfortable bed, but groggily rose to my hooves. I went into the bathroom to try to wake myself a little, splashing some water on my face, then wiping off with a towel. I took a moment to brush my teeth, then magicked my mane and tail into some semblance of order.

"Come on, daddy! I'm hungry!" she repeated. Jade said something which seemed to express a similar sentiment, so I hitched the foal carrier to my back again, placing the little colt inside. He cooed softly as he rested snugly on my back. I turned to Marina and motioned for her to come along. She bounced excitedly, eliciting a warm smile from me.

We entered another restaurant to see Princess Celestia seated at a table, something that took me by surprise. She smiled serenely upon seeing me, her smile widening a little when she caught sight of Marina and Jade. She motioned for me to sit beside her.

"I am pleased by how well you're running things here in Las Pegasus," the Alicorn offered warmly.

"Thank you, Celestia. I'll have to admit it was difficult to get everypony on the same page, but I think the amount of progress we've achieved here is worth the costs involved. I'm glad you made it on such short notice -- can you tell me something about the hospital Trixie's staying in?"

"From what I've been told, it's among the best in Equestria, Amethyst. Your wife should be receiving the best of care -- you expressed some concern about it, so what's troubling you?"

"I can't put my hoof on it -- something doesn't seem right about that place. I need to find out if Strong Arc had a controlling interest in that hospital or the construction company which built it, or if a majority of the hospital's staff were in his pocket." My expression turned serious at this point as more troubling thoughts wormed their way into my mind.

"Amethyst, at the risk of repeating myself, that hospital is one of the best in my realm. I believe your fears are unfounded, though I will give your concerns my consideration. I will inform you of my findings when I come to a determination," she stated, though her tone seemed somewhat distant.

"I hope for my sake you're right about this, Celestia -- I would hate to have to do something regretful if something bad happens to Trixie," I responded, my tone one of caution. The Alicorn raised an eyebrow as if to let me know I should back off on making any threats. "I was under the impression I had your permission to run this town as I pleased."

"You've made a great deal of progress, Amethyst -- might I caution you against jeopardizing that?"

"Very well then, Celestia -- but mark my words: if anything bad happens to Trixie, I'm going to --"

"You should not let your emotions cloud your judgment, Amethyst. Being an Alicorn entails restraint and the proper knowledge of when to let loose with that power. I understand your concerns, and trust me, I too have some reservations to some degree -- but if anything unfortunate does happen to your wife, I will provide you whatever support you need to assist you in coping with any loss. You are welcome to visit me at any time." She returned to smiling serenely again.

"I appreciate your kindness, Celestia. I sure hope Trixie and Velvet are doing okay, though I guess I shouldn't let my fears get the better of me. Would you like to join me in visiting? I'm sure you're curious to see my new filly, Velvet Rose," I smiled.

"Of course, Amethyst! I'd be delighted!'

We finished eating breakfast and trotted across the street to the hospital's main entrance. The sight of two Solar Regents caused everypony to bow and scrape to us -- even the doctors bowed politely, though not as effusively as the other staff. I informed them I was there to see my wife and new-born foal and that Celestia was there to inspect the hospital to ensure it was operating at optimum efficiency. We were escorted to the nursery where Velvet was brought to us. The little filly was still wrapped in blankets to keep her warm. We were given assurances that she was perfectly healthy. Then we were escorted to the room Trixie was in -- she was still sleeping, a peaceful expression on her face.

"She needs time to recover from her operation yesterday," the lead doctor explained.

"And what operation was that? I was under the impression she had given birth in the standard fashion," I said in puzzlement.

"After you left, she demanded we perform a tubal ligation to ensure she would have no more foals -- we tried to discourage her from having the operation so soon after foalbirth, but she refused to listen to our concerns, repeating her demand. We reluctantly agreed to comply with her demands, but everything appears to be normal. She should wake up in a few more hours, but we will need to hold her for another day to ensure a full recovery."

"Why did you leave, Amethyst?" asked Celestia.

"The doctors assured me she was resting comfortably -- I was going to have the hospital staff provide us with a room, but things happened, so I decided to take a room in the Pink Swan. I had no idea she was going to make this demand," I protested. "Trixie is very headstrong, so I doubt I'd have been able to dissuade her from that choice anyway."

"I see. I suppose that can't be helped, but I must admit I'm a little disappointed by her impulsiveness."

I chuckled weakly. "You have no idea of just how impulsive she can be when she sees an opportunity," I offered sullenly, shaking my head slowly.

"I understand. I hope my visit has assuaged your concerns, Amethyst. As you know, it has been quite hectic around the Castle without your presence, even with Twilight and Luna providing their assistance as well. I must leave now to return to my duties." With that, she lit her horn and teleported back to Canterlot, leaving me somewhat confused.

"Daddy, is mommy going to be all right?" asked Marina. She gazed up at me quizzically, a slight look of concern on her face.

"The doctors say she's going to be fine, Ray -- we just need to give her some more time to rest," I said softly.

"We'll let you know when she's awake -- she should be able to leave tomorrow, your Highness," one of the doctors stated.

"Thank you, doctor." I turned to my daughter. "Okay, Ray, we're going back to the Visage -- I have a little more work to do and your mama needs some rest." She clambered up onto my back and held on as I teleported us back to our suite on the top floor of the casino hotel. I then called my security team for a quick conference and had Marina's escort take her to her tutor, keeping Jade on my back.

"I'm worried about Trixie," I announced to my team. "I need to know more about that hospital -- find out what you can about it and get back to me as soon as possible, please."

"Yes, your Highness," my security chief stated firmly.

Jade slept soundly on my back as I continued taking care of the day's business. I received reports from other casinos on a weekly basis, though I had them staggered so I only had to deal with one weekly report per day -- there were other matters I had to attend to, items which kept my mind occupied. Eventually it was time for dinner, so I took the elevator down to the main level and trotted to one of the restaurants. I had security bring Marina to me so we could eat together. Marina was keen on having pizza for dinner -- to the point where she would insist on having pizza every night. I guess she got that from me, though I had to admit I was in the mood for pizza as well. The scent of pizza woke Jade from his sleep and he yawned and stretched as far as the carrier would allow. I removed him from the carrier and placed him in a high chair at our table. I watched him take a slice of pizza in his pale green aura and began nibbling on it.

"I didn't know he liked pizza," I mused aloud, smiling at the little colt.

"Um, I got him started on that, daddy," Marina said almost meekly.

"As long as he likes what he's eating, I don't mind, Ray," I responded warmly.

Our dinner was interrupted by one of my security team trotting up to me and hoofing me a written report. I took a moment to scan it quickly and frowned deeply at the news.

"What's wrong, daddy?" asked my daughter.

"Just as I feared, Ray -- our suspicions about that hospital have proven correct," I noted, a very serious tone to my voice. "Send a security detachment to the hospital to keep watch on Trixie. Make sure nothing happens to her," I addressed my chief, who saluted me and turned sharply to his left. He barked an order to one of his subordinates, who swiftly flew into action.

"I'm worried, Ray -- I'm really worried now."

"Did the doctors lie about mommy? Is she really gonna be all right?"

"I hope for their sake she recovers and is ready to go home tomorrow." We finished eating and then went back to our suite. Marina's tutor had provided her with a book for her to read, though the language in it was rudimentary. After tucking Jade into his little bed, I had chosen to lay down and contemplate this turn of events and drifted off to sleep. My daughter followed soon afterward, the sound of her light snoring reminding me of her mother.

The following morning found us having a rather early breakfast, but I was anxious to get Trixie back on her hooves again -- having her help with running the city had proven to be quite useful and the stress of being without her was wearing on my nerves. I continued to be impressed by Jade's ability to feed himself, though listening to him laugh made me smile. Changing his diaper, on the other hoof, was another matter entirely. After finishing breakfast, we went back to the suite to freshen up before we were to go back to the hospital.

I teleported us to the front door of the hospital again, trotting in with Marina trailing me, Jade back in his carrier I strode to the front counter and asked for one of Trixie's doctors, who was summoned immediately. His expression seemed rather pained, which renewed my state of unease as he trotted up to me.

"Your Highness, I have some unfortunate news about Trixie -- there have been some complications from her recent surgery and she has slipped into a coma -- we have tried waking her, but nothing seems to be working."

I hung my head and exhaled sharply through my nostrils.

"Daddy, what's wrong with mommy?" asked Marina, her expression showing deep worry.

"Your mama is in a coma -- she's going to be sleeping a bit longer than we thought. I'm going to have to have a little chat with Princess Celestia," I grumbled as I scooped my daughter up and put her on my back behind Jade before turning away from the doctor and trotting out of the hospital.

Checking Up on Trixie

To say I was distraught would be the height of understatement. A more appropriate word to describe my emotional state when I heard the news would be disconsolate. Without further word, I trotted out of the hospital with my foals on my back as I fought back tears. A doctor followed me out, pleading with me for understanding, though his words had no meaning to me. I teleported to my vehicle and strapped Marina and Jade in the back seat, then teleported to Canterlot Castle. Everypony who saw my expression moved aside for me as I strode angrily, my hoofsteps having taken an almost thunderous quality to them as I made my way to the Throne Room. The line of ponies awaiting their turn gawked at me and some of them visibly shuddered when they saw my face. Even the guardsponies who normally wore stoic expressions showed a degree of fear as I trotted up to the huge doors and threw them open with my magic, using enough force to cause them to slam violently against the interior walls of the room. Celestia glowered at me, but when she saw my expression, her attitude changed to one of concern.

"I take it something bad happened to your wife," the Solar Princess observed.

"Princess, I am trying really hard to control my temper. I got the report from my security detail yesterday and they determined that Strong Arc owned not only the hospital itself, but the construction company which built it as well as the architectural firm which drafted the blueprints for it. I also discovered that a great many of the hospital's staff were forced to give him a percentage of their wages in order to keep their jobs there. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to find out that Trixie would suffer complications from her surgery," I stated sullenly. My anger left me as I fell to my hocks on the floor, my tears fighting their way to break free.

"I am so sorry to hear this, Amethyst," she said softly as she came over to me and wrapped her right wing around me. She held me in her embrace for about ten minutes while I wrestled with my emotions. Marina and Jade whimpered quietly as a few tears trickled down my cheeks. "I will do what I can to help you -- it pains me to see you like this."

It took awhile for me to regain my resolve as I held my daughter close, my son still strapped to my back. Eventually Celestia stepped back and addressed me again.

"Amethyst, you will need to be strong for Trixie -- go to her, be with her -- she will need you to be there with her as well as your foals. If there is anything else you need, please let me know. If you need Summer Song to help, I shall have her summoned for you."

"You have my thanks, Celestia -- I would hate to impose on her, she's done so much for us already. May I visit Twilight? I'm curious to see how Garnet is doing."

The words hadn't even left my mouth when Twilight trotted in -- I was amazed to see she still wore her tiara with the Element in it. She had a carrier strapped to her back, but Garnet was being carried in front. Upon seeing me, she smiled warmly and nearly cantered up to me.

"Amethyst! It's been so long! How've you been doing?" she asked, a big smile on her face.

"I wish I had better news for you, Twilight -- Trixie has slipped into a coma at a hospital in Las Pegasus," I replied glumly.

Her smile fell immediately. "Oh ... my ... I'm so sorry, Amethyst! Is there anything I can do?"

"Unless you have some magic you can use to wake her from the coma, I don't know, Twilight." I hung my head, my ears flat. Marina clung to my right fore-leg, tears leaking from her eyes. She looked up to the lavender Alicorn and saw little Garnet and trotted over to look at the little filly. The two made eye contact, causing my daughter to smile.

"Looks like Marina's made a new friend," Twilight observed, a small smile on her lips as she looked down to see my dark blue filly. Marina cooed to Garnet, who cooed back in response.

"I hope to come back here when they're older, Twilight -- I think they'll get along quite nicely," I mused, returning her smile with one of my own. "I'm have to return to Las Pegasus soon -- Trixie needs me more than ever now, and I don't know how long she's going to be in a coma. There's one other thing -- Velvet Rose is our newborn filly, and without her mama to nurse her -- I should have thought about that before coming -- she's in the hospital too -- aagh! I've got to go back! NOW!"

"Amethyst, wait! I'm going with you!" the lavender Alicorn implored, trotting beside me.

"If you're coming, we need to teleport to my vehicle. Take my left forehoof, Twilight," I said, raising it for her. She took it and smiled at me warmly in an attempt to cheer me up. I flashed a half-hearted smile in return as I teleported us to my car.

"You've changed it a little," she observed. "What happened to the van?"

"Long story, Twi. Let's get going," I replied tersely.

"Perhaps you can tell me later? I want to see Trixie as well," she stated as she climbed into the front passenger seat while I strapped Marina, Jade, and Garnet in the back seat. The little light purple filly cooed at me, perhaps mistaking me for Celestia, perhaps it was just her nature -- I smiled warmly at her, though my smile betrayed my mood. I closed the rear passenger door and got into the driver's seat and had the car teleport us back to the front entrance of the hospital Trixie and Velvet were staying in.

"Magic battery level, 58 per cent," came a voice from the speakers.

"Thanks, TS," I muttered as I turned off the vehicle. "Okay, Twi, let's go. I just hope we're not too late."

"Too late for what?" asked Marina.

I paused for a few seconds, taking a sharp inhale. "I don't wanna think about it, Ray," I answered softly. We entered the hospital with grim expressions on our faces. Twilight and I were both wearing our regalia, causing everypony to bow and address us as "Your Highness" or "Your Majesty." I strode to the front desk almost too impatiently and glared at the hapless secretary. She cowered under my harsh gaze.

"Twilight and I are here to see my wife Trixie and my newborn foal Velvet Rose," I stated firmly.

"Y-yes, y-your H-highness," the pale blue pegasus responded meekly as she trotted to the file cabinets to look up the records. "Trixie is in room 7234 and Velvet is in 13112 --"

"Thanks," I offered curtly and turned to go down the hallway towards the elevators.

"Excuse me, you need an escort to accompany you before you visit your wife and foal," said somepony as they accosted me. I turned around to see who would treat me in that fashion, a scowl marring my features. One of the doctors from earlier had placed his left fore-hoof on my right shoulder to get my attention.

"How much did you have to give Strong Arc to keep your position?" I asked coldly, maintaining my scowl. I watched the dark red unicorn stallion blanch momentarily before he regained a little composure.

"T-that's immaterial, your Highness," he replied almost fearfully. "I would request you refrain from asking more questions like that if you wish to see your wife."

My scowl deepened. "You are in no position to make threats against royalty," I hissed through clenched teeth. "You may have been working for Strong Arc in the past, but he's in the dungeons now. Take me to my wife. NOW."

Do I have to turn this town into a pile of ashes?

"Amethyst, he's just trying to do his job," Twilight offered as she tried to soften my mood. Marina looked up at me quizzically.

"I understand, Twi, but -- Trixie needs me! I'm in no mood for trifles!" I exclaimed, my exasperation making itself evident.

"My apologies, your Highness -- this way, please," the doctor implored impatiently, trotting quickly towards the elevators. Marina had to canter very quickly to match the pace and complained about having to run. I lifted her onto my back so we could get to Trixie's room more quickly, though having to wait nearly five minutes for an empty elevator car was nearly intolerable. Adding to the time needed to reach Trixie's room was the fact that the elevator car we were on made stops at three different floors for additional staff to get on or off at each stop. Upon reaching the seventh floor, we trotted along two hallways to reach the wing her room was located in. We entered to see a white pegasus mare wearing a nurse's uniform by my wife's side. The monitors showed her vital signs stable but weak.

"Nurse Good Heart, what is her status?" asked the doctor. He took her chart in his aura and gave it a quick glance before returning it to its previous spot at the foot of her bed. He frowned and turned to me. "Your Majesty, her prognosis does not look good."

"Princess Twilight! My cousin Red Heart speaks very highly of you! It is an honor to meet you!" the nurse gushed, causing the lavender Alicorn to blush slightly.

"Thank you, Good Heart," she said softly, offering a warm smile.

"Doctor, how much time does she have left?" I asked as his words hit like a ton of bricks. My anger had fled, only to be replaced by deep concern. My scowl had softened into a frown.

"I'm not sure, your Majesty -- but I believe she might only have a few weeks left at most. Her coma seems to have worsened," he replied sullenly.

"What about my daughter, Velvet?" I asked.

"She is being kept in the nursery while her mother is in a coma -- we have special nurses to attend to her needs, considering the fact she is only two days old."

"I'm one of her nurses," Good Heart added, smiling warmly. "You must be Prince Amethyst -- I am honored to meet you as well!"

"Thank you, Good Heart. Please make sure Velvet gets everything she needs -- I would hate for something bad to happen to her as well," I said, heaving a sigh of resignation. I approached the bed and stood beside the nurse, examining the show-mare as though I could do something to help her. Her breathing was regular but slightly labored as a respirator was assisting her. Her pulse monitor showed 40 beats per minute, the heart monitor showing relatively weak activity, but it too was stable.

"I want to see my daughter," I intoned sternly. "I need to see for myself. I will come back here for you, Trixie," I whispered softly in her ear.

"Why won't mommy wake up?" asked Marina as she peered over the bed rail to see her mother. Tears started spilling over her cheeks as her lower lips began quivering. I hung my head as a feeling of hopelessness washed over me.

"Please follow me, I will take you to see your daughter," the doctor offered. I glanced over at Trixie and saw Twilight whisper something into the show-mare's ear before she turned to follow us. Her expression had turned dour as well.

"Amethyst, if there's anything I can do to help you --" she began, but let her words trail off.

"I appreciate your offer of kindness, Twilight -- and if there's anything I can think of for you to assist me with -- I know you're probably busy with your duties, but it would mean so much to me if you could stay with me and Trixie," I answered softly.

"I'm here for you, Amethyst," the lavender Alicorn offered as she sidled up to me and nuzzled against my neck, a gesture I returned half-heartedly.

"Thanks," I responded sullenly. We trotted silently the rest of the way to the elevator, up to the 13th floor and to the nursery. The doctor called on one of the nurses to bring Velvet to us, surprising me with just how small she was. The pale pink filly was still asleep, her eyes closed, and a somewhat peaceful expression on her face.

"She is very cute, Amethyst," Twilight mused, a demure smile on her face. She seemed to gaze lovingly at the little filly. "You know, I wouldn't mind having another foal myself."

"This is a bad time for such a request, Twi," I stated flatly. I gazed at my little filly, but my concern for her safety and my mood regarding Trixie's deteriorating state of health had me wearing a neutral expression. Twilight gave me a sheepish grin as she apologized for her tactlessness. I caught this and softened my attitude toward her. "That's not to say that there may not be a time in the future for that, though right now is not good."

"My apologies, Amethyst. Your little filly is so cute, I lost my head there for a moment."

"That's okay, Twilight," I offered softly before turning my attention to the doctor. "Please return Velvet to her bed and take us back to meet up with Trixie again," I stated, my tone one of dejection. He nodded his head in acquiescence and had us follow him back to Trixie's room. Nothing had changed about her status since we had left her room some 30 minutes ago. I entered the room, Twilight and Marina behind me.

I closed the distance to my show-mare wife and leaned over her, placing my head on her barrel. I could have sworn I saw her smile ever so slightly at my gesture of affection -- that, or perhaps my eyes were playing tricks on me. I rested my head on her body until the doctor cleared his throat. Twilight watched with a look of concern -- it appeared to me as though she was trying through sheer force of will to heal Trixie. Marina peered over the rail again.

"Mama, please wake up! I want you to wake up! Please!" the blue filly almost wailed, tears continuing to trickle down her cheeks. This sight caused a tear to leak from my eyes as well. I glanced at the lavender Alicorn and noticed her daubing her eyes with a forehoof as well.

"Ray, we've got to be strong for her," I said softly. Twilight trotted over to us and wrapped a wing around me.

"I will return to Canterlot and check the library and archives to see if there's anything I can find to help, Amethyst. I want to help you -- I can't stand seeing you or her like this. Let me know as soon as possible if her condition worsens."

"You're not going to teleport all the way back there by yourself, are you?" I asked, giving her a puzzled look.

"I can do that and it will take a bit out of me, but this is very important. I'll be okay, don't worry about me!" she grinned, focusing magic through her horn and disappearing in a puff of purple smoke, a loud popping sound echoing through the room as she left.

"Daddy, I wanna learn how to do that too!" Marina chirped, her eyes wide at seeing the lavender Alicorn teleport away.

"I'll teach you how to do that later, Ray -- that's a high level unicorn spell which takes quite a bit of practice," I responded, giving her a soft smile. I turned to face the doctor. "We would like to stay with her for as long as possible."

"Of course, your Majesty," he replied tersely and left the room. I sat down on a chair facing my wife and silently watched the monitors as they continued to register her vital signs, the regular beeping being virtually the only noise in the room aside from the respirator.

"Oh Trixie, I wish there was something more I could do for you," I stated in a flat monotone, my emotions a tangled mess as I pondered the possibility of a bleak future without her by my side. "You know I can't live without you, Trixie -- I don't know what I'm gonna do if you die on me --" I began before Marina climbed into my lap and hugged me as tightly as she could, her sobs wracking her body as she wept, the tears streaming down her face. I held her close and cooed softly to her.

"Ray, be strong for me -- it's no less than what your mama would want," I whispered in her ear.

This Can't Be Happening

Hours passed while we sat in Trixie's room, keeping a close watch on her. Time seemed to drag by as my mood would shift from anger to despair and back to anger again, with a healthy portion of regret thrown in for good measure. I spent a fair amount of time contemplating possible strategies to help my wife, wondering which methods would bring her back from her coma. Jade slept comfortably on my back, seemingly blissfully unaware of the gravity of the situation. I wondered how he might act when he got older if his mama were to die here, then quickly forced that thought out of my head. I've got to remain positive -- I have to be strong for her, for my foals -- I refuse to let her die!

One of her doctors returned later to inform us that visiting hours were over -- I glared at him sternly and flared my wings, my eyes flashing an angry red to let him know I was in no mood to leave Trixie. He blurted out a terrified, "I'm sorry, your Majesty," as he quickly turned around and fled the room to leave us to watch over the show-mare. I heaved a sigh and closed the door with my magic, noting that Marina had fallen asleep and was laying next to Trixie on the bed. I gently placed Jade a little further down the bed from his sister, ensuring they would rest comfortably. As an Alicorn, I generally didn't need sleep, and my mood was such that I couldn't sleep anyway, so I maintained my vigil, keeping a watchful eye on my wife.

At some point during the night, I fell asleep as my fatigue had overtaken me -- I had tried to remain awake for as long as I could, and even though I was an Alicorn, the stress of the situation had taken its toll on my strength. I was woken by one of the monitors beeping more loudly than usual as Trixie's vital signs showed a marked deterioration from her earlier stability. In a panic, I found the emergency call button and pushed it, summoning a doctor to her room immediately. I scooped up Jade and Marina from the bed as the doctor lit his horn and summoned the rest of the medical team, calling on them to hurry as swiftly as possible. My daughter woke up crying as the team wheeled Trixie's gurney out of the room and down the hallway.

"Daddy, where are they taking mommy?" she asked, her renewed sobs punctuating her question with hesitant stops between words. I heaved a sigh as I carried her and Jade in an attempt to follow the team to wherever it was they were taking her.

"I think they may be taking her to ICU, Ray -- I don't know, but I intend to find out," I replied tersely, quickening my pace to catch up to the group. They had caught an elevator and the door closed just as I made it to the bank of elevators. I stomped my right forehoof angrily at having missed them by half a second, making a dent in the floor. I looked up to see the dial above the car move left, the numbers decreasing in that direction. I pushed the button for the next car to go down and ended up waiting three minutes before the next one showed up. I impatiently pushed the button for the main level, then repeatedly pushed the "door close" button in an attempt to get the doors to close faster. The trip down to the lobby seemed to take forever and I cursed aloud at the slowness of the elevator's doors to open.

"Come on, Trixie, be strong for me -- don't die on me!" I muttered under my breath. I followed the signs to the ICU and tried to enter. I was stopped by a doctor at the entrance to the unit, who sternly refused my entry.

"That's my wife in there!" I protested angrily, giving the doctor my harshest stare.

"I'm sorry, your Highness, but even you are not allowed in there while they're working on her," he stated firmly, returning my gaze with one of his own. "I know she's your wife, but the doctors must be allowed to work without distractions."

I huffed in angry protest at this restriction and stood at one of the windows to watch the team in action. A flurry of activity surrounded the azure unicorn as they feverishly worked to stabilize her condition. The tone of their voices caused me to sigh heavily and Marina to worry.

"Daddy, what's happening in there?" she asked, fluttering her wings and flying up to get a look through the window. She hadn't mastered hovering yet, so I held her in my aura, levitating her in front of the window so she could watch. "What are they doing? Are they trying to help mommy? What are they saying?"

"They're doing everything they can to save mama, Ray. They're having some trouble in there, though," I replied sadly, hanging my head as their voices seemed to become more frantic, their actions more desperate. Trixie went into cardiac arrest and they brought out the defibrillator -- I watched in shock as the heart rate monitor flat-lined and one of the doctors yelled "Clear!" while they tried to resuscitate her. They tried this about ten times before they put the device away and pulled a white sheet over Trixie's body.

"NOOOO!!!" I shouted as I witnessed this. My outburst caused the glass to shatter, the sound of my scream reverberating throughout the hospital. Marina started wailing when she saw the sheet being pulled over her mama's body, then climbed onto my back and hugged my neck as tightly as she could, burying her face in my fur, her tears wetting it up.

The lead doctor came out of the unit, the team wheeling the gurney out with the show-mare's lifeless body on it. "I'm sorry, your Majesty. We did everything we could to save her," the lead doctor offered solemnly, a grim expression on his face. "We will be taking the body to the morgue."

"I'll take her with me," I responded sternly, giving the doctor my harshest stare.

"There are certain protocols --" he began to protest before I cut him off very sharply.

"I said, 'I'll take her WITH ME!!'" I bellowed in his face, causing him to shrink back fearfully. My mane and tail had changed into their flaming mode, my eyes flashing bright red with anger. "Don't make me burn this hospital down," I growled at him, baring my teeth.

"Y-y-yes, y-your M-majesty! Do -- do as you please!" he whimpered, retreating to the relative safety of the team of doctors who were watching very nervously. I approached the gurney and pulled the sheet back to expose Trixie's lifeless body and heaved a very heavy sigh of resignation.

"I am very sorry to have brought her here for medical attention. I will take her back to Canterlot for a full state funeral with honors. I will send an emissary to retrieve Velvet Rose from the nursery and bring her to Canterlot as well. I understand you tried your best to save her, but you failed. I will apprise Princess Celestia regarding this turn of events," I stated solemnly, lifting my wife's body with my telekinesis.

"Daddy, what's gonna happen now? Where are we going?" asked my daughter as I began trotting slowly towards the entrance to the hospital. She cantered behind me as I heard a cacophony of apologies from the medical staff and pleas of mercy from them as well. I turned a deaf ear to their requests as I trotted outside to my vehicle. I opened the rear lift gate and laid Trixie in the back, then closed the gate. I opened the rear passenger door and strapped Marina and Jade in, then closed their door and took the driver's seat.

"Turn on, TS," I stated firmly, bringing the SUV to life, the engine idling quietly.

"There is an anomaly," came the dull monotone of her voice through the speakers.

"Trixie's dead, TS," I replied sullenly.

"WHAT?" came Princess Celestia's voice through the speakers. "What happened?"

"I'm on my way back to Canterlot Castle, Celestia. I will give you the full story when I get there. TS, please take us to Canterlot. NOW."

"Yes, Amethyst -- I am very sorry to hear this. Preparing to teleport."

The SUV disappeared in a blinding flash of white, then materialized in a courtyard at the Castle. "Turn off," I uttered, the vehicle complying dutifully with the request. I placed Jade on my back and levitated Trixie's body out of the back as Marina got out of the car. Tears continued to trickle down her cheeks as she followed me into the Castle, then to the Throne Room. The line of ponies today stood in stunned silence as they saw me trot slowly with my wife's body in tow. The guards silently opened the doors to let us in and I slowly trotted up to the Solar Princess, my hoofsteps becoming a bit shakier as I took those last few steps. I lowered Trixie's body to the floor, but Celestia halted me. She summoned a table from somewhere with her magic and laid the mare's body on it. She turned to me sadly and sighed heavily.

"Amethyst, I am so sorry to have sent you to Las Pegasus. Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked, her words weighted with guilt and remorse. A tear trickled down her left cheek as she trotted to me. "Is there anything I can do for your foals?"

I sat on the floor, my head in my forehooves as the realization finally began to hit me. I allowed a wail of despair to escape my mouth as I succumbed to the tsunami of emotion, a wave of sadness that seemed to have no end to it. Marina hugged me tightly as I sobbed openly, my body heaving as I cried out, the pain almost too much for me to bear. The elder Alicorn wrapped her wings around me in an attempt to comfort me, but losing Trixie was too much for me as I continued to pour out my grief.

Resurrection

Celestia rose to her hooves and trotted to the doors leading to the throne room, opening one to peer at the line of ponies behind it.

"I'm afraid Solar Court has been adjourned for today -- I apologize for this inconvenience, but there is a very important matter I must attend to, one which requires my undivided attention. Given the severity of the situation, it may be a few days before Solar Court resumes. I am sorry to disappoint you all, but I promise to give your concerns a fair hearing and will be offering extended hours to hear your petitions next week," the Alicorn stated. A number of ponies complained and muttered about this, but given the fact they had no choice in the matter, they slowly dispersed and left the castle. Celestia turned around and trotted back over to me, though I was still sitting on my haunches, my head in my forehooves as I contemplated my next course of action.

"Take all the time you need, Amethyst. If there is anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to call on me. I shall be here for you," she offered softly, wrapping a wing around me again.

"I can't believe I failed her again," I muttered as I shook my head slowly.

"You did not fail her, Amethyst -- there was nothing you could do to save her," she said just barely above a whisper. I shuddered when she spoke those words -- I suppose she meant for them to comfort me, but they sparked something in me.

"Was there? Who was it who sent me to Las Pegasus in the first place?" I asked bitterly. "I'd have been better off staying a unicorn -- at least Trixie might still be alive."

"I am very sorry for sending you there, Amethyst," the Alicorn stated sullenly, still trying to console me over my loss. "I had no idea something like this would happen to you ... or Trixie, for that matter. You have my deepest sympathies -- I want you to know that I will do everything I can to help you through this trying time."

"I think Trixie deserves a Royal Funeral with full honors, Celestia. I need somepony to go to that hospital in Las Pegasus and bring Velvet Rose back here, if that's possible. I'm going to have to break the bad news to Midnight -- she's going to be furious," I said, my words seeming to have no emotion to them. Marina continued to hug me and Jade rested comfortably on my back, secure in the carrier. I heard him snoring, which seemed to bring me a small degree of comfort. "I think Twilight's going to be rather unhappy as well," I mused softly. I noticed the elder Alicorn having left me for a few moments, though I hadn't paid much attention to her absence, given my distress. I was startled by a clattering of hooves on the floor and turned around to see what had made the noise. I was shocked by what I saw.

"Amethyst? Where is Trixie?" the show-mare asked. My jaw appeared to unhinge as it dropped comically to the floor. I forced it back into place after regaining a little composure. I was shocked that Celestia had succeeded in resurrecting my wife, who trotted over to me and gave me a firm hug. "Trixie was wondering what happened and why she is not in the hospital," she mused softly as I returned her embrace. I glanced at the Solar Princess, a smile on her face as beads of sweat dripped from her forehead.

"Celestia, please tell me you didn't do this," I said apprehensively. The revived show-mare held me tighter still as though she was trying to squeeze the life out of me -- her grip proved to be quite strong.

"Amethyst, please don't leave Trixie behind again," she pleaded, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"Amethyst, there are certain things that I can do, though sometimes it goes against my better judgment to perform them. I know of certain forbidden spells I can use to restore life to the recently deceased, but the cost is very high. Upon seeing you in such a state of distress, I felt compelled to bring your wife back to you, so as to restore a semblance of happiness to you," the elder Alicorn noted softly. "And I might inform you that when you committed suicide in this very room not so terribly long ago, I used the same magic upon you to return you to the realm of the living, so it's not as though I haven't done this before."

I allowed her words to sink in, contemplating the significance of her statement. I thought it was impossible to accomplish what she did. She seemed to be anticipating something, so I decided to speak. "Words cannot begin to express my appreciation for what you have done -- when I saw Trixie die on that table in the ICU, it was all I could do to keep from exploding into a furious rage and burn that hospital to the ground. Velvet Rose is still there and we need to get her out of there as soon as possible."

"I shall accompany you, Amethyst -- I would have words with the director of the hospital," Celestia said firmly.

"We shall take my SUV -- it will save us some magic strength," I noted.

"Trixie feels funny -- her head hurts, Amethyst," the show-mare observed despondently. Her voice sounded weak, but I figured it was because she had just been revived from death. There was a part of me that was quite suspicious, so I made a mental note to have her checked out once we returned.

"That's normal, Trixie -- it's to be expected after having such a spell performed on you," the Solar Princess responded in a somewhat flat tone of voice. It appeared to me as though the effort had taken a serious toll on the Alicorn, adding yet another concern to my growing list of them. We trotted to the courtyard where my vehicle was waiting and got inside, Celestia once again taking the front passenger seat as Trixie sat in the back with our foals. The teleport was nearly instantaneous, the vehicle materializing in front of the hospital -- I think the staff were getting sick of seeing me, but gasped in horror when they saw Trixie trotting beside me.

"Y-you w-were d-dead! I -- I -- I saw him leave with you!" the lead doctor exclaimed, fear dripping from his words.

"Trixie is harder to kill than that!" the show-mare giggled as we watched him turn tail and gallop fearfully somewhere.

"Amethyst, who was that?" asked Celestia as we continued towards the elevators.

"He was the lead doctor who tried to save Trixie in the ICU," I responded in deadpan monotone. I noticed everypony giving us wide berth as we reached the elevator bank. The next car arrived just as I pushed the button to go up and everypony on the car gasped at the sight of two Alicorns, bowing deeply to us, then effusively offering us the car.

"I take it you receive this level of attention everywhere you go, Celestia?" I asked. She grinned in response before her smile fell.

"It gets tedious at times, but yes, Amethyst. You receive the same treatment, I assume?"

"Only when I'm wearing my regalia," I replied, pushing the number 13 button for the nursery. "Other than that, I have to flare my wings to get their attention if I feel I've been offended by their ... obtuseness." Celestia chuckled softly at this, while Trixie snickered a little.

"Trixie is used to such treatment, Amethyst," she observed as the car reached the desired floor. We trotted to the nursery, receiving nervous stares from the other ponies as we wended our way through the corridors.

"Trixie desires to have her foal returned to her," she announced when we reached the nurses' station. She gave the mare at the desk an expectant look which was returned with one of shock.

"We -- we -- received a report that -- you -- you -- had -- had --" the mare stammered in fright.

"Where is Trixie's foal -- Velvet Rose?" she asked more forcefully, giving the mare a harsh stare.

"We -- we -- we -- were going -- to -- to -- take her -- to -- to -- an -- orph -- orphan -- orphanage," she stammered.

"WHAAAAT??!" Trixie exploded in fury, her breath causing the air to chill dramatically, her eyes flaring an icy blue. I echoed my wife's statement, my eyes flaring red. Celestia frowned deeply.

"Trixie wants her foal! NOW!" she screeched, snowflakes spitting from her mouth. I had to take Jade and Marina away from her to keep them from suffering hypothermia as the show-mare's body became even colder. I almost snickered as I witnessed the lead nurse gallop into the nursery and return with our little pale pink filly, still bundled in a pink blanket. Upon seeing her foal, Trixie returned to her normal state, a broad smile returning to her face, before she glowered at the nurse.

"Don't ever do that again," she admonished sharply.

"Where is the director's office? I definitely need to discuss certain matters with him or her," Celestia averred, a firm gaze fixed upon the nurse.

"Uh -- first floor, your Highness," she uttered meekly before scampering away from us.

Without another word, we trotted our way back to the elevator and took it down to the first floor, then trotted around until we found the director's office. His secretary was stunned to see us and tried to stall us (at his request), causing the Solar Princess to use her Royal Canterlot Voice to bring him out. His continued reticence caused me to kick his door in, drawing a harsh stare from Celestia. I grinned sheepishly in response to her glare, causing her to snicker. Trixie grinned mischievously at this exchange as we entered the director's office, the tan unicorn stallion cowering behind his desk.

"Ah, so you know why we're here," I intoned sharply.

"You -- you've gotten what you wanted -- now -- now -- get out of my hospital!" he shouted at us. Celestia raised an eyebrow at him, causing his eyes to widen in fear. "Y-your H-highness! I -- I'm sorry! It -- it won't happen again, I promise!"

"Indeed it won't," the elder Alicorn replied softly. "I'll be sending a cadre of ponies over to make certain changes around here -- and by the way, you're fired."

Unintended Consequences

We exited the hospital and took the SUV back to Canterlot, the teleport causing some discomfort to little Velvet, who wailed upon our arrival. Trixie cooed softly to the infant filly, rocking her gently in her forehooves, then snuggled her next to Jade in the carrier. Celestia frowned somewhat, her expression appearing to show some pain. This caused me a little consternation and I raised the matter to her attention.

"Something troubling you, Celestia?" I asked as we trotted into the Castle. Trixie seemed to express a similar worry.

"Reviving Trixie may have taken more out of me than I had thought," the Solar Princess responded, her voice almost a monotone.

"Perhaps a little rest would help you," I suggested warmly, flashing a smile.

"I'm quite capable of managing my fatigue, Amethyst. Your suggestion is helpful and I would appreciate it if you would be kind enough to cover Solar Court for me until I make a full recovery."

"Of course, Celestia -- once again I thank you for bringing Trixie back for me," I offered warmly, my smile widening a little.

We continued our short trek to the Throne Room and noticed the guards had worried expressions on their faces, causing the Solar Princess to raise an eyebrow.

"Your Highness, there's ... somepony ... to see you," one of the guards noted, his voice trembling. The doors opened to reveal a very tall and large white stallion, easily half again Celestia's height. The aspect that caught my attention was the fact that he had eight legs, causing me to express a great curiosity.

"Lord Sleipnir, to what do I owe this ... unexpected visit?" the Solar Princess asked, a slight tremble to her voice.

If she's that apprehensive, I wonder how powerful he is...

His voice had a Stentorian quality to it, one which caused me no small amount of unease. He spoke in measured tones, but even that was loud enough to cause discomfort. "Lady Celestia, I have come for something you have taken from me." He glowered at the Solar Princess, even as she lowered her head and ears. I decided to approach him at this point, though I motioned for Trixie to accompany me. She appeared to be petrified of this stallion.

"Lord Sleipnir, may I present my wife, Trixie? She recently gave birth to a foal and it was Celestia who returned her to the living. I request you allow some leniency as I was distraught at the loss of my wife, though I had no idea she could be resurrected," I offered. The stallion turned his attention to me, his gaze seemingly hot enough to burn holes in my flesh.

"Fledgling Prince, your concerns are petty at best -- your wife was accompanying ME when she was taken. I was in the process of escorting her to the afterlife, and we were almost there before she disappeared."

"I apologize, Lord Sleipnir, but our youngest foal is just two days old. I beg of you, please show a little mercy on us all," I offered meekly, bowing deeply to him.

"Mercy? MERCY? Have you any idea what could happen if I do?"

"Please, Lord Sleipnir -- I was the one who acted in haste -- you may take me, if you desire," Celestia stated, bowing just as deeply as I did before him. My expression was one of shocked surprise to see this.

"Celestia, your ponies need you," I protested.

"Amethyst, you have proven yourself capable of being the Solar Regent. Remember, I told you that someday you'd become my permanent replacement. It would appear that that day has arrived," she responded.

"What about your sister, Luna? You can't just abandon her!" I nearly shouted.

"This is an interesting conundrum," Sleipnir mused thoughtfully. "Lady Celestia, do you really think he's ready to take your place? He's not even lived a century."

Luna rushed into the Throne Room at this point and went nearly as white as her sister when she saw the elder stallion. She bowed deeply before him.

"Lady of the Moon, it is indeed a pleasure to see you once again. Your sister has performed an action which has displeased me, though she has admitted she is willing to relinquish her spirit to take the place of the one she stole from me. She has informed me that this fledgling is ready to take her place."

Trixie shifted nervously on her hooves before she spoke up. "Lord Sleipnir, Trixie requests that she be allowed to return with you to her previous place, on the trail leading us to the afterlife."

"No! I can't lose you again! Trixie! Please, your foals! My love! NOO!" I wailed.

"What is she to you, fledgling? Your love? Does she truly love you in return? Do you truly love her?"

I fell to the floor on my barrel, sobbing openly, my chest heaving as those sobs wracked my body. Celestia came over to me and wrapped herself around me. Trixie trotted over to me and knelt beside me, Jade and Velvet still on her back. Marina trotted over as well, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried to get in on this impromptu group hug.

"Daddy, please don't let the big bad white stallion take mommy away! Make him go away! Mommy! Please don't go!"

Said stallion stood impassively watching this scenario unfold, a grim expression on his face. He waited a few moments for some semblance of calm to return before he spoke again.

"I understand the pain all of you must be feeling, but there is the matter of justice to be done. I cannot return without a pony of some sort to take the place of the one who was stolen from me. It matters not to me whomever that pony is, regardless of their importance or relevance. Fledgling Prince, you saw me from afar not too terribly long ago -- perhaps you might be willing to accompany me?"

"That would not be fair to my wife, Lord Sleipnir, nor would it be fair to the ponies of Equestria," I responded matter-of-factly, my expression nearly matching his.

"Then Lady Celestia? Or shall it be the youthful Trixie?"

Marina couldn't take any more of this. She screamed as loud as she could as she rushed up to the stallion and began pounding on one of his legs with both her forelegs, shouting and screaming and pounding against him until she fell to the floor, tears flowing freely from her eyes, her wailing and sobbing wracking her little body. He looked down at her with deep compassion.

"Very well then. I cannot take this little one's mother, so ... it looks like Lady Celestia will have to volunteer," he stated flatly.

The Solar Princess solemnly rose to her hooves, despite Luna's and my protestations. She shook her head sadly at us as she trotted slowly to the stallion's side, tears trickling down her cheeks.

"Amethyst, I request you rule justly in my stead. Luna, I am deeply sorry to do this, but it was my mistake in the first place. Trixie, I apologize to you for taking you away from your final rest, though there will come a time when you will accompany Lord Sleipnir once again. Please break the news gently to Twilight."

Luna rushed to her sister's side to give her a tight hug, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh, Tia, what hast thou done?" she asked, just barely above a whisper. The Lunar Princess turned to face me and scowled before angrily trotting to me. "Amethyst! Thou must explain this to Us!"

"I have no time for further delay," the stallion announced as he turned to face us, one of his legs draped around the Solar Princess. A blinding white light enveloped the two of them and as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone, along with both of them.

"NOOOO! TIAAA!" Luna wailed. I wrapped a wing around her in an attempt to comfort her, but she pushed me away sharply. "Amethyst! Leave us to our grief!" she snapped before teleporting to her bedchamber.

"Um, Trixie? Looks like I'm the one in charge here now," I stated glumly, a sour expression on my face. I trudged slowly to the throne and sat on it, allowing the realization of what had just transpired to sink in. Trixie trotted over to me, a tear trickling down her left cheek as she prodded Marina to trot with her.

"Daddy, where did Princess Celestia go? Where did they go?"

"To a place very far away, Marina -- and I hope you don't have to go there for a VERY long time," I replied softly. I turned my attention to Trixie. "I don't think Twilight's going to take this very well."

Mirror, Mirror in the Pool

I was dreading the possibility of having to relate to Twilight what had happened -- the prospect of this actually terrified me as I had no idea how badly she would react to the news. I knew the truth would have to come out sooner or later and lying about it would have even greater consequences. I had faced such moral dilemmas earlier in my life, but none with such far-reaching ramifications, and if the Princess of Magic were to discover on her own what had happened, that would make matters even worse. I was silently wondering how long it would be before I would find myself obligated to break the news to her, though I was unprepared for just how short a period of time it actually was. The guards at the door let the lavender Alicorn enter, catching me off-guard. She noticed me sitting on the throne and trotted towards me with a very quizzical expression.

"Amethyst, where is Celestia? Did she take off somewhere and let you cover for her?" she asked. Trixie showed a pained expression but remained silent. I was afraid of being asked this question, but Twilight always seemed to know when something was wrong, and this was just another one of those times. I lowered my head and ears, giving myself away, even though I had tried not to.

"Twilight, I wish I had better news for you -- I was hoping I wouldn't have to tell you this so soon after it happened, but -- let me explain it to you so you might understand why events transpired in the fashion they did," I replied, sighing heavily. She opened and closed her mouth a few times before she regained some of her mental faculties. Trixie bowed her head, though I could tell she wanted to make herself as small as possible.

"What happened?" asked Twilight, her gaze hardening at me. I took a deep breath and exhaled sharply in response before I told her the sad story of what happened to Trixie in Las Pegasus and the ensuing actions that precipitated the Solar Princess' departure with Lord Sleipnir. Twilight stood in shocked silence for several moments before she slowly shook her head.

"No, no, no, no, no! NOO! NOOOOO! WHYYYY?" she wailed. She glared at me as angrily as Luna had done, her mane and tail beginning to smolder, her eyes beginning to flare an angry red. "YOU! You were the cause of this!"

"I'm very sorry, Twilight -- perhaps I should have allowed Sleipnir to take me instead -- but -- that wouldn't have been fair to Trixie or our foals -- little Velvet is just two days old and depriving her of her father would be devastating. Trixie offered herself, but --" I offered softly. "I wish you had been here to witness the exchange we had. It pains me just as much as it does you to lose Celestia, but maybe there's a way we can bring her back -- or if not her, perhaps a copy of her counterpart in that other universe."

The lavender Alicorn perked her ears up at this and turned to me. "You mean -- the Mirror Pool?" Twilight asked, her eyes going wide. "Um, Amethyst, I don't know if that's such a good idea -- but -- maybe it just might work! Can you take me to the other universe?" she asked rather eagerly -- it appeared to me that even a copy of Celestia's counterpart would be enough ... maybe.

"Yes, Twilight, I can -- please wait here for me, I need a moment to converse with Luna," I answered, then teleported to the Lunar Princess' chamber before giving the lavender Alicorn any time to respond to my request. I materialized in Luna's bedchamber, noticing the indigo Alicorn laying on her bed, though I could only see her back. I don't know if she heard my arrival as she chose not to look in my direction. I silently observed her as she continued to weep and it took me several tense moments to gather enough courage to speak, though I cleared my throat first to get her attention.

"Luna?" I asked hesitantly. I had instinctively lowered my head and ears, something the indigo Alicorn noticed almost quizzically.

"Amethyst, we need more time to grieve," she replied softly. Tears trickled slowly down her cheeks as she met my gaze.

"I'd like to offer a possible solution," I began, scuffing my right forehoof on the floor.

"And what would that be?"

"Are you familiar with the legend of the Mirror Pool?" I asked, a sly grin slowly creeping on my face.

"Yes, Amethyst, we are -- though we are unsure of how thou wouldst succeed in bringing Tia back."

"I can travel to the other universe and request a favor of Celestia there -- perhaps a clone of hers would suffice?" I queried. I saw a faint glimmer of hope come to her face as she contemplated this possibility.

"Verily, Amethyst, if thou can do this --" she said softly as she trotted up to me and hugged me tightly.

"I will have to check with her in that other universe -- she may not agree to do this, but I hope I can persuade her to do so, not just for your sake, but mine as well. I sincerely hope that this action doesn't have any negative repercussions in the future."

"We wouldst desire to accompany thee on thy journey."

"Who would cover Solar Court -- oh wait, I forgot -- she cancelled it for the remainder of the week. I believe we can make this short, Luna, so yes, I would be happy to have you come along with," I noted optimistically. "Twilight waits for us in the Throne Room."

Luna and I teleported back to the Throne Room to see Trixie and Twilight talking, my show-mare wife explaining to her what she had seen on her journey towards the after-life, the lavender mare's mouth open in surprise at what she was hearing as we returned.

"We have to make this quick, before the rumors about Celestia's disappearance start flying," I advised. "Luna, Twilight -- I am really sorry for this -- I cannot help but feel completely responsible for this happening. I had no idea that Trixie would suffer such complications following the birth of little Velvet. If this succeeds, I will still endeavor to atone for my error."

"We shall hold thee to thy word, Amethyst," Luna said somewhat darkly. Twilight simply nodded her head in agreement with the indigo Alicorn, while Trixie meekly kept her head and ears lowered.

"Trixie is sorry as well -- she was in too much of a hurry to have the operation to keep from having any more foals," she offered softly. I gasped in exasperation at her admission, shocked by the fact that she would be so impatient as to disregard my warning.

"I thought I told you to wait a few weeks after foal-birth to have that done, Trixie! So -- this is all your fault?" I asked in astonishment. If looks could kill...

"Trixie is sorry! How many times does she have to say that?" she mewled. I glared at her.

"You'd better hope this works -- if not, I'm going to pay Lord Sleipnir a personal visit," I averred quite darkly. "It's the least I can do, considering my mistakes."

"Amethyst, Trixie is SORRY!" she wailed as she rushed me and hugged me as tightly as she could.

"I know you are," I responded gravely before turning to Luna and Twilight. "Let's get going, we've wasted enough time already."

"Trixie wants to come with you as well! Please don't leave Trixie here!"

I sighed heavily at my wife's request, then called on one guard to fetch Summer Song. It took about thirty minutes before she arrived, looking none to happy at having been summoned. The similarities between her and Trixie were almost jarring -- Summer Song was only two shades darker than Trixie, her mane and tail a little more pale and coiffed a bit differently. Her cutie mark was that of three yellow five-pointed stars with black eighth-notes superimposed on them. The mare was about a quarter-hoof taller than Trixie and about ten years older, though she did not show it.

"I hope this is as important as you say it is, Amethyst," the mare nearly growled.

"I hate to impose on you, Summer, but -- there is an urgent matter that requires my attention in another universe. Trixie desires to accompany us on our journey, so -- Velvet Rose is our newest foal, just two days old --"

The blue mare gasped at this information, though she trotted up to Trixie with a big smile on her face to gaze at the newborn filly, cooing softly to her. The show-mare unfastened her harness with both Jade and Velvet, maneuvering them carefully to the foal-sitter. Marina trotted up to the mare smiling.

"Summer Song! It's been so long!" the young filly exclaimed as she hugged her foal-sitter.

"I'll bet you have quite a story to tell, don't you?"

"Yes! So much has happened!"

"Tell me all about it, Marina," the mare requested, smiling warmly at the filly as Trixie trotted to my side.

"Thank you, Amethyst, for everything you've done for Trixie," she cooed softly to me. I flashed her a brief smile as Twilight and Luna huddled close to me.

"Thanks again, Summer -- we'll be back as soon as possible," I announced, nodding once and smiling at the blue mare. She returned my smile, though hers seemed a bit pained. "Look, I'll make it worth your while -- you've been a valuable asset to me, and I want to show you my appreciation when I return." Her smile widened a bit at this as I enveloped the four of us in my golden aura and teleported to Celestia's Throne Room in the other universe.

"Trixie hopes you won't cheat on her again, Amethyst," she protested meekly, keeping her head lowered.

"I hope I don't have to put my flank in a sling again for you, Trixie," I retorted in annoyance.

We arrived in the Throne Room to see the other Lunar Princess sitting on the throne, little Moon Beam curled up on another throne beside the one Luna was seated on. She was quite surprised to see her counterpart in my company.

"You -- you -- you are -- me?" she asked.

"We art as surprised to see thyself as thou art at Us," my Luna replied softly. "We desire to see Tia."

"My sister is sleeping right now, but I shall fetch her for you," she replied. She disappeared for a moment then returned. "I have talked to her -- she says she'll be here momentarily."

Our Luna trotted slowly to her counterpart and struck up a conversation with her, though she also gazed longingly at the young filly. The two of them discussed certain matters while we waited on Celestia's arrival. I was somewhat surprised to see her trotting slowly into the Throne Room, taking a moment to try to rub sleep from her eyes. Upon seeing me, a big smile came to her face.

"Amethyst! It has been too long since your last visit! What brings you here?" she asked warmly. She nuzzled me on my neck, a gesture I almost mechanically returned for her. I sighed heavily and took a deep breath.

"Celestia, there is a favor I need to ask of you," I began, then related to her the story of what happened regarding Lord Sleipnir and my Solar Princess' departure with him. I tried to keep the explanation brief, but retelling the tale caused Twilight and my Luna to begin weeping again. The Other Luna was stunned by this revelation as Celestia silently tried to ponder what I had told her. A silence fell over the room, broken only by soft sobbing from Twilight and my Luna.

"Are you familiar with the legend of the Mirror Pool?" I asked her, looking straight into her eyes. The Solar Princess lowered her head and sighed just as heavily as I had, taking a few moments to gather her thoughts.

"Yes, Amethyst, I am -- I must admit to a great deal of trepidation regarding your request -- the dangers are quite severe as I'm sure you already know," she offered softly. "But because you have done so much to assist us during our times of need, I shall grant you your request. I only hope that this does not have any adverse effects on your universe when you take my clone there."

"We'll burn that bridge when we get to it, Celestia," I stated matter-of-factly, drawing some gasps from the others. I chuckled darkly at their reactions before offering a half-hearted, "Just kidding, don't take it too seriously."

"Amethyst, this is no time for frivolity," the Solar Princess admonished sternly.

"My apologies, Celestia, but it's a coping mechanism for me -- I am fully cognizant of the gravity of this predicament and my attempt at levity was to break the tension a little," I responded softly. "I echo your sentiments regarding any repercussions resulting from this action. By the way, do you know the exact location of the Mirror Pool in the Everfree?"

"Yes -- it's not far from the old Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, which is currently undergoing some renovations -- we intend to tame the Everfree before too much longer," she answered.

"A teleport is probably out of the question," I mused, contemplating the distance from our current location.

"Considering the urgency of your situation, I believe if we focus our energies together, we can arrive with just a small amount of magic expenditure from each of us," she replied, smiling warmly. "Besides, I'd like to get this over with as quickly as possible as well."

"Tia, is there a chance this might fail?" her native sister asked, a look of worry on her face.

"Fear not, dear sister -- the legend states that if one is not afraid, there is no danger," came her confident response.

"Okay, then, let's get going," I announced as I lit my horn. The others joined in a circle, lighting their horns as well, allowing our auras to mix, then envelop all of us. A kaleidoscope effect occurred, causing everything I could see to turn into a jumble of shapes and colors, then rearranged itself into order when we materialized in the depths of the Everfree, a passage leading down just a few steps away from us.

"That was interesting," I noted wryly, then cast my gaze to the passage. "So that's the entrance to the cavern with the Mirror Pool, huh?"

"Indeed it is, Amethyst," Celestia answered in a monotone. "Watch your steps, the ground may give beneath your hooves."

We carefully made our way down the passage, though having to duck made things more difficult. The clearance was too low for me and I brushed my head against the roof, causing some debris to fall on me. I fluttered my wings to shake it off and Trixie grumbled a little when some of it landed on her mane. I grinned sheepishly and offered a weak apology before we finally arrived at the pool itself.

I cast an illumination spell to provide more light, the calm surface of the water reflecting it around the cavern. The light startled some bats which flew out of the passage, the ambient current caused by their commotion lightly disturbing the water's surface. We were forced to wait about fifteen minutes before the pool returned to its previous state of calmness as an eerie silence descended upon us, the only sound being that of our breathing.

"Okay, Celestia, are you ready?" I asked, inadvertently breaking her concentration.

"I shall need a few more moments, Amethyst," she replied, a hint of annoyance in her voice. We waited once again as the elder Alicorn steeled herself for the task ahead. Calmly, she slowly approached the pool, gazing into its depths. She stepped into the pool, disappearing for a split-second as a duplicate appeared in her place, then pulled her other self out of the pool. It took me a moment to process what I had just seen, halfway wondering which one of the two was the original.

"Oh, wow! It's me! Cool!" the Alicorn clone exclaimed excitedly. "Oooh, who are you?" she asked as she looked around herself to take in the sight of all of us.

"I guess that answers my question," I muttered, though the silence of the room coupled with the acoustics of the chamber caused the sound to reverberate so everypony could hear it.

"What question was that?" she asked.

"Which one of you is the original and which one is the clone," I replied in a dull monotone.

"You look kinda like me, but you're not -- you're a stallion? What's your name?" she asked, a look of wide-eyed curiosity marking her features.

"I am Amethyst Flame, this is Twilight Sparkle, Trixie Lulamoon, Luna and Luna, and your counterpart, Celestia," I answered, pointing to each of us.

"Luna? Two of you? Did you go into the Mirror Pool also?"

"We art thy sister's counterpart from another universe, Tia," our Luna replied.

"I am your sister's counterpart from this universe," the other indigo Alicorn replied.

"Celestia, it appears your clone has quite a bit to learn," I observed.

"I'm afraid I don't have the time to teach her everything I know. I believe it's time we head back -- Amethyst, I trust you to teach her what she needs to know."

"Very well then, Celestia -- thanks again for doing this, though teaching her is going to take quite a bit of time," I offered somewhat despondently. "Okay, once again, ladies -- group teleport to Canterlot Castle."

Just as before, the kaleidoscopic effect enveloped us as we returned to the Castle, though the effect caused Celestia's clone to express her wonderment in very excited tones, causing me to chuckle softly.

"Looks like she needs a lot of work -- but I'm willing to put in the effort," I offered.

"As art We, dear Sister," our Luna added. "We thank thee for thy assistance -- we art deeply in thy debt. Shouldst thou desireth a favor from Us, We shalt gladly giveth it."

"Twilight, Trixie, Celestia, Luna -- it's time to head back to our own universe. Celestia, I echo your sister's gratitude and make the same offer as well. I look forward to your next visit, whenever it may be," I stated reverently, bowing slightly to her. She smiled in response.

"Please don't stay away so long next time, Amethyst -- I would like for you to relate happier stories to me in future."

"Of course, Celestia -- but right now, it looks as though I have my hooves full with this new task. Okay, ladies, let's go."

I lit my horn once again, enveloping all of us and teleporting us across the dimensional barrier to our original universe, the jaunt causing a little discomfort due to the size of the group.

"Ugh! That felt awful!" the Alicorn clone complained. Our surroundings appeared to be the same, with one exception -- a certain white Alicorn and much taller eight-legged stallion stood near the throne, chatting amiably with each other. I trotted up to them, an expression of pure shock on my face.

"Celestia? Lord Sleipnir? What -- what -- what?" I stuttered. The clone trotted up, a quizzical expression on her face.

"Um, didn't I just leave you behind in the other universe?" she asked, gazing at the Solar Princess.

As it turns out...

The Solar Princess raised an eyebrow, a quizzical expression on her face. "Where did you come from? What's this about the other universe?" she asked as she narrowed her eyes at the clone of herself.

"I came from the Mirror Pool in the other universe! Celestia created me there! I thought I was the only one of me -- Amethyst said something about --" the clone stopped and turned her attention to the massive white stallion. "Wow! You're HUGE! Who are you?"

Her question elicited chuckling from said stallion. Smiling at her, he calmly named himself and his sworn duty, causing the clone to gasp in wide-eyed astonishment.

"Wow! You do all that! That sounds amazing!" she exclaimed with great exuberance. I smiled at this, but then felt Sleipnir's gaze turn upon me.

"Fledgling, was this your idea?" he nearly growled at me.

"I was trying to placate Luna and Twilight, Lord Sleipnir -- I was under the impression that when you took Celestia, she would never return. I had no idea you would bring her back -- and if I may be so bold as to ask, why did you bring her back? What possessed you to do so?"

"You forget your place, fledgling -- but I will humor your curiosity. Celestia and I had a fairly long discussion during our little journey and succeeded in persuading me to return her, though not before we met with ... Her. After some deliberation, it was decided that it would be in the best interests of Celestia's little ponies that she be returned and that special dispensation be provided. Little Amethyst -- that's not even your name, and you are not even a pony, yet you travel in that form --" he explained, but cut himself off as he seemed to ponder some thoughts. I decided to wait and see what he might say next, but Celestia's clone had other ideas.

"You're not really a pony? Amethyst is not really your name? Who are you? What are you?" the clone asked me as she inspected me very closely. She sniffed me in certain places, making me feel extremely uncomfortable, causing everypony else in the room to giggle or chuckle or laugh, though Sleipnir simply smiled at my predicament, distracting him from his thoughts.

"Ugh! I don't even know what to call you! Celestia is right here, and you're her clone, but -- must you sniff me there?!" I asked in exasperation.

"You smell like a pony -- so what's up? Tell me all about yourself!" she implored, giving me her best puppy-dog eyes look.

"Um, Celly, it's a really long story and I don't have time to go into it right now," I replied, moving away from her as discreetly as I could. She followed me as I continued to move around the room and in short order a chase began, the clone desperately going after me as I galloped around the perimeter of the Throne Room. This spectacle caused everypony in the room to laugh loudly, Sleipnir included.

"This is by far the best entertainment I have witnessed in more than a century!" he exclaimed, his jovial tone giving me a slight degree of hope I might have improved my chances. "Celestia, I would like to thank you for your request and advice -- had I not returned, I would have missed this! Amethyst, keep going! You can do it!"

I groaned at his exhortation and decided to canter to the throne I was sitting on earlier, the clone matching my pace, though her breathing was coming in ragged gasps.

"Slow down, Amethyst! I just wanna talk to you!" she called out. I stopped in front of Celestia and Sleipnir, who both smiled in approval at me, eliciting a sheepish grin from me.

"Lord Sleipnir, I apologize for this display," I offered, bowing deeply before him.

"You have earned absolution from me, Michael -- enjoy your life, there is much for you to experience. Raise your foals and teach them well -- they will need your guidance."

I bowed even more deeply before him, nearly prostrating myself on the floor. "Lord Sleipnir, you are too kind," I stated as reverently as possible.

"You may rise, Michael -- I am fully cognizant of your contrition. We will meet again, but it will be a very long time before we do," he intoned, then disappeared in a blinding flash of white light. Celestia's clone trotted slowly over to her counterpart, gazing at the Alicorn in wonderment.

"So ... I am you, sort of," she said softly as she trotted around the Solar Princess in a slow circle.

"Yes, but -- I fail to understand why -- Amethyst, may I have a few words with you, please?"

I trotted over to her, a look of unease on my features. "Yes, Celestia?"

"I appreciate the trouble you went to in order to bring some comfort to my sister and former student, but now that my clone is no longer needed, what are we going to do with her?"

"I was under the impression you could teach her what you know and have her be a substitute for you when you might need a break," I offered, smiling softly.

"Whoa!" the clone exclaimed, drawing out the word. "That sounds like it'd be really cool!"

"I will teach you what I can, but it will be a great many years before I feel confident in your abilities to adjudicate in my absence," Celestia addressed her clone, who appeared to be quite crestfallen at this revelation. The clone turned to me quizzically.

"I still wanna know why Sleipnir said what he did about you -- and you didn't answer my questions earlier," Celly mused.

"I used to be a human a long time ago, and my name then was Michael," I replied. I watched her eyes go wide in astonishment.

"Tell me everything!" she implored, a big smile on her face. I groaned audibly, eliciting a light chuckle from the Solar Princess.

"As I said before, it's a really long story," I reiterated.

"Please, please tell me! I wanna know!"

"Trixie?" I asked, glancing over to her, giving her a look of almost begging for her help.

"Trixie is fine with you telling her everything," she responded in a dull monotone.

"Celestia, if I may have food and drink brought here so I can regale your clone with all the exploits?"

"I have a smaller, private dining chamber you can use. I will have a server take your requests and bring you what you need when requested. I will consider your efforts part of her instruction -- but please try to keep it relatively short if you can," she answered, smiling softly. She called on a guard to escort us to a small chamber with a table for four, where Trixie, Celly, and I took seats. The clone continued to marvel at all the opulent decorations and express her wonderment. The guard escorting us gave her quizzical glances when she would say something completely unlike her counterpart and I would occasionally chuckle at it.

After taking our seats, another pony entered the chamber and took our food and drink requests, though the clone's request caused some confusion. I clarified as best I could, offering possible substitutions for some of the more creative requests. My explanations took several hours, especially with the clone asking about various things and interrupting me quite often. The discussion got side-tracked on various digressions from my story and even Trixie expression some degree of exasperation at the clone's seeming lack of knowledge. It appeared to me as though my story really didn't give the clone that much more knowledge of who I was, though she remained in high spirits and seemed to enjoy the story immensely.

Luna entered the chamber and took the remaining chair about half-way through my story and listened to me talk at great length. Her interest seemed to match the clone's, causing her to ask me quite a few questions as well. When Celestia herself showed up, she expressed a curiosity about the progress we were making and I told her it seemed to be going well. The Solar Princess teleported another chair into the chamber so she could sit and listen to me talk as well, occasionally sipping from a glass of wine. I noticed the wine and requested a taste, whereupon she poured me a small amount into a glass. Taking a sip, I found myself rather surprised by the taste, noting an unusual dryness to it.

"A dry wine, Celestia?" I asked.

"For a dry story, Amethyst," she chuckled, causing me to shake my head and chuckle in response.

I continued with my story, getting to the point where Trixie was to give birth to Velvet in Las Pegasus, when the show-mare stopped me.

"Trixie would rather you not tell anypony about what happened there," she protested weakly, placing her right fore-hoof on mine.

"It's very important, as the consequences resulting from that decision led to the one where we traveled to the other universe to have Celestia there create a clone of herself," I explained, pointing a hoof at said clone, who grinned at my action.

"Amethyst, Trixie died there! Why did you -- what did you do to Trixie?" she asked stridently, glaring at me sternly.

"I brought you back here -- I had no idea Celestia would use her magic to restore you the way she did," I replied sullenly.

"I apologize for over-reacting, Amethyst," the Solar Princess offered softly.

"It would appear that we all over-reacted to this crisis, Celestia -- except for Luna, I guess. Celly? What do you think of what I've told you so far?" I asked the clone.

"Your story is unbelievable! I'm amazed by everything you've said! And this -- this car you've talked about! I wanna see it! I wanna take a ride in it!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Maybe some other time. I think that covers everything, so -- I think it's time to go to bed. I'm feeling rather tired from all this activity and could use some rest," I stated, finishing off the wine. I glanced over at Trixie, who echoed my sentiment.

"Where am I supposed to sleep?" asked the clone.

"Luna, would you be kind enough?" Celestia asked, grinning mischievously, earning her a baleful look from her sister. "Please?"

"Oh, all right, Tia, we shall," the Night Princess groaned. "Come along with us, thou clone," she grumbled, taking said clone with her to her bedchamber. Once again a barrage of questions came tumbling out of the clone's mouth, the indigo Alicorn trying her best to answer some of them. Initially, Luna found the clone's inquisitiveness somewhat endearing, but after awhile it began grating on her nerves. Upon reaching her bedchamber, the clone was so impressed with the decor she asked another round of questions, causing the indigo Alicorn to shush harshly, explaining that fresh answers would await the morrow. The clone found that turn of phrase highly amusing and giggled, bringing a smile to the Lunar Princess' face.

Princess Celestia bid Trixie and me goodnight as we left the small dining chamber. We trotted through the Castle to meet up with Summer Song to collect our foals and then to our bedchamber. I removed my regalia and laid on the bed, falling asleep almost immediately. Trixie snuggled up to me, wrapping her forehooves around my barrel after tucking Marina into her own little bed, Jade in his crib, and Velvet in her little bassinet. I slept soundly that night, taking comfort from the words Sleipnir had told me, though having Trixie hug me from behind also helped me sleep in comfort.

FIN