Daring Do travels to the jungle temple of Ta Ponyhm in search of a legendary artifact that a dangerous criminal is looking for. She’s prepared to confront them, but she wasn’t prepared for a forceful partnership with a traveling magician.
Daring Do, famous adventurer and secret writer under the name A.K. Yearling, has been traveling under the disguise of the jungle to the temple of Ta Ponyhm, searching for a legendary artifact; The Golden Mirror. And if the temple wasn’t enough, she’s also been hunted by a terrible cult leader named Luddic Path and his followers. But a new package of trouble gets added up as she is captured by a unicorn magician.
The Annoying CompanionGreat and Powerful Companion
Daring Do walked between the trees of the jungle, bating away leaves, branches and bugs as she moved. It was an annoying complication to have to evade the main road to Camponia, but she knew it was too risky with Luddic’s followers looking for her. She was surprised to see them already here; most times she managed to stay three steps ahead of them, but the cult had probably started to either take her more seriously or learned her tactics. Either way, having to deal with them was going to be quite difficult. Luddic’s followers were quite more ferocious and determined than Caballeron, and she knew that the artifact they were looking for was key to their plans, so they would be relentless in their search for it.
She had to be extra careful this time - no time for mistakes or miscalculations.
Daring saw a little clearing in the jungle and calculated that she was close to Camponia. Looking at the quickly darkening sky, she thought it would be a good place to rest until the morning. She would need her strength to face the temple’s traps. She approached the clearing, but quickly ducked behind some bushes when she saw movement.
The light in the jungle was already making it difficult to see beyond a few meters, but the sudden lit of a campfire helped her identify the possible menace. She saw a light blue wagon, along with a light blue coated unicorn mare at one side of the clearing. She didn’t look like one of Luddic’s followers - a traveling merchant perhaps?
Either way, her presence put sleeping in the clearing out of the question; she would need to find another place. With a disappointed sigh, she turned around, and felt something under her hoof. Looking down, she found a thin wire, and in the next second a rope grabbed her by the middle of her body, pinning her wings to the sides, and lifted her up, leaving her suspended in the air.
Fearing that the whole mare in the jungle was just a distraction to lower her guard, she desperately tried to gnaw at the rope, trying to free herself.
“So, who dares try to rob The Great and Powerful Trixie?” asked a voice right behind her.
Daring turned around and saw the unicorn mare looking at her, horn glowing with magic.
“I wasn’t trying to-”
“Wait, Daring Do?! Why do you want to rob Trixie?” the magician questioned, canceling her magic.
“I wasn't doing anything of the sort! I was just looking and then tripped the wire.” Daring saw the unicorn’s face turn red, and thought that she was embarrassed from the situation.
She was wrong.
“Oh, so The Great and Powerful Trixie has captivated the heart of the great adventurer to the point that she admires Trixie from afar?”
“What? No. I’m not interested in you,” Daring protested.
The unicorn dismissed her with a hoof. “Oh, there’s no need to deny it. There's no shame in ogling a beauty like Trixie.”
“I’m not-”
“However, I must decline your advances, since Trixie has plans to-”
“STOP!” Daring shouted angrily. “Forget whatever fantasy you have with me and get me down from here first.”
“Oh, of course.” Trixie walked towards a nearby tree and pulled a rope, making her fall to the ground. Daring stood up with a grunt and felt the unicorn getting to close for comfort.
“So, what should we do now?”
Daring pushed her aside. “You are going to pretend this never happened, and I will leave.”
“Trixie doesn’t wish to offend your adventuring skills, but wouldn’t it be better to just rest here until morning?”
“Yes, but I can’t stay here with you.”
“Why not? Does Trixie’s presence make you uncomfortable somehow?” the magician asked with a smirk.
Daring almost said yes out of reflex. “It would just put you in unnecessary danger.”
“How so?” Trixie gasped. “Are you being followed by a gang of dastardly villains?”
Daring rolled her eyes. “Not exactly.”
“Oh, then Trixie must insist that you share her wagon with her. Trixie assures you no harm will come to you under her care.”
“Do you really think that a colorful wagon in the middle of the jungle would be the best hiding spot?”
“That just helps people lower their guards. Just like you,” Trixie pointed out with a smile, and Daring wished she could argue the point. “Tell Trixie one good reason it wouldn’t be beneficial for you to spend the night in a wagon instead of the cold jungle. Disregarding the possible danger.”
Daring had a couple of reasons; she just couldn’t think of one in particular at the moment.
She did say that it would put the mare in danger, but thinking about it, if Luddic’s followers were following her tracks, they would bump into her anyways.
“Fine, I will stay the night.”
“Great! Trixie will prepare you a hammock so you can sleep, and she'll cook dinner later.”
“Fine, I will try to cover my tracks and see if the perimeter is safe.”
“Don’t fall under any more traps!” Trixie disappeared inside her wagon, and Daring walked towards the tree line. She considered escaping now and leaving the unicorn behind, but she was honestly just tired, and the prospect of not having to sleep at the top of a tree was convincing enough for her.
After covering her tracks and rearming the trap that she had involuntarily set off, Daring returned to the camp, sensing the smell of cooked carrots. Trixie had already prepared a couple logs for them to sit on and was currently filling their plates. She offered one to Daring and she took it with a nod.
“Thanks.”
They both sat down to eat, with Daring giving little prayer that they remained in silen-
“So, what kind of adventure are you on right now?”
Daring let out a heavy sigh. “I can’t tell you.”
“Oh come on, Trixie is giving you a bed and warm food. You should be able to tell her something.”
“Look, what if I give you an autograph and call it even?”
“Trixie does not possess any of your books.”
Daring raised an eyebrow at that. “Then how do you know about me?”
“Twilight’s rainbow-haired friend is kind of obsessed with you, and she is quite loud about her passions.”
“You’re friends with Rainbow Dash?”
“Her existence occupies a place in Trixie’s mindscape. And nothing else.”
“Okay…” Daring decided to redirect her attention to her food.
“How do you know about Rainbow Dash?”
The adventurer almost choked on her food. “I… met her during my travels. As you said, she’s kind of obsessed, so it’s difficult to forget the encounter.”
“She was in one of your books, right? As a sort of sidekick?”
“Yeah… she helped me a little.”
Trixie lifted an eyebrow. “Trixie has read that book you know?” Daring was about to respond, but Trixie interrupted her with a hoof. “Don’t worry, Trixie can see that the subject is delicate to you.” She then returned to her dinner.
Once they finished their food, Trixie guided Daring to the inside of her wagon. “Trixie would be thankful if you didn’t mess with her stuff. Otherwise, do as if it were your home.” The task was going to be difficult, seeing that the wagon was absolutely stacked with random boxes and chests.
“That one is yours.” She pointed to a green hammock on one side of the wagon, before quickly getting up to another one at the other side. “Trixie warns you, Trixie talks in her sleep.”
“It won’t be a problem.” Daring hoped and got in her hammock, paying close attention to her surroundings.
She noticed that most of the boxes contained instruments or materials to make performances or magic tricks, giving her the idea that the unicorn was some sort of traveling performer. She also saw a large quantity of fireworks poking out of a large chest surrounded by discarded gunpowder, which gave her a little bit of worry, but luckily there were no flames nearby. But something that caught her complete attention was a gift-wrapped box with a purple ribbon sitting on a table. "A goodbye gift for her maybe?"
Daring gave a little shrug and put her hat next to Trixie’s before going to sleep.
The morning eventually came, and Daring was surprised to see that the unicorn had somehow woken up before her.
“Will you stay for breakfast?” Trixie asked her and Daring shook her head.
“I thank you for the hospitality, but I must return to my 'adventure'.”
“Okay, it’s goodbye then.” Trixie offered her hoof and Daring shook it. “Have a nice day.”
“You too.” Daring walked away with a smile, happy that the encounter was over, but then...
“Make sure to make Trixie look good in your book!”
Daring made a complete 180 and got in Trixie’s face. “What did you just say?”
Trixie seemed confused. “Last night will be narrated in your future book, right?”
Daring gave her a menacing look. “How do you know that I write them?”
Trixie’s expression changed from confusion to amazement. “You are A.K. Yearling?!”
“Oh Celestia. I just assumed you sent her some clip notes and she added flair, but it’s completely transcribed from your own hoof!” Trixie exclaimed ecstatic.
If Daring had the strength necessary, she would have pushed her face to the back of her skull as she facehoofed. “Please, for the love of Celestia, keep it a secret.”
“Don’t worry, Trixie knows how to keep a secret.”
“Thank you. Just, forget everything. Have a nice day.”
“Goodbye.”
Daring walked away, but made another 180 when Trixie’s words sunk in. “Did you give me all that hospitality just so you could appear in my book?!”
Trixie looked away for a second. “Well, Rainbow did the same, did she not?”
“That’s different! She actually helped me that time and I couldn’t have done it without her!” Daring shouted in the magician's face.
“Trixie just wanted a little mention, not to appear on the cover.”
Daring gave an exasperated grunt and stormed away. "Unbelievable! And she doesn’t even have my books! At least Rainbow was a fan. How full of yourself do you have to be to try and wiggle your way into somepony’s story?"
Her train of thought stopped as she heard the wagon of the unicorn getting closer to her. “What are you doing?”
“Well, as you said, Rainbow earned her place in your book by helping you with the adventure, so Trixie shall do the same.”
Daring’s jaw fell in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”
“You doubt Trixie will be of help to you?”
“First, I work alone. Second, you are just doing this for exposure!”
“Yes, it’s very rare to do that without being mad, but Trixie's better than that.”
“You-” Daring was interrupted by Trixie’s hoof.
“Let me sell this to you.” She cleared her throat. “Trixie is an experienced magician, having learned in Celestia’s school of gifted unicorns, as well as being taught by both the road and Starlight Glimmer- princess Twilight's student. Plus, I’m pretty capable of defending myself, and have good survival skills. And on top of all that.” She pointed at her forehead. “Unicorn. Ergo, magic. So I can do many things that you would have difficulty with.”
“How about flying?” Daring asked with a smirk.
Trixie smirked right back as her whole body glowed before she started to levitate off the ground.
Daring's hoof hit her face. “Great. They fly now.”
“So, what do you say? Sold?” Trixie asked cockily.
“Listen, practically speaking, it would be foolish to deny such help.” Trixie smiled. “But morally? I should just hogtie you, leave you behind, and never mention you again.”
Trixie’s smile faded. “That sounds a bit extreme and over-reactive.”
“Please, just… go away.”
Trixie thought about it for a second. “No.”
Daring facehoofed again. “You are going to follow me no matter how much I tell you not to, right?”
“Pretty much.”
“To Tartarus with this! Just don’t make me regret this more than I already have.”
“Trixie will only be helpful in this endeavor,” she said, placing a hoof over her heart.
“You better be, or I will ditch you and continue on my own,” Daring warned.
“Deal.”
With that, both mares walked towards the city, their first step towards the temple.
“You are already getting annoying,” Daring complained.
“Oh shush. You know Trixie can’t leave her wagon anywhere.” Trixie gave a couple of bits to a unicorn mare, who gave a signal to two big stallions to stand guard next to the wagon. “There, it didn't take too long, did it?”
“Why were you here in Camponia?” Daring wondered as they walked.
“Trixie made a show yesterday, earned some good bits, bought some things, and visited the temple of Ta Ponyhm.”
“So, it’s true that they turned it into a tourist attraction?”
“Yeah, although there are some restricted sections.” Trixie thought about it for a second. “We aren’t going there, are we?”
Daring raised an eyebrow. “Are you disappointed?”
“No, if you are looking for it, it must have value. Trixie is more like, confused. Wouldn’t somepony have already found whatever treasure was there by now?”
The adventurer smiled. “Some secrets are well hidden to the eyes of the inexperienced ponies.”
The magician smiled. “Good to have a pony with an eye for tricks and deception like Trixie around.”
Daring’s mood soured. “Please stop talking like that.”
“Trixie makes no promises.”
Eventually, they arrived at the temple.
Ta Ponyhm was a very old stone temple, but what differentiated it from others was the jungle that grew inside of it, covering the stone with green moss and roots, while trees reached higher than its ceilings.
“Pretty beautiful, isn’t it?” Trixie asked while they entered the temple.
“It is. First time I’ve seen it,” Daring admitted.
“Trixie’s sure that you have seen things more impressive in your adventures.”
“Yeah, but I’m always being chased, so I don’t have much time to stop and appreciate the view.”
Trixie looked at her with a little worry. “That’s kind of sad.”
Daring sighed unconsciously. “I guess, but I can’t say that I will forget any of it anytime soon. That’s kind of why I started to write my-” Daring stopped herself. "Why am I telling her this?"
“I get it.”
Daring paused for a moment. “What?”
“I said I get it. It’s like your way of remembering all those things lost in the action before they fade away from memory and no pony ever knows about it. Adventures would feel empty if you didn’t have a way to tell them to others, right?”
Daring was surprised, both by her words and by the fact that she stopped using third person. “It's not exactly as you say, but… pretty close.”
Trixie smiled and pointed at some stone stairs. “Do we go down?”
“Yeah, give me a minute.” Daring walked away, moving between the trees inside the temple.
Trixie waited patiently, looking from time to time to make sure the mare hadn’t run away, and finally saw Daring come back with a lit torch in one of her wings.
“You know the temple has electric lighting, right?”
Daring smiled. “You will see.”
“Very well. Do you want Trixie to guide you to the restricted sections?”
“Please do.”
While they walked, Trixie tried to give a little tour, reciting what they told her in her visit yesterday. Daring knew almost all of it, but the unicorn's rambling was a more tolerable experience than awkward silence.
Daring’s attention was diverted to the torch she was carrying, making them stop.
“Did you find something?" Trixie asked. "We aren’t in the restricted section yet,”
“Give me a minute.” Daring got close to the wall, moving her torch along its surface, looking for something, until she found it. “Do you see the flame?”
Trixie got closer and noticed that the flame of the torch was slightly inclined, opposite of the wall. “A draft.”
“Exactly. There are gaps between the bricks, so there’s probably a door to open.” Daring started to tap the different bricks, looking for some clue, until she found one that she could push into the wall. She kept searching, finding another loose brick, and then another, and another, until the fifth made a portion of the wall fall apart, showing a secret passage.
Daring smiled and started to walk into the dark hallway.
Trixie walked beside her. “You were right. Hidden in plain sight.”
“You have to discover many of them until you learn how to look for them.”
“You are clearly a professional.”
“Thanks.”
Not too long into the secret corridor, both mares started to hear strange noises ahead, like small dry whistles. They walked more carefully, and when they turned a corner, they found the source of the noise.
Three sections of the wall had a pair of large magical circles that were constantly firing dart-like crystals from one wall to the next.
Daring stopped to give a closer look, but couldn’t figure out a way to disarm them. “Okay, you may want to turn back now. The only way across is to time the firing sequence and move fast-”
Daring turned her head towards Trixie and saw the unicorn slowly poking her foreleg between the magical circles. The crystal darts bounced off a magical shield around it, and then Trixie tried with the rest of her body, noticing that they could not harm her while the shield was up.
“Still unsure that Trixie wouldn’t be useful?” the magician asked with a smug smile.
Daring grunted. “That’s just cheating.”
“You are free to try your method. Or, you can get close to Trixie so she can protect us both.”
With a little resignation, Daring went with Trixie, and they crossed the trap unharmed. “So, did Trixie earn a thank you?”
Daring looked at her with a frown. “No, we still haven’t found the artifact.”
Trixie rolled her eyes and continued walking down the corridor. “Fine, let’s move then.” Daring let out a sigh and followed behind her.
They walked in awkward silence for some time, until Trixie talked again. “What kind of artifact are we looking for exactly?”
“It’s an ancient relic that was used in old rituals as a form of magical redirection or amplification, or something like that. The point is, it can be used for some very harmful spells in the wrong hands.”
“Trixie can imagine. If Starlight or Trixie had that, things could have been worse.”
“What do you mean worse?”
Trixie looked away. “Nothing, just rambling. What does the relic look like?”
Daring raised an eyebrow but decided that she already had enough things to worry about. “It’s a golden m- Look out!”
The warning was not quick enough, and Trixie could only look in horror as a huge rusty axe held by a pendulum exited the wall at her right and speeded towards her midsection.
Only to get stuck halfway.
The magician backed up, watching as the death trap let out tortured mechanical noises, trying to complete its deadly swing, until the whole mechanism broke apart, and the axe fell to the ground, getting covered in pieces of rusted metal.
“That was… unexpected,” Trixie said as she recovered from the shock.
“Not every trap survives years without maintenance.” Daring walked to the axe and gave it a kick before looking at the floor, pointing at a tile that had sunk in the ground. “Pressure plates, be careful where you stand.”
Trixie’s eyes glued themselves to the floor. “Duly noted.”
They continued their march along the corridor in silence, until Daring saw a light at the end of the hallway.
“I think we found-” Daring was interrupted as the ground beneath them cracked, and a second later it collapsed, sending them down into a pit of spikes.
Daring immediately took flight to stop her fall and watched as her companion continued falling. Trixie lit up her horn and managed to levitate her body just in time so that the spikes didn’t pierce her chest.
“Trixie is getting tired of this temple.”
“You decided to come along. Deal with the consequences.”
As Trixie got out of the pit, Daring saw legit anger in the unicorn’s eyes. “Trixie just had a near-death experience, and you still complain about her helping you?”
Daring frowned. “You are only “helping” me because you want to cheat your annoying name and title into my books!”
“You know what? Forget about the stupid book. I don’t know what Rainbow sees in you.” With that, Trixie continued walking towards the light.
“The exit isn't that way!” Daring called out, but Trixie ignored her and continued walking. “You are quite stubborn, you know?” she said, following the magician.
They finally arrived at a large chamber illuminated by a ray of sunlight coming from a hole in the ceiling. In the center was a small ziggurat surrounded by nine stone pillars, each showing carvings of what appear to be shamans or priests, each wearing different types of clothings and symbols of worship.
At the very top of the ziggurat, right below the ray of sunlight, was a stone pedestal.
Trixie looked in amazement at the chamber. “Wow, what’s the story of this-”
“No!” Daring screamed before flying to the top of the ziggurat at breakneck speed. Trixie quickly ran behind her, and when she finally caught up to her, she found the pegasus trotting around an empty pedestal.
“Where's the-”
“It’s not here!” Daring screamed again. “Did Luddic Path get it before we arrived?”
“Well, there is a hole in the ceiling,” Trixie pointed at the source of light.
“This is bad. Very, very bad.”
“Can Trixie ask - who's Luddic Path? She doesn’t remember you mentioning him in your books.”
“That’s because I have to censor our encounters so the books can be published to the general audience,” Daring explained.
“Oh,” was Trixie’s response, but the implications quickly sunk in. “Ooooh. This is bad.”
“Yeah, and now that he has the artifact, he will no doubt try to- Get down!” Daring tackled Trixie to the ground, two arrows flying over their heads. Both mares quickly ducked behind the stone pedestal, hearing more arrows hit their cover.
Trixie took a quick peek at their attackers. Two unicorns, heads covered in light brown cloth, and wearing long brown cloaks that hid leather armor underneath.
“Who are those?”
“Luddic’s followers.” Daring hit her head against the stone pedestal. “I’m such an idiot. They weren’t hunting me down, they were following me so I could find the artifact for them!”
“But the artifact it’s not here. We didn’t find it,” Trixie countered.
“I hope they didn’t either. Maybe they are just trying to get rid of us.”
“Well, Trixie would prefer to remain un-ridden.”
“I can’t fly towards them, and they will flank our position at any moment, if they don’t just call for reinforcements.” Daring looked at the hole in the ceiling. “You think your shield can block some arrows while I take us out of here?”
“Trixie can, but you will have to carry me.”
“I-”
“If you imply that Trixie’s fat, Trixie will throw you to the archers.”
Daring rolled her eyes and simply grabbed the magician by the midsection, quickly taking flight towards the ceiling.
Arrows flew towards them, but they bounced off Trixie’s shield.
“You are actually quite light,” Daring admitted.
“Trixie thanks you.”
“Bunch up, it will be a tight fit.”
Trixie pulled her hooves close to her body as they entered the hole, but they quickly ran into a problem as the close space didn’t allow for Daring to flap her wings effectively.
Trixie quickly realized the situation and changed her spell from shield to levitation, dodging a few arrows aimed to her butt while she lifted both of them up the hole with some difficulty.
“You can’t call me fat either,” Daring warned her.
“Trixie’s lifting both of our weights, so she can’t make that comment.” After a long ascent, they finally reached the surface, and Trixie collapsed on the ground, completely exhausted.
Daring took a moment to check their surroundings. They were deep in the jungle; not exactly sure where. She looked to the sky, using the position of the sun to locate the north. She made memory of their movements inside the temple and guessed that the city was probably eastward of their location.
She looked at the exhausted Trixie. “We need to move. Can you walk?”
“Don’t think so. Can we rest a little?”
Daring took Trixie and hauled her onto her back before going eastward. “We need to get as far away from Luddic’s followers as we can. Try to regain some strength.”
“Ok. Sorry for the heavy load.”
Daring stopped for a moment. “…Trixie?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you for staying with me. I don’t think I would’ve escaped the temple without your help.”
“Glad to be of help.” Trixie closed her eyes and got some rest while Daring continued her way into the jungle.
When they finally arrived at the city, it was Daring’s turn to be exhausted.
“How about we go back to my wagon and leave this city while you rest on the hammock?” Trixie offered.
Daring fanned herself with her hat. “That’s really tempting, but I can’t just leave without making sure Luddic doesn’t have the artifact.”
Trixie let out a grunt. “For all we know, a parasprite ate it and flew away just to then get eaten by a falcon.”
Daring raised an eyebrow. “That’s kind of specific.”
“Trixie lost a hat that way," the magician answered and quickly continued. "The point is, we don’t even know if it’s in the city. It may have never been in the temple to begin with! The place is open to the public after all, somepony could have found it before and sold it in some black market.”
“Maybe.” Daring sighed. “Getting away from Luddic’s cult while I'm exhausted may be the best option. We already had a close encounter with them.”
“Very well, let me get the wagon.” Trixie took off towards the parking spot while Daring took a moment to look for a fountain or something that could heal her dry throat.
She found a little stand selling coconut drinks, and thought ‘close enough’ before walking to it. After ordering an extra drink for Trixie, she pulled out her pouch of bits, but then saw the scared look of the vendor.
Daring ducked her head, and the Khopesh blade just managed to cut the tip of her hat. After that, she quickly bucked her assailant in the chest and took off running, not bothering to see how many were following her. Thanks to her quick reflexes, she managed to dodge an arrow meant for her head and doubled her sprint until she saw Trixie pulling her wagon.
Daring’s eyes filled with dread as she saw two pegasus cultists armed with lances walking towards her with murderous intent.
“Trixie! Behind you!” she screamed, giving the magician the time necessary to see her attackers and blast them away before they could use their weapons.
Trixie saw at least half a dozen cultists running behind Daring and turned her head to the two earth pony bodyguards that protected her wagon, but they both had disappeared when they saw what was happening.
“Where're the guards in this city?”
“There’s no time for that, follow me.” Daring opened her wings and took flight with Trixie levitating close behind her.
Luddic’s cultists watched them fly away and prepared to follow, but a stern voice gave them new orders. “Search the wagon, the artifact must be in there.”
The cultist approached the vehicle, but was stopped when Trixie landed hard on top of the one closest to her wagon. “Oh no, you won’t.”
The two pegasi from before tried to attack her, but she picked them up in her magic and threw them against two other cultists. The unicorn archers shot two arrows at her, but she shielded them easily.
Then, a cloaked figure approached, and when she tried to blast him back, it used a weird bracelet to catch the blast and threw it back at her.
Trixie grunted as she dodged the blast and threw the body of the cultist she was standing on towards the new enemy, but she only managed to pull his cloak back, revealing a dark brown earth pony with black short mane and a slightly long goatee.
Trixie looked at the red, stern eyes of the stallion, and smiled. “You must be Luddic.”
“Trixie! What are you doing?!” Daring exclaimed flying close to her.
“Trixie will defend her wagon with her life if she needs to!” the magician declared.
Daring was about to object, but she was hit by a bola that pinned her wings and made her plummet to the ground. She tried to break free, but a familiar Khopesh sword got very close to her neck.
Luddic pointed his bracelet at Trixie. “Give us the artifact, and your friend won’t be harmed.”
“We don’t have the artifact. Trixie doesn’t even know what the damn thing looks like!”
“It’s true Luddic, she doesn’t know anything about this. Let her go!” Daring screamed from the ground.
Luddic looked at Daring without moving his bracelet away from Trixie. “Are you expecting me to believe that you reached the mirror’s chamber and found nothing?”
“Wait, you are looking for a mirror?” Trixie asked, confused.
Luddic looked at her in disbelief. “Do you really don’t know anything about The Golden Mirror of the forgotten tribes?”
“Wait…” Trixie opened the window of her wagon and pulled a gift-wrapped box with a purple ribbon. She ripped it open, revealing a mirror of pure gold with intricate carvings along the frame. “You mean this thing?”
Daring looked at her in disbelief. “You had the mirror all this time? From what kind of crypt did you even get it from?!”
“Trixie bought it from a merchant yesterday for twenty bits.”
Everypony besides Trixie had their jaws close to the floor.
Luddic was the first to somewhat recover from the shock. “You- you bought an invaluable artifact of power… for twenty bits?”
“Well, it was being sold for forty, but Trixie managed to haggle it to half price,” Trixie said with a smirk.
Luddic returned to shock while muttering the last two words he heard.
Daring was the next one who managed to speak. “Trixie, why in the name of everything holy would you buy an ancient ritualistic artifact?”
“Trixie didn’t know it had magical power! She thought it would be a nice gift for Starlight.”
Luddic finally managed to snap back to his senses and regained his posture as the evil villain. “Give us the mirror. Now!”
“How about Trixie using it to teleport you to Tartarus? Or maybe you prefer the moon?” Trixie offered.
Luddic gave a short laugh. “You don’t know how to use such a powerful artifact.”
Trixie put on a smug smile as she concentrated her magic on the mirror, its reflecting surface starting to shine as the carvings took the color of her aura.
Luddic’s followers took a few steps back in fear. “H-how?”
“Trixie has experience with cursed relics, and this one is quite tamer than the one she used to enslave Ponyville.”
“You did WHAT?!” Daring screamed, fighting to get free.
Suddenly, Luddic threw away his cloak, revealing a fit body full of different golden, silver and stone artifacts and amulets; they all beamed with power as he took a battle stance. “You may have the power of the mirror, but my own collection will surpass your capabilities.”
Trixie took her performance stance. “Trixie guesses we will find out.”
Daring continued to struggle against her bonds. “Trixie, wait, if you two fight you may destroy the city!”
“Sacrifices must be made!”
“That includes your wagon.”
Trixie’s determination faded. “Oh… crap.”
Luddic smiled. “If you give me the mirror, no harm will be bestowed upon you or your wagon.”
“How can Trixie know that you will keep your word?” the magician questioned.
“I am a stallion of my word. Ask Daring if you want.”
Trixie took a moment to think, and then deactivated the mirror. “Okay.”
Daring entered a panic. “No, wait! You can’t give it to him!”
“You said Trixie can’t fight him without destroying the city!”
“Forget about it! Go nuts and kick his ass!”
“But my wagon!”
“Trixie. The mirror is the last artifact that Luddic needs to complete a ritual that will make him one of the most powerful magic wielders in Equestrian history. And for that ritual to work, he needs to use the entire population of a city as sacrifice.”
Trixie looked at the ground in thought. “How many ponies are we talking about?”
“Are you seriously considering it?!”
“Just answer my question!”
Daring made some quick calculations in her head. “Around 780,000.”
“Not worth it.” Trixie gave the mirror to Luddic.
“Noooooo,” Daring shouted from the ground, doing her best to snap the ropes holding her body.
Luddic looked at the mirror with an almost sadistic smile. “Pleasure doing business with you… Trixie?”
“Whatever.” Trixie turned around and started to climb into her wagon.
“Wait, what about me?!” Daring screamed, still bound and with a sword over her neck.
Luddic smiled. “The deal didn’t include you.”
“Trixie!”
Trixie looked at Daring with an apologetic face. “Whoops. I kind of forgot. But you will be fine; you have a lot of experience getting captured.”
“Luddic won’t use some elaborate death trap!” Daring screamed, but Trixie was already inside the wagon.
“You are right. Executions are more my style,” Luddic said with a smile.
“Go choke on a spike.”
Luddic laughed as he looked at the mirror. “To think that a showpony would gift me both the last relic, and one of my most bothersome rivals.”
Daring paused. “One? There are others?”
“Yes; you will meet some of them soon.” The Khopesh was raised up, ready to fall on Daring’s neck, but the slam of a window interrupted the execution.
They all looked at the wagon, seeing a large firework pointed at them - its fuse quickly burning out.
There was a whistle followed by a small explosion that dispersed Luddic and his followers. The Khopesh was grabbed in a magical aura and cut Daring’s restraints, allowing her to buck one of the cultists before going for the mirror, but Trixie's aura had already taken it; so she just ran to the wagon instead.
“Pull the wagon into the jungle!” Trixie screamed while lighting another firework.
“What?!”
Trixie pointed the gunpowder-filled rocket towards her for a moment. “NOW!”
Daring obeyed, getting the strap around her body before starting to sprint towards the jungle, with Trixie firing another explosive towards their enemies.
Luddic screamed in rage and used one of his artifacts to summon a flying carpet and use it to give chase. The pegasus followed close behind, and the rest had no option but to run on hoof.
Trixie took a specific rocket and fired in front of the pegasus. The firework blew up, starting a shower of small explosions that disoriented the pegasus and made them stop for some seconds.
Luddic put a hoof over an amulet on his neck, charging some sort of red energy before throwing it at the wagon.
Trixie watched as the small ball of red energy quickly transformed into a large fireball speeding towards them. In a panic, she threw one of her boxes of firecrackers into it, making it detonate before it reached the wagon.
As they managed to enter the road in the jungle, Daring started to breathe hard, showing clear signs of exhaustion. “Trixie, I need to remind you that I’m still tired from carrying you through the jungle. We won’t outrun them.”
Trixie looked around them, desperately thinking for a solution. “Wait. Daring, how important is the mirror?”
“I already told you about the lives at risk!”
“No, I mean, do we need to protect it? It’s a necessary piece for some sort of “good” ritual or something? Does it belong to a museum or something like that?”
“Look, right now, I only care about Luddic not having it!”
“Okay… keep going until I tell you to stop!”
“Stop?!” Daring shouted as a lighting bolt nearly hit her head.
Luddic was quickly gaining on them with his carpet, followed by his grounded followers, and the pegasus close behind them.
Suddenly, Trixie threw a barrel towards the crowd before firing a magic blast at it when it was close enough.
The impact ignited the gunpowder packed inside, creating a large explosion that sent all the cultists flying - minus Luddic, who used another of his artifacts to form a blue shield around him.
“Stop the wagon!” Trixie ordered Daring.
“Why?!”
“NOW!”
Daring made an abrupt stop and looked back as Trixie jumped out of the wagon, carrying with her magic a rocket twice the size of a pony, with the mirror strongly attached to it.
Trixie wasted no time and nailed the firework in the ground before lighting the fuse.
Luddic's eyes widened in panic and tried to destroy the rocket, but it managed to fire into the sky before he could launch an attack.
Everypony watched as the rocket sailed high into the dawn sky before a huge explosion filled it with light.
“Where is it?! Where did it fall?!” Luddic screamed, but the constant explosions made it impossible to distinguish what was happening in the sky.
Daring looked in awe as the face of the magician was plastered in light just as the real version whispered to her. “Get on the wagon.” She nodded and Trixie got the strap of the wagon on her before pulling it away from Luddic and his distracted followers.
They ran for almost an hour, not feeling safe until they had exited the jungle and made sure Luddic hadn't followed them.
“Trixie thinks she has had enough adventure for the next week or two,” she exclaimed, and collapsed on the ground.
Daring walked to her and lifted her up. “I must say, this was one of my most interesting adventures.” She carefully put Trixie on the wagon’s hammock so she could rest. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Well, you could pay Trixie for the thousand bits worth of fireworks she had to use in our daring escape.”
Daring froze, remembering that her pouch of bits was now forgotten in the city they just fled. “How about I give you that mention in my book that you wanted?” she asked with a nervous smile.
“The one that Trixie said she didn’t care anymore and that you have to censor every part that involves Luddic?”
“Crap. Can I mail it to you in a couple days?”
Trixie raised an eyebrow and pointed at her traveling wagon.
Daring tsked. “Right, you don’t exactly have an address.”
“Well, Trixie can forget the debt if you let her keep the mirror,” the magician said a with pout and innocent eyes
“Let you what now?”
Trixie lit her horn, and the golden mirror levitated out of some boxes in the back of the wagon.
Daring blinked twice. “What?! But- What did you throw into the sky then?”
“Just an old metal tray.” Trixie’s smug smile was legendary. “Fooling a bunch of cultists and a veteran explorer with a simple illusion is child’s play for The Great and Powerful Trixie!”
Daring had her jaw on the floor. She couldn’t recall how many times it had happened that day. “You… I… give me that!” Daring snatched the mirror from Trixie’s magic. “You are no doubt the craziest unicorn I have ever met, and I thank Celestia that none of my major enemies are unicorns.”
“Trixie appreciates the compliment.”
Daring looked at the mirror, and then back at Trixie. “But seriously, is there any way I can thank you for everything you have done?”
“Well, Trixie now lacks a gift for her friend.”
Daring smiled. “Does it need to be capable of destroying an entire city?”
Starlight smiled as she saw Trixie arriving at Ponyville with her wagon. “Trixie! How did the trip go?” she asked, giving her friend a big hug.
“Oh, it was a particularly exciting one. Some would say too exciting, but you know me.” Starlight rolled her eyes with a smile. “However, after the excitement faded, and I had a long talk with a new friend, I have been deep in thought about the future. And now…” Trixie levitated a little black box out of her wagon and opened it, showing a ring with a big golden jewel that had deep purple carvings in the shape of Starlight’s cutie mark. “I have an important question to ask.”
