The following morning, Soul was once again on a train to Canterlot. He slept restlessly last night after the exhausting trip out of the forest, and the steady ‘click-clack’ of the tracks was attempting to lure him into a nap.
This was being foiled, however, by Rarity. She sat across him, wearing a purple hat with a large brim and a ribbon wrapped around the center. “It’s nice to have a travel companion for once.”
He looked up at her, dreary-eyed. “You travel often?”
She was happy to have someone to talk to. “Oh yes. I have clients in Canterlot and it simply wouldn’t be right to send their orders by mail. I take these trips every so often to make deliveries personally. It helps maintain my relationships with them, and often produces opportunities to meet new clients.” Her eyes lowered a bit. “I hope you understand that I won’t be able to help you with your search.”
That would explain why she had so much luggage, Soul thought as he remembered the large suitcases being loaded into the baggage car. He gave her a weak smile. “Don’t worry about it. You and the others weren’t supposed to be involved anyway.” He let out a sigh. “I just wish I knew where to start looking, or at least which element I’m looking for.”
Rarity waved a hoof as if to dismiss his worries. “I’m sure everything will be alright darling. You can certainly locate the element with your power, can’t you? You were able to find your way back to Ponyville by using the Elements of Harmony as a guide after all.”
“It’s not that simple.” Soul propped his head up with a hoof. “While the Everfree Forest is home to many creatures, it is nothing compared to Canterlot in terms of density. There are simply more souls packed together in a city then there are in the forest. Not to mention that the sparks of the creatures are dimmer then those of a pony. Trying to locate a particular spark, even an element, through distant observation would be incredibly difficult.”
Rarity produced a slight frown. “I really wish there was some way I could help. You could have at least let me get you a room at the palace. Given the circumstances, I’m sure the Princess would let you borrow a room.”
Soul slowly shook his head. “It’s better that I find a place to stay closer to the heart of the city. That way I have a better chance of locating the Element….” Soul began look about the room idly. “…Because, you know, there will be more ponies about and….” He began to tap his hoofs together slowly while he was thinking. “…central location and all….”
Rarity lowered her eye lids halfway and stared blankly at Soul. “You don’t really have much of plan to find the Element, do you?”
Soul let out a sigh and hung his head in dejection. “No. All Everfree did was reduce my search area to Canterlot. I still have no idea how to go about actually locating the Element, aside from hoping it will come to me. Setting up my stall in Canterlot isn’t that easy, and the odds of the right pony coming to me are ridiculous.”
Rarity produced a small smile. “Now, now, I’m sure you’ll think of something, darling. These things have a way of turning out alright in the end.”
Soul raised his head to look at her. He knew she was trying to cheer him up, but he could tell by looking at her that she was having trouble believing her own words: Her smile was weak, and her eyes did not show confidence behind them. Still, he appreciated her effort. “Thank you Rarity, I’m sure you’re right. Now, if you could do me a favor? I’m still fairly exhausted from yesterday’s events and would like to get a nap in before we get to Canterlot-”
Rarity was quick to respond. “Say no more! I understand completely. You have been through a lot recently. Besides, I should check on my dresses to make sure none of them shifted while they were being brought aboard. It wouldn’t be right to deliver a dress that had wrinkles, now would it?” She got out of her seat and headed towards the rear-facing door. She was just about to go through when she turned around. “Oh, I almost forgot. If you do need to get a hold of me-for whatever reason-don’t hesitate to send me a letter. Canterlot has a fantastic courier system that prides itself on their rapid deliveries.”
Soul raised himself up so that he could see over the back of his seat. “I’ll keep that in mind, and thanks for understanding.”
Rarity just tilted her head with a smile. “No problem at all. You just get your rest. I’m sure you’ll be busy once we get to Canterlot.” She then turned back around, went through the door, and closed it behind her.
Soul finally laid himself down on the seat and closed his eyes. Yes, I’m sure I will be, he thought as he let himself fall into a comfortable sleep.
********
Soul was jolted awake as the train lurched to a stop at the Canterlot station. He yawned and stretched his legs before retrieving his saddlebag from under the seat he had been sleeping on. He headed towards the rear of the train, so as to pass through the baggage care before departing. As he passed through two other passenger cars, he noticed a few other ponies had done the same as he had; They were slowly making their way off the train, still waking up from the nap they had taken.
The baggage car was mostly empty, as most of the passengers had kept what little luggage – if they brought any – with them on the train. Most of the luggage that was in the car belonged to Rarity: several cases designed to safely transport dresses and suits. A member of the train’s staff was at work moving the cases onto the station’s platform through the large sliding door on the side of the car. As Soul walked through the car, he could see Rarity outside watching to make sure that nothing happened to her creations as they were being unloaded.
Soul departed from the train via the exit in the following passenger car. The station platform had the hustle and bustle of passengers who had just arrived and those who were waiting to board the next train out. However, the platform was far from crowded, so moving about was not a problem. A couple of young earth stallions were having Rarity’s cases placed upon their backs. They wore simple uniforms that bore the royal insignia on the side. Soul guessed that they were palace staff sent to help Rarity with her belongings. Is this all because of Twilight’s connection with the Princess, Soul thought, or is she always this hospitable?
Soul slowly walked over to Rarity. “Need any help there?”
Rarity turned her head to face him, her hair flipping to the side. “That won’t be necessary.” She tilted her head to address the two stallions, now completely loaded up with her luggage. “These two fine gentlecolts have it covered. Isn’t that right?”
The two stallions’ legs occasionally shuddered under the weight of the cases, but they tried to maintain a straight face. One of them responded, “O-of course, Miss Rarity.”
She returned her gaze to Soul, along with a smile. “Again, I wish you the best of luck.” She turned and began to walk. “Off we go,” she called out to the burdened stallions, who slowly followed behind her.
They are young earth ponies, so they’ll be fine, Soul thought as he watched them walk away, but if I didn’t know any better, I’d think Rarity enjoys watching them suffer. His mind wandered before he shook his head rapidly, as if to erase an image from his head. Nah, she just appreciates the help. With Rarity gone, he now headed off towards the center of Canterlot.
Canterlot - as Soul would later find out - is separated into unofficial districts. The north, west, and south sides of the city belong mainly to the high society crowd. The palace takes up most of the west district, the north is primarily residential, and the south side – where the train station is located - is commercial. The eastern district – which connects with the mountain – is the small industrial center of Canterlot. In the center of it all is the middle-class. Here is where everyone else – who is not considered part of the elite – lives, eats, and enjoys their spare time. It is in the heart of Canterlot that Soul will search for next element.
Soul could tell when he crossed into the middle district; the buildings weren’t nearly as tall, and they didn’t have that “gleaming” quality that the buildings in the more elite areas had. The architecture hadn’t changed much, but ponies around them had. First off, there weren’t nearly as many unicorns walking around; Soul could see more earth ponies and about an equal amount of pegasi. Secondly, those ponies who wore clothing did so as a symbol of their profession, not of status. Lastly, there were more foals around. They were playing in the streets with their friends and families. Soul let out a slight smile; he felt more comfortable here than he would in the palace. It was still far from a small town, but these were more his kind of ponies.
After walking through several city blocks, Soul finally found what he was looking for: a hotel. This particular hotel was called The Sunrise Spire, and that is exactly what it was: a large, cylindrical tower with balconies spaced evenly around the second and third floors. As Soul walked into the relatively small lobby, he was greeted by a dark orange mare standing behind a desk, sounding rather bored with her work. “Welcome to The Sunrise Spire. You lookin’ for a room?”
Soul continued to look around the room. It was lightly furnished: there were only a few couches located around a couple of low-lying tables. There were some pieces of art on the walls which meant nothing to Soul, who never took much of an interest in the arts. Two hallways were open on either side of the back of the room, and in the center was the main desk were the earth pony that addressed him stood. Behind her was a small array of cubbyholes with numbers below each one, some of which contained keys. There was also a door that was labeled “Staff Only.” With his quick survey complete, Soul finally answered the pony at the desk, “Indeed I am. What’s the cheapest room you got?”
The hotel mare’s face remained emotionless. “Going rate is twenty bits a night.”
Soul eyes grew a tad wider. “Twenty bits a night?” Maybe I should have taken the room at the palace, he thought as he considered his options. “Surely I can talk you down to fifteen.”
The mare reared up, placing her front hoofs on the desk. This made her appear larger then she actually was and allowed her to look down on Soul. “Listen pal, we don’t haggle here. Its twenty bits a night. Take it or leave it.”
Soul narrowed his eyes and stared back at her. The fact that the mare’s face refused to show any kind of emotion was rather unnerving to him. They stood there in silence for about ten seconds before he backed down. “Fine, I’ll take it. I hope I can at least pay for each night separately. I’m not sure how long I’m going to be here.”
She let herself back down onto the floor. “Yeah, that will be fine. I’ll take your first payment now then.”
Soul proceeded to reach into his bag and pull out a bag with his mouth, which he laid on the desk. He counted out twenty bit, which she swept into a secure container on her side of the desk. She went to one of the cubbyholes and returned with a key with a tag hanging from it.
She placed the key on the desk in front of Soul. “You’ll be staying in Room 205; second floor, east side. Go down either hallway and you’ll find a staircase at the end. Your room will be to your left.”
Soul thanked her half-heartedly as he took the key and headed down the hallway on his right. He began to notice how quiet it was; he hadn’t seen any other ponies inside the hotel so far, and there wasn’t even any sound coming from the room (at least not that he could hear.) It’s the middle of the week, and it is early afternoon, he rationalized. It’s not surprising that there aren’t many ponies around. Plus, I am in the middle district. He figured most out-of-towners coming to the city would probably splurge on a room in the elite districts.
Following the emotionless pony’s directions, Soul easily found his room up the stairs and on the east side of the spire. The room itself was small and cozy, containing a small bed and desk, with a couple of candle lamps situated around the walls. Another door led to a tiny bathroom with only the barest essential items. A set of glass doors revealed the balcony and the cityscape beyond them.
Soul tested the bed by lying down on it, and found it rather comfy. He left his bag on the bed and went out on to the balcony. As he looked about his surroundings – the empty balconies of his neighbors, the fillies and colts playing in the streets, the older ponies going about the work – he thought back on the what Rarity said aboard the train. I suppose it couldn’t hurt to try. He closed his eyes and called forth his power. Upon opening his eyes, he took in the sight he saw: a multitude of sparks existing in close proximity to one another; walking amongst themselves, clumped together in buildings. When they gathered, their combined brilliance prevented Soul from getting a clear view of any one soul. The souls of the city lived in groups, rarely ever far from another for any period of time. Just as I thought, not even an element could stand out in this environment. Even its color would be bleached away by the surrounding sparks. He closed his eyes and let the power fade away before opening them again. He walked back into the room and lay down on the bed, letting his mind wander. However, his stomach quickly interjected, pointing out that he had not eaten since he left Ponyville. He placed his bag on his back and headed out into Canterlot once again.
Soul recalled seeing a café and a marketplace on his way to the hotel. He first stopped at the café and ordered a fern sandwich, which he ate quickly. He then wandered about the marketplace for a bit, eventually buying a few apples. Now that his hunger was sated, he had no desire to go back to the hotel quite yet. He decided to check out the rest of the district; he mainly wanted to time to think, but if a clue to the element’s whereabouts was to show itself to him, he wouldn’t complain. While he walked lazily down the city streets, his mind was buzzing with thoughts: How am I going to find the element? I don’t even know which one I’m looking for. I wish I at least had that information. I should go over the book again and remind myself of all the elements and their defining characteristics. Good thing I brought it with me. I’m still stuck; I need to find something that will lead me to it. I just need a sign!
As if on cue, something caught Soul’s eye: a poster advertising a performance at the small establishment he now stood in front of. He couldn’t see much from the outside; there was just a doorway with a lamp above it, and a sign beside the door, designating the place as “The Horseshoe Theater”. There were several posters lining the stone wall, but the one that caught his eye featured an azure unicorn wearing a starry, purple cape and matching pointed hat.
“Come see THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE as she performs mystifying magic tricks and mesmerizes you with her amazing illusions! Three nights only! Right here at the Horseshoe Theater! Seating limited.”
There was nothing extraordinary about the poster, but one word was burned into Soul’s mind: ‘mesmerizes’. Could this be it? He thought as he stared intensely at the poster. Is this really the lead I was looking for? It’s just one word, and yet it feels like it’s a step in the right direction. Why not? It’s not like I know where else to look. I can only hope it’s not a complete waste of my time. He began to walk away, back to the hotel; back to the book, for more research on the element he may see that night.
********
Soul was lying on his bed back at the hotel, munching on an apple and reading The Power of Nature. The sky was beginning to grow dark as the Princess was slowly lowering the sun. Soul finished up his apple, closed the book, and put it back into his bag. Alright Miss Trixie, he thought as he placed his bag on his back, it’s time to show me what you can do.
He left the hotel and began walking towards the Horseshoe Theater. As the sky grew darker, he noticed the lamps that were placed around the city began to spontaneously alight. Fascinating system they have, he thought. They must be magical, responding to the Princess’ power and the setting sun. You don’t see that in a small town. He retraced his steps from that afternoon, and soon found himself out the theater. He walked through the doorway, following a couple of unicorns that had arrived shortly before him.
The doorway led them down a hallway that made a couple of sharp turns before opening up into a relatively large room. There were eight round tables set up around the room, each one having seating for five around them. On the right side of the room was a bar, with a gruff stallion behind it ready to serve drinks. The stage at the front of the room took up most the wall; there was a small door on the right side that Soul assumed led backstage. Red curtains currently crossed the stage, blocking most of it from view. There weren’t many ponies there yet; only about half of the seats were occupied. Soul noticed that most of them were unicorns, though the lack of clothing seemed to indicate that they weren’t upper-class.
Soul sat down at one of the unoccupied tables and nonchalantly observed the other patrons. Most of the other ponies had drinks at their tables, taking sips of what appeared to be cider as they talked about their daily lives with their tablemates. A few more groups entered the room, claiming tables for themselves. All in all, nothing seemed out of the ordinary as far as Soul could tell. I can only hope this ‘Great and Powerful’ Trixie is the Element bearer I’m looking for, he thought while staring blankly at the stage, otherwise I’m back to square one.
“Excuse me friend, mind if I sit here?”
Soul turned to see who had addressed him. He found a light green unicorn standing next to him, sporting two stars connected by a dotted line on his flank. Soul gave the unicorn a cursory glance and asked, “Do I know you?”
The unicorn returned the glance. “Well, I don’t recognize you, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends,” he said, flashing a smile. Soul gave a slight smirk and motioned with his hoof to take a seat next to him. “After all, we are both here for the same reason: to see the Great and Powerful Trixie perform,” the unicorn continued as he took the seat at Soul’s right.
“I suppose that’s true,” Soul said he turned his head back towards the stage, “but to be honest, I’ve never heard of her before today.”
The unicorn’s mouth fell open. He stared at Soul for a moment before he spoke. “So this is your first time seeing her then.” His mouth slowly turned into a smile. “Well, prepare to be amazed.”
The lamps that hung from the ceiling began to dim, until the only light in the room came from a dull glow that emanated from behind the curtains on stage. The audience that had been talking amongst themselves suddenly went quiet, and all eyes were focused on the stage. Suddenly, two tiny orbs of magenta-colored light shot out from behind the curtain and whizzed around the room, leaving a trail in the air that disappeared after a couple seconds. Then a booming voice that seemed to come from nowhere filled the room.
“You have come to witness the most spectacular feats of magic ever performed!” The orbs of light flew back over the stage and began to write words in the air. “Prepared to be awed…” The words ‘Great and Powerful’ took form just above the stage. “…by the Great and Powerful TRIXIE!” As the last word was shouted out, a puff of smoke obscured the stage and the two orbs of light shot over the audience and exploded like fireworks. As the smoke cleared, a beam of light lit up the center of the stage, revealing Trixie. She stood on her hind legs with her front legs outstretched, and her cape blowing in a breeze that seemed only to exist around her.
The show mainly consisted of Trixie telling stories about a unicorn fighting off great beasts and performing great feats. It was obvious she was referring to herself, but nopony really seemed to care. This was mostly in part to the illusions she was casting while telling these stories. Some were simple outlines drawn in the air, but others were more detailed and incredible life-like. At one point, she even made a life-size duplicate of herself and played out a rather dramatic internal conflict. The entire audience was absolutely spell-bound by her magic. I don’t understand, Soul thought, his eyes locked on the stage. What is it about these illusions that make them so… fascinating? Certainly they are quite impressive, but I feel like I don’t have full control of myself just looking at them. However, Trixie had saved the best for last.
“Now, for Trixie’s final act….” Trixie paused as she double-checked to see that all eyes were on her. “…Trixie will take you to a place few ponies would even dare to tread: The heart of the Everfree Forest!” She closed her eyes as magical energy began to concentrate at her horn. The energy built up, producing a powerful magenta aura, before she reared up on her hind legs and released it. A bright white light covered the room, causing Soul (and most of the audience) to cover their eyes. Soul quickly brought his hoof down, however, and noticed that while the rest of the room was hidden by a blanket of white light, the rest of the audience, the tables they were sitting at, and Trixie were all clearly visible. Soon, shapes and colors began to appear from the white light, emanating from Trixie – who now appeared to be floating as the magical energy was still bring released from her horn. Soul began to see trees all around them; large, gnarly trees with vines that draped across the floor, which was now dirt covered with unusual foliage. Eventually all the white light had vanished, replaced by this scene of a dark forest with unusual plant life. The canopy prevented any view of a sky and kept the area dark.
Incredible, thought Soul as he looked around at the forest, it really does look like the Everfree Forest! Soul raised his head and sniffed the air and his eyes suddenly widened. It doesn’t just look like it, it even smells and feels like we are actually there! The air did have a particular scent; that of moist dirt and plant life and he swore he could feel moisture forming on his coat. The rest of the audience seemed thoroughly impressed; a few gasped at the sight, but many stayed silent, just taking in the mysterious setting that have found themselves in. That was when a loud roar grabbed everypony’s attention. Soul could feel it vibrate through his body. Several ponies were shocked, rapidly looking around trying to find the source of the noise, but before they could find it, the world around them began to fade away. The entire scene started to flow towards Trixie, vanishing as it reached her. It wasn’t long before they found themselves back inside the theater.
Trixie stood on stage, breathing heavily through her nostrils. “That was the cry… of one of the most fearsome creatures… in Equestria: the dreaded Ursa Major. Only somepony as great and powerful as Trixie could capture the sound of such a beast, but now she is tired. Remember to come back tomorrow night to see more amazing magic performed….” Trixie mustered up the strength to stand up on her hind legs with her fronts legs outstretched. “… By the GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!” With a puff of smoke, she vanished from the stage. The audience was applauding her performance by stamping their hooves on the tables. The lights in the room were reignited, and the audience slowly began to disperse; some left the building, but other’s made their way to the bar.
Soul’s tablemate turned to look at him. “So, what did I tell you? I could see that you were amazed. She even surprised me a bit; that last illusion was absolutely incredible!”
Soul was still looking towards the stage and he responded as if in a daze. “It certainly was, and very accurate too….”
The unicorn slowly nodded his head. “Yea….” He stopped and his eyes quickly squinted. “Wait, are you saying you’ve actually been in the Everfree Forest?”
Soul turned his head to see his companion staring at him intently. He brought his front hooves together, tapping them lightly. “Well… yea, I was just-“
The unicorn smirked. “You’re more interesting than I thought.” He got up from his seat and motioned toward the bar. “Come on, I’ll buy you a drink and we can talk. They walked over to the bar, which had the few remaining audience members lingering around it. “What will you have?”
Soul responded promptly, “Non-alcoholic cider, if they got it.”
The unicorn raised his hoof towards the barkeep. “Hey Cart! Two ciders, one clean.”
The barkeep nodded his head and responded in a slow, deep voice, “Gotcha Star, two ciders comin’ up.”
The unicorn turned to address Soul. “The name’s Star Tracker. Nice to meet you.”
Soul returned the greeting. “Soul Seer. Likewise.” The barkeep soon placed their drinks in front of them. They each took a sip to make sure that the two didn’t get mixed up. Satisfied that he had received the proper cider, Soul asked, “So, what do you know about Trixie?”
Star looked at him from over his cider mug for a moment before setting it down and wiping away some froth from his face. “Well… I’ve never met official met her, per se, but I do make a note of never missing a performance, if I can help it. You’ve seen for yourself what kind of performer she is, though her act has changed a bit since that incident two years ago.”
Soul had just put is mug down, and was looking at Star with his head tilted and one eyebrow raised. “What incident?”
“She was going to perform down in a town south of here….” Star put a hoof to his head as tried to think.”
“Ponyville?” Soul volunteered.
Star quickly pointed his hoof at Soul. “That’s the one! Anyway, apparently a couple of fans she acquired down there got the stupid idea of luring an Ursa Minor in town.
Soul nearly dropped his drink. “Wh-why would they do something like that?”
Star put his front hoofs in the air. “You heard her stories. She often boasts about defeating such powerful creatures, including an Ursa Major, which what her fans thought they had found. Trixie thought the same thing when it started to tear up the town. Everypony could see that she was just as frightened of it as they were, and though she tried to stop it, her magic did next to nothing to it.”
Soul gave a little grunt. “So she was exposed as a fraud.”
Star continued, “Things only got worse –for Trixie anyway- when another unicorn stepped forward and actually succeeded to drive the Ursa Minor back into the forest!”
Soul thought, could that have been Twilight? I know she possess the Element of Magic, but is she really that powerful?
“It seems that Trixie considers this other unicorn a rival, and since then has been working hard to improve her magical abilities. After seeing tonight’s performance, I’d say she’s finally found her niche. A big part of her act used to be a sort of challenge; she would ask somepony from the audience to perform a talent of theirs, and then she would attempt to one-up them. Now she seems to be focusing on producing illusions, and I say that certainly working in her favor.”
Soul was staring into his mug, deep in thought. She’s a unicorn that can produce mesmerizing illusions, with a desire to grow in power, and the determination to best a rival. Everything seems to be lining up…
Star gave a slight chuckle. “You sure there’s no alcohol in your cider?”
Soul rapidly shook his head, and then turned to face Star. “Sorry, I was just thinking about something.”
Star looked back at him with a smirk. “Well apparently I’ve done enough talking. So what’s your story? Why would you go in the Everfree Forest?”
Soul thought about this for a moment while he drank some more of his cider. He didn’t want to tell him too much; no more ponies needed to get involved. “I was doing some research. I’ve come to believe there is ancient power out there known as the Elements of Nature, and my search had led me to the Everfree Forest.”
Star’s smirk hinted at his skepticism. “That’s quite a story. Did you find it?”
Soul slowly shook his head. “No, it was a dead-end, but I’m sure it’s still out there. I just got to find it.”
Star shook his head and chuckled in his throat. “The Elements of Nature, huh? Sounds far-fetched to me, but who am I to judge? To each their own, I suppose.” Star swigged the last of his cider, pounding the mug down on the bar. Star lifted his head and released a satisfying sigh. “Well, it’s about time I get out of here. You think you’ll come to see the next show tomorrow night?”
Soul gave him a slight smile. “You know, I think I just might.”
Star returned the smile. “Then I guess I’ll see around.” Star tossed a few bits onto the bar and walked towards the exit.
Soul remained at the bar for a bit as he finished up his cider. I’m sure it’s her, so I just need to the opportunity to talk to her, but how? An idea came to him as the last drop of cider went down his throat. Rarity did say she wanted to help, and she is quite the socialite…. Soul put the empty mug down on the bar and gave the barkeep a nod. The barkeep nodded in response, and Soul headed back to the hotel to prepare for tomorrow night.