Bit of a problem with this chapter getting posted, mostly because I had already written a chapter but my editor notice a massive plot hole in it so I had to scrap the idea entirely. Apologize for that but these things happen. Anyway, here is the chapter you all have been waiting for.
The Wisdom of the Moon
Present Time: Moonglow Forest
Trixie had never felt so awe-inspired and scared at the same time. She knew that she was in the presence of Princess Luna, the ruler of the Night. She could feel the sheer magical power emanating from the Princess and it felt as if it was chocking the life out of her. Then, all of a sudden, the chocking feeling, and Luna spoke, “We are sorry about that, we are still trying to readjust to our original power, and it catches us off guard from time to time.”
Trixie released a breath of relief, and suddenly felt…relaxed. She was unaware that Luna had secretly cast a spell which allowed the blue unicorn to calm and refocus her mind. She had been consumed in the lake’s alluring visions, and Luna was able to sense that the lake was pushing her harder than she would have been able to take. Of course, this unicorn was the first pony in over a thousand years to stumble upon and active the lake, so there was a chance that it was merely letting out all of its pent up magical force.
Once the blue unicorn had relaxed, Luna asked, “What is thy name, blue unicorn?” Trixie looked up at the Princess and shakily replied “T…Trixie…Trixie Lulamoon, your Majesty.” Trixie may have been seeing things at the moment, but she swore she saw a faint note of surprise flash through the Princess’ eyes before settling to a more calming expression. Luna then replied “No need for formalities Miss Lulamoon. We prefer to feel like we are more relatable to our subjects.” Trixie nodded her head and replied “Of course Pri…I mean Luna.”
Luna gave a small smile and returned her attention to the lake. Trixie did the same and saw that the two water-Trixie’s were still trapped in their binds, though only the first water-Trixie seemed to be actually trying to escape, while the second was merely staying in place. Trixie felt so many questions entering her mind that she wanted to ask the Princess of the Night, but she was unsure as to what to say first and was still a little in awe of being in the presence of royalty. She eventually decided that it might be a good idea to start with a complement to break the ice. Without looking at the Princess, she said in a humble voice “I like what you did with the night.”
Luna gave a small smile and replied “It’s nothing special, you should see what we have planed for the Starlight Festival. It will be spectacular.” Luna then turned her gaze to the blue unicorn and said “We can tell you have many questions young traveler. Please, speak your mind and we shall answer as best we can.” Trixie felt a little flustered at being so easy to read, but managed to force that feeling down before asking the big question that was on her mind. “What is this lake doing to me?”
Luna took a small breath to clear her mind before replying “This lake is showing you what you desire most in life.” Trixie looked at the moon princess and said “What I desire most?” Luna nodded her head and continued “When I cast that spell those many years ago, I gave this lake a sense of purpose. I wanted it to be a place of spiritual centering, a place where a pony could go and learn what they truly want in their life.” Trixie was a little confused by this but a thought suddenly appeared in her mind which caused her mood to become slightly depressed. Luna sensed the change in mood from the blue unicorn and was curious as to the reason behind it. She heard Trixie ask, “So…it doesn’t show the future?”
Luna gave a sympathetic smile and replied in a gentle voice “Nay. It merely shows what one wants most in life.” Luna closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again and continuing “However that is only one function that this lake serves. If it finds a pony whose desires are at more than one and they are conflicting with each other; then it will do whatever is necessary to help that pony figure out what desire they want most.”
Trixie caught on to where Luna was going with this, or at least she thought she did, and asked “Is that was the lake is doing right now?” Luna nodded her head in agreement. “Normally, one would take this path of inner enlightenment on their own; However, I believe that we are able to make an exception in this case.” Luna focused her gaze on Trixie and asked “Would you like us to help you, Trixie Lulamoon?” Trixie was a little surprised that the Princess of the Night was actually offering up her time to assist her. Normally, she would have refused help like this but the time she had spent in this lake of reflection has given her a slightly different outlook. She replied in a grateful tone “I would appreciate any help you can offer Luna.”
Luna gave an encouraging smile before settling down on the lake’s edge. Trixie quickly copied her action and watched as Luna’s horn started glowing in the most beautiful shade of blue Trixie had ever seen. She returned her attention to the lake and watched as the binds that were holding the two water-Trixies were removed. Once the bonds were gone, Luna then said “Now then, these water creatures actually represent a certain part of you that, right now, are at war with each other.” Trixie nodded her head and Luna continued “However, like most things that fight, it revolves around one reason. This ‘reason’ can be anything and for some ponies it is very difficult to figure out.”
Trixie then asked “So…how would I figured out what the reason is for why these two water clones are fighting about?” Luna gave a small smile and said “You saw two visions correct?” Trixie nodded her head and started to wonder where Luna was going with this. Luna then continued by saying “These water clones are based off those visions, and there is one thing that both visions shared. That is the reason you seek.” Luna took a small breath and said “Now…focus and try to remember the visions that you saw. Look in your mind and find the source of all you conflicting thoughts, emotions, and desires. Only then, will you be able to understand who you are and what you want in life.”
Trixie, a little nervous about the whole thing, closed her eyes and tried to recall both visions that the lake showed her. Unlike the lake, the visions she saw in her mind were clouded and hazy. She feared that she would be unable to discover the source of the problem do to the lack of clarity. However, she heard Luna speaking “Remember, take slow deep breaths. There is no need to rush this; the answer will come to you.” Trixie felt her head nodding and started taking slow deep breaths; releasing the breath once she was sure her lungs had completely filled up with the refreshing air. Slowly, with each breath, the two visions were becoming sharper and clearer in her mind. It was at that moment that she found the similarity between the two visions and she couldn’t help but let out a gasp of surprise.
It was then that she felt a strange energy flowing in the air. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw that the water in the lake was starting to swirl and churn. Trixie looked up at the Princess and saw that her eyes were focused on the lake. However, she must have sensed Trixie’s question and said “You have found the source of your inner conflict and the lake is now making it real.” The swirling of the lake started to pick up speed until various tendrils of water started to extend from the lake’s surface. Trixie looked at these tendrils and she thought she could see a hint of purple mixed with the blue and silver.
The tendrils started to gather at the center of the lake and started forming into what Trixie believe to be another water clone. However, unlike the water Trixies, this one was acquiring a different color. It wasn’t long before the lake had stopped swirling around and the tendrils returned back into the water. The real Trixie let out a gasp of surprise, while the first water Trixie had a look that could kill, and the second water Trixie had an almost joyful look on her face. Luna was a little surprise as to the identity of the third water creature, and she couldn’t help but imagine the irony of the situation. Her mild smirk was still on her face as she said “Well…this just got a little more interesting.”
The third water clone also gave a smirk of her own before replying “I couldn’t agree more Princess Luna.” The real Trixie was still trying to recover from the shock and the only thing she could say was “Tw…Twilight?!”
Well…since Twilight had two chapters back to back, it seems only fair that Trixie deserves one as well.