//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 - The Crest // Story: To Be Great and Powerful // by A bag of plums //------------------------------// True to Trixie’s word, her apartment was only about five minutes’ walk once she and Winter Frost left the campus, this time without the invisibility spell. Covering Winter Frost with his cloak, Trixie and the Kirin hurried along the road, keeping to the side and avoiding the few people who were out and about at this late hour. In the pale light shed by the flameless lanterns, Trixie took out a ring of keys and unlocked the door before ushering them both inside. The interior of the building was lit with magical white werelights, floating inside their transparent glass holders on the walls. “Almost there,” Trixie said to Winter Frost. “I live on the third floor.” Nodding affirmative, the Kirin, now once again in possession of the wooden chest, followed Trixie up several flights of steps until they came to a door which had a metal plaque that displayed a star-tipped wand and a wisp of blue magic on it. Trixie took out her keys again and in no time, the door was open. "In we go," the young magician said. Inside it was dark, but that was quickly solved as Trixie pressed an embossed glyph on the wall and several magical lights flickered into life on the ceiling.  As the room brightened up, the interior of the apartment was revealed. A coffee table piled high with playing cards, colored handkerchiefs, various spell tomes, and sheets of paper with runes and scribbles on them. Several quills and an open bottle of ink decorated the couch, and there was the faint smell of burning paper.  “It’s a work in progress,” Trixie said hastily before steering her guest into the room that had been occupied by her old roommate.  This room was more or less empty and nondescript, whitewashed walls with a desk in one corner, a bed, and a wardrobe that was built into the wall. A singular, shuttered window adorned the far wall. "It's not much, but nobody ever comes here and disturbs me, so it'll probably suit you just fine," Trixie helped Winter Frost into the bed, propping him up in a sitting position with the precious wooden chest on his lap. “It’ll do,” the Kirin leaned forward and put a pillow behind him to make a soft surface for his wounded back. “I expect now I’ll have to uphold my end of the bargain.” Trixie nodded. She wasn’t sure why, but she really wanted to hear the tale of what was behind this battle-worn Kirin and the seemingly-priceless treasure he was guarding. There had to be something valuable indeed inside that chest to warrant such protective behaviour from this knight. Maybe it was a royal treasure, or an artifact capable of destroying kingdoms. Her imagination ran wild with possibilities. She pulled up a chair next to the bed and crossed her legs, ready to listen. “Well?” Winter Frost said, putting his hands on top of his box. “What do you want to know?” “Well, for starters, what are you doing all the way here?” Trixie asked eagerly.”What’s in the box? Who were those guys who were chasing you?” Winter Frost sighed. “I guess I’ll have to start at the beginning. What do you know of the Murian Isles?” Trixie thought back to her lessons on the history of Equestria and its surrounding lands. She hadn’t been too into that class, but as it had nothing to do with casting spells, she had passed it quite easily. She had prided herself on taking intricate notes of every topic and it only took a few seconds for her to recall the lessons on the Murian Isles. “The Murian Isles are a dominion by the Celestial Sea in the west. They are the home of the Kirin people, a reclusive but large spanning empire who are skilled in many branches of magic. They rarely interact with the other kingdoms and are notoriously secretive.” Winter Frost gave a faint snort of laughter. “Is that what they teach about us over here? Never mind. You’re more or less right about the Isles. Maybe if we weren’t so isolated, the Miasme wouldn’t have been so successful in their coup.” There was that name again. “Who are the Miasme?” Trixie asked. The name hadn’t appeared in the lessons of Equestrian history, of that she was fairly sure. “The Miasme…” Winter Frost growled. “They were a group of heretic seperatist Kirin who opposed the rule of Empress Rain Shine. They were a mostly insignificant minority in the Murian Isles, but no threat to the crown. But then that changed… what’s the date?” Trixie told him. The Kirin grimaced. “Almost three weeks ago, then. “The Miasme somehow got their hands on a malign kind of magic that was able to rob others of their arcane powers. Kirins’ magic is unlike yours; it takes the form of a magic crest that manifests in each Kirin’s body, and the power is passed down from parent to child, each generation adding to the strength and the complexity of the crest and allowing the holder of the crest to inherit the magic powers of the previous generation. In long-lived families, the crests grant a great amount of power. And it’s what the Miasme are after.” “They want your magic crests?” Trixie repeated. As far as Trixie knew, magic was not passed down like that in Canterlot or anywhere else she had heard of. Magic techniques were bestowed on the next generation by way of lessons and hard work and teaching. To just get magic like that was unlike anything Trixie could have dreamed of. How powerful must the long-established families of Kirin be! Winter Frost nodded once, his face grim. “The Miasme somehow managed to call some kind of dark spirit called Tirek into this plane. Tirek, the Bane of Sorcerers.” Tirek. Just the name gave Trixie the shivers. She hadn’t learned about this either, but Trixie was beginning to see that there were a great many things she had not learned in school. “Overnight, the Miasme were transformed from a group of ineffectual rabble into a deadly threat. The Miasme and Tirek started stripping the magic crests from the Kirin people, anyone they could get their hands on. The Duskguard and the Dawnguard orders of knights fought back, but Tirek and the Miasme were already too powerful from their stolen crests. Eventually, they overcame nearly everyone and made to seize the throne. Knowing that her defenses were not going to be enough to defend her from Tirek and the Miasme, Empress Rain Shine did the only thing that she could.” Trixie found herself leaning more and more forward in her chair as Winter Frost recounted his tale. In her mind’s eye, sights that she could only begin to imagine took place, battles with mages and Kirins and dark spirits. Trixie’s eyes grew bright; how much more exciting than school was this?  “And what did she do?” Trixie prompted in a hushed tone as Winter Frost stopped to catch his breath. “Empress Rain Shine knew that Tirek and the Miasme were coming for her,” Winter Frost continued. “And that the ruling line of Kirins that she belonged to possessed the most powerful magic crest in the Murian Isles. If the Miasme got ahold of her crest, then there would be no stopping them. But she refused to abandon her people. So she stripped herself of her crest and told the last remaining members of her Duskguard to get it as far away from the Isles as possible.” Slowly, the pieces began to fall into place. Trixie glanced at the wooden box. No wonder Winter Frost was so protective of it. It must contain the Kirin empress’s magic crest. “I was one of the three knights chosen to spirit Empress Rain Shine’s magic crest away from the Miasme,” Winter Frost said, his voice becoming melancholy. “The Miasme must have guessed what happened, however, and sent magicians after us. While passing through Hollow Shades, we were… separated. The Miasme captured the other two knights who had come with me, and all I could do was run,” he finished bitterly. “To protect my empress’s magic crest and to carry out her orders, I left my friends at the mercy of those heretics,” the bedridden Kirin clenched a fist. “One day I will pay them back for the evil they have wrought- Ahh!” Winter Frost suddenly grabbed at his back and slumped backwards, wincing in pain.  “Hey, easy, easy,” Trixie said gently. “You’re safe here. Don’t strain yourself.” Winter Frost lay back, waiting for his breathing to stabilize. Trixie motioned for him to stay put and left the room, heading for the kitchen where she filled up a glass of water. By the time she made it back to the room, Winter Frost was looking a bit more composed, if a bit pale. He accepted the water and drank down half the glass in one gulp. “Thank you,” the Kirin gasped as he placed the half empty glass on the bedside table.  “So… is that why you introduced yourself as the last free knight of the Murian Isles?” Trixie asked. Winter Frost nodded balefully. “You’re sure that there aren’t any others?” “If there are any others, they’ll be scattered to the winds without Empress Rain Shine’s magic to hold everything together,” the Kirin said glumly. “So many of us risked our lives to get keep the empress’s crest out of the Miasme’s hands, but this could be the end of the road. I can’t fight them like this, and more of them will follow. The last hope of the Kirins lies within this chest, and now it has no suitable guardian.” Winter Frost looked even more despondent after saying that. And Trixie felt pity for him welling up inside herself, something which she had not felt in many years. Here was someone on a mission for his ruler, now unable to do his duty of fighting evil any longer.  “Couldn’t you hide the chest somewhere?” Trixie suggested. “If you went to Headmis- Princess Celestia and asked for her help with keeping your empress’s magic crest safe, I’m sure she wouldn’t turn you away.” “Hiding it’s no good anymore. You see the casing?” Winter Frost held up the box for Trixie to see. There was the crack in the wood, allowing a faint light to shine out. “It’s ruptured. The Miasme will be able to track it from afar now. Unless it’s in a suitable vessel, the crest will continue to radiate raw mana like a beacon.” Trixie knew about things like containment vessels for magical artifacts; they had been part of classes in her first year at the academy. Although usually a thick enough barrier of mundane material would be enough to block mana emission. But then again, she knew almost nothing of Kirin magic. “So we need another chest?” Trixie asked. “It shouldn’t be too hard to find one. I have a couple of boxes here myself-” “It’s not just any wooden box,” Winter Frost said wearily. “This chest has been specially crafted  and enchanted to mimic the bodily leylines and magical patterns of Empress Rain Shine to stabilize the mana emission. I might be able to craft a new one, but I doubt I’ll be able to make it in time before the Miasme catch up to me. They already almost took it from me back in that orchard, if not for you.” “So what you’re saying is that the Miasme will track this magic crest’s signal unless it’s inside this box or your empress?” Trixie clarified. “Yeah. That’s right.” Trixie ran her tongue over her teeth. A daring idea began to form in her head. “Does it have to be your empress? Like, what if you hid it inside another person?” “What, like myself?” Winter Frost snorted. “Wouldn’t work. I already have a magic crest. Having two of them would ruin my magical equilibrium. Besides, it’s heretical for a Kirin to take the crest of someone who isn’t family.” “Not quite what I had in mind,” Trixie gave Winter Frost an aside glance. Comprehension dawned on the Kirin knight’s face.  “No. No, no, no,” Winter Frost shook his head at Trixie vehemently. “I couldn’t do that. I can’t. You can’t.” “The Miasme are going to follow the magical emission from that crest, you said so yourself, unless it’s placed in a proper vessel,” Trixie argued, feeling the idea turn into a full-fledged plan. This could be her chance for a big break, as well as help Winter Frost at the same time. It was golden. “You can’t do it, and you don’t want people knowing you’re here. So I’m the only choice you have. I can keep the magic crest safe and hidden while you recover.” “You don’t even know if you’re compatible with the crest,” Winter Frost argued back. “I’m not going to put you in danger like that.” “I’m already in danger,” Trixie repeated what she had said back at the clinic. She was building up steam now, and knew she had to press the attack if she wanted her plan to succeed. This could be her chance to finally make something of her otherwise drudgery-filled life. “If you don’t hide that crest, then the Miasme will come and find us and take it. You don’t… we don’t really have a choice here. You wanted to keep as many people safe by keeping your presence a secret. I get that. But if you want to keep me safe, then we both know what needs to be done.” Winter Frost stared at Trixie, sliding his hard gaze from the girl to the box. Trixie held her breath; this could be the moment that decided everything. Her desperate wish to finally be something more than a second-rate illusionist might be finally within her grasp. She had no idea what would happen if the Kirin said yes, but she’d had enough of sneaking off after school to ruminate on how badly she was doing.  Eventually Winter Frost’s shoulders slumped in defeat, and Trixie fought to conceal a smile. “You’re right, Trixie,” Winter Frost sighed. Trixie blinked. This was the first time he had used her name out loud. “There really isn’t any other option. But I have to let you know, what you’re asking me to do has never been done before. I don’t know if it’s even possible.” “You never know unless you try,” Trixie wheedled. “I’m not afraid.” “Then you’re a braver person than I,” Winter Frost murmured. Finally, he picked up the chest and placed it on the middle of the mattress. Then he slipped out from his sitting position and knelt down beside the bed. The Kirin placed one hand on the lock that held the chest shut and closed his eyes. Trixie watched from behind as a faint blue glow surrounded Winter Frost’s palm. There came a series of clicking sounds from the lock and then a snick as something slid aside. Taking a deep breath, Winter Frost pushed the lid back. Inside was something that made Trixie gasp. Nestled in a plush interior was a spherical object that was shining with all the colors of the rainbow, made out of dozens, if not scores of hair-thin concentric rings of arcane runes and symbols which orbited around a flicker of bluish-pink flame. It positively radiated magical power, and Trixie thought it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. “It’s magnificent…” Trixie stared at the crest with starry eyes. “It’s the result of countless generations of good breeding and intense magical study,” Winter Frost said. He reached out and cupped the luminous crest in both his hands, lifting it out of the chest. “Are you sure you want to go through with this? Last chance to back out.” Trixie shook her head. If anything, seeing the crest now only made her more sure that she wanted this.  “Do it.” Winter Frost looked Trixie in the eyes. “Very well. Take off your clothes.” This knocked Trixie out of her trance. “Wait, what? Why?” She exclaimed, a blush coloring her cheeks. “Because your clothes are in the way. The transplant only works if it touches your bare skin.” Trixie was hesitant. “Can’t I just use my hands or something?” Winter Frost gave Trixie an unimpressed look. “Do you want to do this or not?” “Y-Yes, I do, but-” “Then hurry up and take off your clothes,” Winter Frost said impatiently. “Every moment this crest stays out in the open is another moment the Miasme have to track us down.” “Okay, okay…”  Trixie reluctantly unbuttoned her uniform blouse and undid her necktie, placing it on the bed. Then she lifted her top off, where it joined the tie. Now wearing only her white bra and red checkered skirt, Trixie turned around so that she wouldn’t have to see Winter Frost watching her. The young magician hooked her fingers around the waist of her skirt and slowly pushed it down onto the floor. Now blushing a deep scarlet, Trixie started to undo the straps of her bra, but was both surprised and relieved when she heard the Kirin say, “You can keep those on. Now lie down.” “On the floor?” Trixie crossed her arms in front of her chest, grateful that none of this was being witnessed by anyone else. Standing here almost naked in front of a member of the opposite sex, no less.  Winter Frost nodded, his face showing no carnal interest in the young magician at all. He held his empress’s magic crest with extreme care, without even a hint of a tremble in his hands. Feeling a little better, Trixie lowered herself onto the floor and lay down. The wooden floorboards were hard against the back of her head, and she blew a wayward strand of hair out of her face.  “Very good,” Kneeling down next to the girl, Winter Frost held the magic crest over Trixie’s upper body. The mana emanating from it made Trixie’s skin crawl with anticipation, and her breathing grew faster.  Winter Frost lowered the magic crest onto just below Trixie’s sternum, and the place where it touched her burned both hot and cold. She lay as still as she could, watching in wonder as the crest began to sink into her skin. Lines of light branched out from the crest across her body like forked lightning bolts, lighting up and stimulating her own magical leylines. The place of contact began to itch almost painfully, but the young magician made no move to scratch or otherwise disturb the process. Winter Frost’s own hands began to radiate a watery light, and he muttered some words in a language Trixie didn’t understand.  Finally after almost five minutes, the entire crest sank under Trixie’s skin and the glowing ceased. The intense outpouring of mana faded, and Winter Frost slumped back along the bed’s frame. “It is done,” the Kirin panted as Trixie sat up, feeling her ribcage and giving herself a scratch. “I can hardly believe it worked, but you now carry the magic crest of Empress Rain Shine. Protect it and yourself well, for you are now the bearer and guardian of the most powerful magic in the Murian Isles. At least until I get well enough to resume my duties.” He closed the empty chest and placed it under the bed before climbing back on top and lying down. “What happens now?” Trixie asked as she began to dress herself. There was a faint tingle of what resembled pins and needles crawling from her torso to her arms and legs, like electricity.  “Now I must rest,” Winter Frost said, his head settling on his pillow. “Giving you the crest, along with everything else, has taken up much of my strength. You don’t have to watch over me.” “All right,” Trixie went to leave the room and turn off the light. “I have to go back to the academy tomorrow anyway. Maybe it’s best I turn in too.” “Yes. Your body will take some time to adjust to the crest, so try to take it easy on the magic. Oh, and one more thing.” “What is it?” Winter Frost opened his eyes and stared at Trixie from his position on the bed. “Watch your temper. Good night, Trixie.” And with that last cryptic word of caution, Winter Frost shut his eyes again and rolled over to sleep.