//------------------------------//
// The Quest for the Crystal Heart 
// Story: The Pony-Filled Life of Alexis Creek 
// by NightmareMoon 
//------------------------------//

	The first thing I noticed when the door closed behind me and Trixie was that it was dark. I could barely see a thing, but it seemed like there was a light somewhere in the distance - but it was a long way there. I wondered how far this tunnel went.

After for walking and walking for ages, we came across a door. An old (centuries, maybe even millennia-old), wooden door with a crystal handle (they should sell these in tourist shops).

I looked at Trixie, who nodded. I opened the door to find a small room - nothing fancy - with a lot of doors. A lot. I slowly approach one of the doors, drawn to them, until Trixie says quickly, "Don't go in! They show your worst fears. When I went in, it was the ponies of Ponyville, laughing at me. Try to resist it."

I step back and felt like I had just been un-hypnotized, which I was, in a way. "That was so strange," I mumbled. "Let's hope there isn't more of this hypnotism. Actually, is there? It would be useful to know."

Trixie looks down and said, "This is the farthest I've ever been. I was too afraid of what Sombra would do to me otherwise. I had to find the right pony - or, in this case, person - to help me."

"Well," I say, "if that's the case, we better be quick. Just remember: if you feel drawn to anything, or drawn to do something, don't comply. And look out for traps, too - we don't know how many are in here, and I'm sure Sombra would like to protect his castle."

"Actually," Trixie said bitterly, "he doesn't bother protecting his stuff that much. After all, there's no Crystal Pony insane enough to venture into his castle - this is, if you're wondering, the back entrance to his real castle, where he does all of his evil stuff. The other entrance is from the Crystal Castle, which nopony ever enters. Anyway, we can just teleport upstairs. I know the coordinates, memorized them even. I've been preparing this for so long."

Her horn lights up, and her magical aura surrounds us. We're here the next second, and now we're in some room, thrown to the walls. It's a small room - like the door room - and it's just any old room.

Other than the fact that it has the Crystal Heart in it.

I reach out to it, but Trixie snaps, "Don't just touch it! You said yourself a few minutes ago that this place must have tons of traps! Try levitating it. My magic doesn't work here, but you don't use a horn, so it wouldn't be able to identify the type you use, and it won't set off whatever alarm is in here."

I open my locket thing just the slightest bit - letting some of the magic sparkles or whatever (oh gosh, please don't judge, this sounds incredibly girly right now) get on my hand, then think like if I don't, I'm going to die... My hand lights up and I keep thinking, levitate... to... me! Levitate... to.... me!

I close my eyes. To my surprise only seconds later I feel something bump against my legs, hovering a foot off the ground. "Now I'll teleport to the castle," I said. "Or at least... Try to, because I've never actually done this before."

Trixie nods. "It's amazing how you can perform magic so easily for your first few tries. Even if you do have already loaded magic-to-go, it still takes a while to get the hang of it. Just think of what you want to do and nothing else. Keep thinking until your head hurts."

I followed her instructions. Teleportation, a significantly harder spell, took much longer than the levitation. After five minutes of doing what she said - thinking until my head hurt - I finally felt my hand light up weakly, and a couple of seconds later we were thrown roughly onto the Crystal floor. "Oh, gosh," Trixie groaned. "Weak teleportation. It's always the -"

We had started to walk outside, and I saw what she was talking about. There was a full-on Crystal Fair taking place, and there was a pedestal labeled "Crystal Heart" and below that a message: "I hope you find this. -Cadence".

Well, then. Today was a good day to save the world. 

I put the Crystal Heart on the pedestal, and watched the ponies gathering around it. Then I heard a shout from Cadence: "The Crystal Heart's magic isn't enough! My magic is failing..."

My eyes widened as I saw Sombra - his smoke form - appear outside the Crystal City. He seemed to be struggling to get in - weakened by the Crystal Heart's love magic - but he could get in, nevertheless. So basically, we were doomed.

"No!" I screamed. And then I had an idea... "Cadence," I yelled. "Come here! I have some leftover magic. Maybe it might help."

I ran to Cadence and handed her the locket. I looked behind me and saw Sombra hurtling towards us... And Cadence was such a long way away! How would I do this? Would I even make it on time? I doubted it, even if I used a teleport (which would take five minutes). Besides, I couldn't waste the little amount of magical energy left that I had! This was the fate of a whole empire, in my hands. What would I do?

Well, I reasoned, better start running.

And so I ran...