//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2- Spells of the Showmare 
// Story: Storm Warning 
// by PixelPonies 
//------------------------------//

	“Trixie? How is she going to help us?” The group of six ponies (and one dragon) walked through the cold, windy, and dirty streets of Manehatten burdened by heavy loads of food and survival supplies.
“And why do y’all think that Trixie would head to Manehatten?”
“Remember when Trixie’s cart smashed? Snips and Snails cleaned it up and there was a list of places Trixie was headed after Ponyville., and it seems like Trixie came here. It makes sense she would come back here to build herself back up again. And, to answer your question Rainbow, Trixie’s last name is Lulamoon, which means she’s realated Dawn Lulamoon..” Twilight’s eye caught a fluttered paper in the chilly breeze. She walked over to the newsstand and scanned the article.


CANTERLOT WEATHER CONTROL DECREASED RAPIDLY,
WEATHER PONIES UNABLE TO CONTROL FREAK STORMS.

After the sudden increase in storms Canterlot weather ponies have been losing control of the storms. Today a large snowstorm that pegasi have been keeping back for days went wild and nearly destroyed the Wonderbolt’s Racing Track. Nopony was killed, but several injuries to the staff on duty at that time suffered from injuries. It is unknown how many bits will be required to repair the stadium, and one of the workers there will be in hospital for several days.
“This is bad, very bad.” Twilight held up the article and turned to the pony working there. “Could I buy thi-”
“Twilight Sparkle?” The silver maned unicorn behind the counter looked at Twilight with shock. “Why are you in Manehatten? Have you come to perhaps... admit to Trixie that she is the better, stronger, prettier, and all around better unicorn than Twilight Sparkle?”
Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes and muttered. “Says the pony working at a newspaper stand.”
Twilight head shot up from the paper.“Trixie! I need your help with-”
“Why should Trixie help you after all, you did humiliate Trixie. Trixie is nothing but a laughing stock now, everywhere she goes she is mocked because of you, Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight glanced angrily at Rainbow Dash and looked back a Trixie. “I... well... we received an assignment from the Princess about the weather storms. Apparently they are coming from the Everfree Mountain, and while we were researching we came across this. Twilight pulled out (with difficult) the short article about Trottingham. “I know your last name is Lulamoon, and the  article says here that Dawn Lulamoon used the Tears of Fire to get rid of a magic storm.” She placed the article on the stand.
Trixie blinked a couple times, obviously pushing back tears. Nopony has ever mentioned Mother for so long. She tossed her mane and turned away to avoid looking at the group, shuffling newspapers around. “Yes, Trixie’s mother. Dawn Lulamoon.” Her voice wavered. “Talented in arcane spells and magical artifacts. Went insane after using the Tears of Fire. The Tears of Fire... they are a family heirloom.”
Twilight’s perked up. “Really? What happened to them?”
Trixie smiled mischievously and beckoned her hoof. “Trixie will tell you... for a price.”
Rainbow Dash sighed, flew closer to the stand and pulled out five bits from her saddlebags crammed with supplies. She threw them onto the stand. “There, that should cover for that newspaper and the info.”
Trixie looked down at the bits, then levitated them into a small pouch in her greyed saddlebags. “They are... gone.”
“WHAT!” Rainbow flew even closer to Trixie and stared at her straight in the eye. “What do mean, ‘gone!?’”
“Trixie means exactly what she says she means, they are gone. I buried them away when I was quite little. After I-Trixie received them...  Trixie became worried the gems might take me, especially after they took my mother... I assumed they must be bad luck. Trixie’s father became overcome with grief.” He also became addicted to cheap beer and kept me up with his drunken fits. The stupid colt deemed unfit for my care when the Filly Protection Agency came and found me lying in a pile of newspaper that my father told me was my bed, the soggy bastard. Wouldn’t have cared if I died. He yelled it was my fault mother was dead. No... it wasn’t my fault. It couldn’t have been my fault. “I-I took them and buried it in a cave many miles away from where the orphanage where I was sent.  You may as well give up now Twilight Sparkle. The Tears are Gone, one of the gems were broken anywa-” Trixie paused. She felt something in her horn, a tingling feeling. It lit up without her consent, and tugged her saddlebags. But she couldn’t possibly, her father told her never to... but he was so...
It’s okay Trixie, you can give it to them.
Who are you?
Give them the parchment, it’s okay.
Twilight was turning around with disappointment. “Well... thanks anyway Trixie, come on girls.” As they started to walk away-
“Wait!”  Twilight turned her head.
“I- Trixie might not be able to get the old one... but... I think I know how to make one.”
“Great! What do we need?”
Trixie looked around to see if anypony was watching before opening up a tattered white saddlebag with several items in it. She pulled out a pouch that rang with the sound of bits, an old notebook, and a grey quill before pulling out old sheets of parchment hastily held  together with a single paperclip.  “This is all that Trixie has about the Tears.”
Twilight levitated the papers over to her excitedly and carefully nestled  them in her already-crammed saddlebags. “Thank you so much Trixie, you don’t know how grateful I am for this.” Twilight turned to the rest of the group, “We have to hurry now, the Tears aren’t going to make themselves. Let’s go.”
Trixie stared at the group of seven, her mind whirling. Why had she just helped her arch rival? And why did she want to... help more?
And most importantly... who was that voice?
***
“‘Through flames and warmth the tears are made, with crystals far beneath the cities wake. Mix the harmony of crystals with three rubies glowing with ember light, but only one or it will cause a... blight?” This barely even rhymes! How does this even make sense?” Twilight stared, annoyed at the poem. She sighed and continued reading the tattered page. “The lovely sprites wings sit atop the ruby’s sides, with dust of the stars for magic, and fruit of the kind. ’ Honestly, this pony needs a rhyming lesson, it looks like they just gave up at the end! Also, what are these items. Why do old spells always have to have a secret cryptic riddle for a recipe to save Equestria, and why does this one have to stink so much?” Twilight flopped her head on the cafe table in the middle of the cold Manehatten street, hooves over head like it would make all the questions go away.
“Twilight, don’t blame yourself for this, rhymes and spells go hoof and hoof. Apparently in olden times rhymes were associated with power, and still today they do carry that sense that only to bravest and the most intelligent can cast and solve these spells.” Rarity patted Twilight then picked up the parchment again, dusting off some of the dirt that had gathered in years of disuse. “The first thing we should do is find out what these items actually are, since it doesn’t mention many by name. Harmony crystals beneath the city’s wake...”
Twilight mumbled something.
“Yes Twilight?”
“Aria Crystals. Remember when Queen Chrysalis trapped me inside those caves with Cadence? Those gemstones were Aria Crystals. They special properties, with amazing acoustics, the Royal Canterlot Opera House’s main room is made from Aria Crystals. The ‘harmony of crystals. They also are rumored to increase singing and hearing skills, though I’m sure its just a myth.”
Rarity looked at the next line. “Three rubies glowing with ember light. Well, that’s obvious. Fire Rubies!”
Spike jolted up from his daze. “Did somepony say ‘fire rubies?’ those things are delicious, especially in emerald salad with powdered diamond... Yeah... I could go for a fire ruby... too bad they’re only found in the Badlands...” He dozed off, eyes glazed with the thoughts of food.
“The lovely sprites wings sit atop the ruby’s sides.”
Rainbow stared at the bottom of her empty hot chocolate cup, mumbling to herself. Sprites. Now where had she heard those before... “Sprite wings... sprite wings... I got it! Sprite wood!”
“Sprite Wood?” Pinkie looked at Rainbow confused, “But I thought those were just myths?”
“Well, yeah, so was Nightmare Moon.” 
Before Pinkie could retort Twilight cocked her head and asked. “What’s Sprite Wood?” 
“Sprite Wood, or Eternal Trees. is this weird kind of tree legendary tree in the Hearth’s Warming Eve story that the Pegasi used. It  was rumored to have special properties, like never burning when set on fire and magic uses that the pegasi didn’t know about. Pegasi used this wood for fires, because then it would never run out. They also traded the Sprite wood with the Unicorns for high prices, because they couldn’t use the Sprite Wood except for burning stuff. So they used the stuff so much that eventually it all disappeared.”
“Disappeared? But you said that it never burnt out.” 
“That’s what’s so weird! Somehow when the friendship between the clans fell, the trees started dying and the wood would burn twice as fast as normal wood!”
Twilight looked at Rainbow with a depressed look while levitating the spell out of Rarty’s aura. “But how in Equestria are we supposed to find an extinct tree? Ponyland is covered in snow now, and all the plantlife are gone.” 
“I might know where to get some...”
“Not only are the first Tears of Fire gone, but now we’re supposed to build new ones out of insanely rare materials in a few days!”
“I think that Old Canterlot has an abandoned garden that some Sprite Trees still grow in...”
“This spell is useless, and now it’s going to be our fault if Equestria is doome-” 
Applejack shoved her hoof into Twilight’s mouth. “Fluttershy is trying to say something Twi.”
“In Old Canterlot there’s an abandoned garden that’s rumored to have a sprite tree garden...”
Twilight looked around awkwardly, pulling the parchment over to hide her face. “Oh... Um... Hey we’re supposed to find Star Dust. I’ve seen Star Dust in the Canterlot National Museum of Astrology. Why don’t we split up and... find the items in pairs?” 
“But there are 5 items and only 7 of us. We’ll have to send two ponies alone, last time we didn’t stick together it didn’t work at all!” 
“Then two pairs will just have to get another item.” 
“We only have two days tops Twi, the weather ponies told me that the barrier that the cities are having aren’t so strong.”
Twilight bent her head down again at stuck her hooves into her face. 
A showmare leaned close to the wall, perfect timing...  
“Trixie believes she can be of assistance.” Trixie stepped out and stood before the group of friends.  
I have to help, I can’t let anything happen.
Make them proud.