Chapter 7:
Preliminaries
Trixie awoke to the sight of a beautifully decorated ceiling. Heavy, warm blankets enfolded her atop the softest bed she had ever lain on. Relishing in the feeling, she snuggled deeper into the luxurious comfort. Trixie wanted to simply lie there all day, but knew she had to get out of bed soon, as today was a big day. She sat up slowly, looking around the room she had been staying in for almost two weeks. Even after so many days of seeing the same furniture and decorations, it was all no less foreign to her. Never had she seen a room so lavished in luxury, let alone slept in one. Looking down, she swept her hoof over the intricately patterned sheets, marveling at the complexity of the design, doing this almost every morning in an attempt to convince herself that she was really awake and not just in some delusional dream.
She stepped out of bed and walked into the morning rays that came in through one of the large windows. The warmth sent a delightful shiver through her whole body, inciting her lips to curl into a thin smile. Looking out the window revealed a view Trixie was unaccustomed to as well. All of Canterlot was beneath her, and the feeling was nearly overwhelming. She knew it wasn’t going to be for much longer, but perhaps, one day, this would become all-too-common a sight to her. One day, she would feel this way with no worry at all.
She turned away to perform her regular morning regimen of brushing her mane, freshening up, and so on and so forth. When she was all finished up, Trixie walked towards the door, pausing before it and flicking her horn. A drawer slid open at her command and out came her signature cape, unfurling and securing itself around her neck. She trotted out to find a guard stationed at the side of her door, the same one that was there almost every morning. He hardly looked like a guard, certainly lacking that muscular or lean look most guards had - because he wasn’t really one, from what Trixie gathered.
The ash-gray unicorn had his snout buried in a large book levitated in a light blue aura. He continued to read in blissful ignorance of Trixie’s appearance. His short, brown mane was styled as it usually was every morning, seemingly combed quickly to a side. He wore no armor, again unlike a normal guard, and it allowed a clear sight of the single black star with a sparkling tail behind it that comprised his cutie mark. He worked closely with Princess Luna as an astronomer, apparently, and so the Princess had assigned him to check up on Trixie while she stayed in the castle. He wasn’t around all the time, but made regular visits to see that she had everything she needed - and most likely to ensure that she wasn’t up to any shenanigans. He was a nice enough colt, though he always acted a little tentative and perhaps even a bit shy, which Trixie had to admit got on her nerves every now and again.
Trixie waited for a few seconds before clearing her throat loudly to catch his attention. He jumped up, looking up from his book with wide, startled blue eyes. He turned to face Trixie, who wore a quizzical expression on her features.
“O-oh, Miss Lulamoon. Good morning!” he said, surprise quickly giving way to a warm smile.
“Good morning, Starfall,” she said in a bored tone. “What is for breakfast today?” They began walking towards their regular eating area together.
There was a minute of silence before there was a response. “Y’know, you should be a little more grateful...” Starfall said carefully, trailing behind the mare as she trotted briskly on, head held high.
“For what?” She stopped, looking back with an accusing glare.
“I-I mean... you know.”
“Hmm...” Trixie mused, tapping her hoof to her chin. “No. I do not.” She kept walking, Starfall cantering to catch up.
“I’m talking about the Princess! Aren’t you taking all this for granted? She doesn’t just go around and give anypony a room in the castle.”
Trixie didn’t reply, but she knew what he was talking about. She never forgot about it. And it didn’t help that Starfall kept reminding her of it. She had only been in the holding room for one night before she was invited to stay in a proper guest room. Aside from being allowed to stay in a room of the castle, she was given a second chance. The Princess had made it clear that it hadn’t only been her words that were convincing, but it was also due to Twilight Sparkle’s as well. Once again, Twilight Sparkle saved the day for Trixie. This thought alone made her feel sick to her stomach. She grimaced at the thought of owing more to Twilight.
She didn’t see Twilight or Princess Luna often during the duration of her stay, and had in fact only spoken once to Princess Luna since their encounter in the holding room. They must have been busy with the tournament, as the preliminaries were already in full swing. This is what faced Trixie on this particular day. After nearly two weeks of arduous trials, the final day of processing had come upon them. Trixie had heard that almost five thousand ponies were entered into the preliminaries. But what was most worrying was the rumor of less than five hundred of them passing on to the actual tournament.
“I know what you are talking about. And I am not going to take what the Princess did for me for granted...” Trixie contended, her voice becoming serious.
“Oh?”
“Because I will win this tournament.” I’ll win it for myself. Her features hardened together with her stern tone.
“Well, I certainly hope you’re ready.”
“I am always ready.” At least, I hope I am.
~*~*~*~
It was a fairly quick trip by flying chariot to the preliminaries field, which was located on a large, empty plane north of Canterlot. Trixie peered over the side to the ground far below, seeing a multitude of ponies dotting the fields and surrounding the obstacle course. There were more ponies than there should have been competing that day, Trixie noticed, but quickly realized that many of them were more than likely spectators simply observing the excitement. This made her smile in glee.
“Did you look over the rules pamphlet like I told you to?” Starfall chimed in, his tone tentative. Trixie ignored him, still looking away. “Remember, no harmful spells, and If you cheat you will get caught. There are ponies keeping a close eye on every obstacle.” Trixie’s brow twitched in irritation at his assumption that she would consider cheating. And even if she was that sort of pony, she wouldn’t need it to get through a simple preliminary round.
“Are you listening to me?” Starfall persisted. “I’m only trying to make sure you don’t get disqualified for making a mistake...” Trixie only nodded in reply, already well acquainted with the multitude of safety rules. Her attention was still directed towards the ground below.
“And don’t you think you should keep your head inside the carriage?” Starfall pleaded worriedly at Trixie’s side. With a groan, Trixie turned to him with an irate glare.
“Why did you even come along? Do you really have to watch me twenty-four seven? It is beginning to creep me out...”
“I’m not here to watch you. At least... I don’t think I am. Just giving you a heads-up. And anyway, I’m also here for the tournament,” he said with a proud smile.
Trixie’s bored expression didn’t falter. “Really?” she said in a monotone voice.
“Of course!” he said in a genuinely cheery tone, before his snout scrunched up in confusion. “Wait, what’s that supposed to-”
“Be quiet.” He was stopped by Trixie’s raised hoof. “I want to listen to the crowds as we land.” Trixie closed her eyes, the corners of her lips curling upwards as she listened carefully to the murmurs of the crowd over the high winds. The chatter increased beneath her as the chariot began its descent. It was all so reminiscent of the crowds before her shows. The pre-show excitement rushed through her body once again, and it was a joy Trixie had truly missed. Starfall gave her a bewildered look, but did not dare break her concentration.
They landed with a soft thud in a clearing off to the side of the commotion. The two ponies stepped off; Starfall thanking the pegasi for their service as Trixie carried on ahead to the sign-in booths. She pushed herself nonchalantly through groups of ponies and up to the pony at the booth. Trixie looked back with a grin, noticing Starfall no longer behind her, more than likely entangled in an apologetic battle with every other pony he bumped into. She redirected her attention to the mare behind the counter.
“Name and identification, please,” said the cheery worker. Trixie pulled the same old card as before from a pocket in her cape, handing it over as she recited her full name.
“Hmm...” the mare mused as she sifted through the list of ponies before her. “I... don’t believe your name is here...” At that, Trixie’s entire being nearly froze as disbelief fell heavily and unexpectedly upon her. She was left utterly speechless, pausing a few seconds before considering berating the innocent clerk to contest her omission.
“Oh, here it is! Trixie Lulamoon,” she drawled over the name, finishing with a smile. As a blanket of relief came over Trixie, a feeling of perturbed annoyance came to fill the void of shock. “Now, please turn in any possessions you may be carrying at the moment for storage.”
“What? Why should I give you my cape?” Trixie challenged, hoof over the jewel that held the starry cape around her neck.
“It’s just standard procedure. We can’t have anypony participate with outside objects," the pony explained. Trixie maintained her wary look. "Y'know, to prevent any cases of cheating or the like."
"How in Equestria can a cape be used for cheating!?" Trixie spat in outrage, not wanting to give up her signature item.
"I don't know, but the Princess is taking every precaution necessary." Trixie cooled at the mention of the Princess. Because of her, she was given this second chance, and by defying a simple request she was about to ruin everything all over again. She thought better of the situation, wordlessly levitating the cape over to the clerk. Trixie’s expression was stoic as the other mare explained how her items would be promptly returned once the trial was complete. With that, Trixie turned away, already wanting the preliminaries to be over.
~*~*~*~
A magical flash of light burst at the side of Princess Luna, revealing a cheerful Twilight Sparkle, a broad smile on her face as she was once again able to sit at the Princess’ side to assess and observe the preliminary round. It was the last day for preliminaries, and it was evident to the Princess that the unicorn mare seemed a bit more enthusiastic on this day than previous ones. Luna could only speculate on why.
They both found themselves atop a tall, wooden watchtower. Simply built, it was comprised only of an elevated platform, as both mares had quick means of reaching the top without the need for steps. Strategically placed downrange on the course, it afforded them a clear view of every obstacle and contestant.
“You’ve arrived just in time,” Luna said with a smile of her own. “They are just about to get started.”
“Great!” Twilight said, giddy with excitement. Luna noticed her scanning the crowds around the starting line closely, as if searching for somepony in particular.
~*~*~*~
“All contestants please make your way to the starting line,” announced a loud voice that rose above the chatter. “The preliminary round will begin soon!” Trixie looked about, trying to catch where the voice was coming from. Instead, she caught sight of Princess Luna standing atop a high structure further along and to the side of the long obstacle course. From that vantage point, the Princess would more than likely be able to watch the progress of every one of the participants. Upon closer inspection, another mare could be seen close to the side of the Princess. It was Twilight Sparkle.
Trixie narrowed her eyes as she walked over to the starting line. She went all the way to the far left, hoping to be a little more concealed from the Princess’ watchful eyes as well as keeping as many ponies out of her way as possible. There seemed to be a little fewer than a hundred ponies still on this trial. It all felt very cluttered. She looked down the long, straight stretch of land that comprised the obstacle course, its limits marked out by pennants placed every few steps along the sides of the permitted course, but couldn’t distinguish what sort of obstacles lay before her. All she could tell was that the first part was nothing but a long, empty plain of short grass and dirt.
There weren’t many ponies at the far end, which was good; more attention for her from the crowds. She was quite confident in her chances of moving to the tournament rounds, of course; her special talent was magic, after all. And with the cheering from an audience, how could she possibly let them all down? She raised a hoof high and waved, eliciting a cheer from the spectators. She smiled, relishing the attention.
“Don’t take up the whole spotlight,” said a voice from Trixie’s right, which she hadn’t been paying any mind to. “Especially when I’m around!” Trixie turned to see a tall and lean unicorn mare. Her coat was an odd, turquoise-y sort of color, and her short, straight, messily-layered mane was of a dark shade of blue. Her green eyes held a confident, egotistic flair to them as she stared back at Trixie with a winning grin.
“Humph. Who is to say I don’t deserve it?” Trixie said, not liking other ponies trying to draw away attention meant for her.
“Ha, I’m pretty sure that by the end of this trial, everypony will know who to root for.”
“What makes you think a shabby-looking pony like yourself is better than me?” The other mare seemed unfazed by Trixie’s return belittling.
“Haha! I’m looking forward to going up against a pony who actually thinks they’re better than me!” She laughed in an obnoxious manner. Trixie only squinted her eyes into a more aggravated glare. “Just wait and see. This course is gonna be a breeze,” the other mare said, warming up by jogging in place.
Trixie simply scoffed, rolling her eyes and turning to look again along the long obstacle course. Who needs stretching? My magic is always in tip top shape! She felt confident in front of a large crowd of cheering ponies. Contrary to how many felt on a stage, an audience often had the opposite effect of stage fright on Trixie. She actually felt energized; ready for anything that might be thrown her way.
“Contestants at the ready!” announced the loud voice. Trixie looked to her right as she saw ponies line up at the mark, readying themselves to take off at a moment’s notice. She noticed that the pony next to her seemed particularly focused, body poised low to the ground. “Ready!”
Ha, these ponies seriously think they have a chance against me? Trixie chuckled to herself, not even bothering to get into any kind of starting position.
“Go!” boomed the voice, accompanied by a loud starting bang. Trixie was startled, left dumbfounded for a second as all the other contestants burst out of the starting line. She cursed to herself before trotting after the rest. She was still able to notice the turquoise unicorn, but barely, only being able to catch a glimpse of her cutie mark of a single yellow lightning bolt in a circle. She had already positioned herself at the front of the pack and continued to pull away. Even at a full gallop, Trixie could not close the still-growing gap.
Looking to the right, Trixie became aware of her current position at the rear, but she wasn’t terribly behind any of the other stragglers. Then there came an odd, unexpected sound: a muted boom not too far off. And then more. Boom. Boom. Ponies were scattering, no longer running in straight lines but jumping about and moving in chaotic zigzags. The ever-increasing cheers of the onlooking crowd were muffling the noises around her. Trixie kept her pace, still unsure of what was occurring ahead, until her hoof sank into the ground. She looked down in time to see a purple ooze seep out of the ground before exploding into the air.
There was little time to react, quickly teleporting herself out of the way with little focus or direction in mind. She appeared in a flash a short distance from the gelatinous goo, now spreading over the ground where she once stood. She watched the odd substance secreted from the ground with wide eyes, taking a deep breath to compose herself from the shock and sudden use of magic. She looked around her; ponies were scattered across the field, some moving forward while others found themselves entangled in the goo.
It’s a trap! Trixie realized that the ground was more than likely littered with sticky mines. She had to tread carefully, but quickly, as she still found herself at the tail-end of the pack. Taking another step, her hoof once again sank into the ground. She scowled at her misfortune, jumping into the air and once again teleporting in a flurry of magic seconds before the erupting trap caught her hoof. Reappearing a good distance forward, she only found herself landing in yet another mine. With no other means of escape, she strained her magic for yet another teleportation, hoping the next landing would be clear.
Another short burst forward, but this time she landed on all four hooves, standing firmly on the ground. Panting at having to use teleportation several consecutive times, she decided she needed to take a rest and pausing to observe the rest of the field. It was something Trixie could only describe as ‘chaos’. Countless ponies were trapped and trying their hardest to escape the sticky goo. Others were hardly faring any better, only just dodging the enveloping substance, forcing them to push their stamina to its limits as their movements and reactions became noticeably slower. A few ponies were making decent progress, but she wasn’t one of them.
Trixie waited a little longer to compose herself, knowing that the next misstep might be her last. Constant teleportation was too much of a strain on her magic, so she had to figure out a less intensive method to avoid the bombs, and fast. Tight-lipped and with eyes full of worry, she looked about frantically, unable to think of a logical method of getting through unscathed. Then a sudden idea was realized as she watched ponies gallop hysterically past her position. She waited for another contestant to pass by, then broke into a gallop as she stuck right to the other pony’s tail. She followed close behind the stallion for nearly a minute before he stepped into another mine, befalling the same fate as so many before him. Trixie, meanwhile, had jumped away in time and fell in line behind another pony, who continued to run, oblivious to Trixie’s presence.
Ha! These ponies will be useful for the time being! There was a sly grin on the devious mare’s face as she continued her ‘hop and dodge’ method.
At last, the next obstacle came into view just as Trixie realized she was beginning to run low on ponies to hitch a ride with. Her current shield had just run into a mine, leaving her to tackle the final stretch alone. There was only a short distance still ahead, but it was nonetheless hazardous. As she ran she concentrated her magic, and with another burst of light she teleported herself as close as possible to the next trial. She looked back with a triumphant grin, noticing the countless ponies still trapped by the goo.
“So far so good,” she chuckled, turning to run the short distance to the next obstacle. There were still ponies far ahead of her, and even more around her that had been able to get through the traps successfully. Trixie picked up the pace, her breathing composed and expression focused.
The next test began at a set of archways that stretched from one side of the course to the other. Each was only wide enough for one pony, and as Trixie watched one of her competitors step through an archway, a barrier quickly slammed down behind them, preventing further access. Trixie ran for an open entrance at the far left, quickly darting into the long, straight corridor beyond as the entrance shut behind her. She ran for a short while until she came to a dead end. Examining it closely, she discovered that it in fact comprised a stone wall with a sort of rail or pulley system around its frame that continued on up towards the roof, as if meant for something to be fitted into place. Trixie raised a brow in a questioning glance. She could only assume the obstruction needed to be lifted out of the way. With hooves braced hard against the ground, she surrounded the wall with her magical aura. With a forceful grunt, the slab was slowly, but surely, lifted up into the space above, a loud clang announcing it was secure and giving Trixie the signal to release her magic. Trixie scoffed at the ease with which the impediment was removed, continuing along the now-opened passage. However, it wasn’t long before she came upon another inconvenience, similar to the last.
Trixie’s eyes rolled, more annoyed than anything at another encounter with such a trivial hindrance. Once again, magic engulfed the wall, but this time it did not budge. She realized it was much heavier than the last, demanding a higher exertion of magical force. Slowly, it inched away from the ground. Trixie shut her eyes and gritted teeth, inciting more and more magic. The slab was lifted upwards, but at a painfully slow pace. The mere minutes it was taking to lift the heavy slab felt like forever to Trixie. Body beginning to tremble slightly, she was forced into a widened stance. Finally, with one last push and a grunt, the slab locked into place with a loud clang; Trixie’s magic released with an exhausted gasp. She stood still to compose herself, body beginning to ache once again. Eventually she took a step forward, but had to pause again, still taking heavy breaths.
Trixie pushed onward, though trotting at a much slower pace. As long as I don’t do any more heavy lifting with my magic for a little while, I should still be okay to keep going. At that thought, a feeling of dread and anger hit her as she slowed to a walk. She looked upon the next smooth stone with wide eyes.
“Argh, stupid walls!” she complained aloud, knowing there to be a good chance that this one was even heavier than the last. Trixie plopped down on her haunches before it; she still needed to recover from the last levitation. But time was a factor, and she knew she didn’t have much of it to waste on resting. Sitting up and bracing herself, she tested the waters with magic. She tried to shift the block gently, but that resulted in no noticeable movement. This wall was definitely heavier than the last. Trixie released her magic once again, eyes closing in concentration and mind clearing of everything but the task at hoof. Again, magic flared from her horn and surrounded the almost impossibly heavy obstruction. Slowly, she poured more force into the telekinetic grasp, but still, nothing budged. She pushed harder, furrowing her brow and now barred teeth. At last, the wall came off the floor.
By now, her horn was radiating an immense, swirling aura that only continued to grow as she pushed more magic though. The wall was only inches off the ground, but it continued its slow and steady rise.
Go up... go up... go up... go up! Trixie chanted this mantra non-stop throughout the near-painful exertion of magic. She didn’t bother opening her eyes to assess the progress, as all focus was set on fully achieving the objective. By now her legs were visibly shaking, and beads of sweat rolled down her furrowed brow. She groaned audibly as the slab of heavy stone continued on with its ascension.
The previous two magical elevations were taking their toll, as Trixie’s aching body was physically exhausted. She dared not move a muscle as she would more than likely collapse to the ground with fatigue. Countless minutes had passed and she had no idea how far or how close the block really was to reaching the top. Her trembling right foreleg abruptly gave way, dropping Trixie down onto a knee with a painful cry. The wall fell a few inches as her concentration wavered, but she was able to catch it before losing all progress. Whole body shivered, she heaved herself back onto all four hooves, forcing even more magic through her being.
“GO UP!” she yelled, following it up with a wordless scream just as the clang of stone against metal reverberated through the enclosed space. Instantly, the magic was released and Trixie slumped to the ground in a crumpled mass of pony, breathing heavy and heart beating furiously enough to make her worry she’d done herself an injury. She lay there for several minutes before wearily getting back up to her hooves. Trixie opened her eyes to see the an open exit, unobstructed and wall-free. She gave a tired grin as relief struck, returning enough energy to get her shaky hooves moving again.
Exiting the narrow corridor, she once again found herself in a wide open field with no visible obstructions nearby. Trixie looked to the right, seeing that a few other ponies had gotten through as well, but that they seemed to have fared little better than she. A few were sprawled on the ground; others were slowly forcing themselves to keep moving forward. She had to keep moving, cantering on at a slow pace and taking much slower and deeper breaths, mind refusing her body’s pleas for rest, as she was well aware of the stakes. There was no time to lie down and fully recover. Urging her body to keep moving, she picked up her pace and slogged over to the next obstacle.
She came to a halt before a small ditch in the ground that extended the entire width of the course. It was full of still, clear water, perhaps not even knee-deep. Trixie looked into the canal to see her reflection staring back; the sight of her ragged mane and tired eyes made her frown. Looking around, she spotted a wooden sign on a post nearby; further down, other ponies performing the trial could be seen; clear, swirling orbs surrounded them as they slowly walked further down the course. Trixie trotted over to the sign as quickly as her tired legs allowed, eager to get the test underway. ‘Fill empty barrel with water until marker reaches the top’ was emblazoned on the instruction sign; Trixie looked over to the other side of the canal, where a line of wooden barrels, evenly spaced apart and each with tall scales at their side, waited. A small number were already full, many more empty, and the rest were in various stages in between. Moving with renewed vigor now that the task was before her, Trixie jumped over the ditch, her horn glowing as she turned back to collect the necessary liquid. The water’s smooth surface broke as a good-sized amount was collected and sculpted into a levitating sphere floating in the air above the canal. It grew larger and larger as more liquid was incorporated into the construct.
The more I get now the fewer trips I’ll have to take. The sphere was now roughly as large as Trixie herself and beginning to grow a little heavy. It seemed like a good size for her to carry without being so dense as to cause her problems. With a satisfied grin she turned to take the first step, only to hear a loud splash behind her. Trixie turned back with wide eyes, only to find that her magical grasp had loosened and let the water slip through, dropping it all back into the ditch. She scowled, trying to reform the large ball of water only to once again see it fall back down.
“Dumb water! Why can’t I hold you!?” she cried before realizing her problem. Levitating liquid wasn’t like levitating most other objects; it required a caster’s full concentration to hold it together, unlike something already solid. Carrying too much at once was no use, as it would just fall apart with even the slightest loss of concentration. Then she remembered what everypony else seemed to be doing: holding multiple smaller spheres would more than likely be easier to get across. Less to hold is easier to keep together.
Quickly, Trixie levitated five individual spheres, each the size of a common rubber ball. Carefully moving them away from the rest of the channel, she glared at them as she expected them to burst in mid-air at any moment. They held tight, however, much to Trixie’s relief. She took a single step and already the spheres had begun to leak small streams of water. Scowling at the realization, she paused, focusing once again to hold them more tightly. A few more steps and a few more ounces of water lost. Realizing there was not much she could do about it Trixie kept moving, keeping as much control as possible over her wayward charges. It took only a few minutes to reach an empty barrel, but by the time she arrived roughly two and a half orbs had failed to survive the trip. Letting what was left drop into the barrel, she watched as the marker on the side inched up, but stayed frustratingly far from the goal required to continue.
This is going to take forever! Hmm... maybe I can just take the barrel with me. Engulfing the near-empty container in her magical aura, Trixie tried lifting it off the ground. She grunted, pulling a little harder before letting the magic dissipate. The barrel was fastened securely to the ground, and Trixie wasn’t up for some more heavy lifting. Darn it. So much for an easy way. She trotted back to the canal, lifting five more watery spheres and making her slow return to the barrel. Once again, she saw the marker inch up and stop well short. She repeated this process two more times, every try ending in disappointment and a marker only one third of the way to the top. Things weren't going quickly enough, and the only consolation she received was from the sight of others struggling to progress as well.
She found herself eyeing the water, racking her brain to think of a more effective means of transportation. She glared fixedly at the channel, narrowed her eyes. Looking up in thought, she saw a few white fluffy clouds move gently across the blue sky, staring until her eyes shot wide open as inspiration struck. I’ve got it! Her horn began to glow once again; the water before her churned and bubbled, visible steam rising into the air with an audible hiss. The mist began to collect in the air; a foggy puff at first, it slowly darkened as more vapor was accumulated. A small storm cloud now hovered in the air; heavy with water, the black nimbus swirled steadily overhead.
Trixie grinned at her accomplishment, taking the storm cloud within her magical grasp as she turned to return to her bucket. The cloud followed docilely behind, shedding hardly a drop of precious water. She brought it over the bucket and began to tighten her grasp. Water dripped from the cloud, the fall of droplets increasing in pace before becoming a small, continuous stream. In no time at all, the cloud had completely dissipated into the barrel. The marker had risen a little over the halfway point. Trixie let out a gasp of success, trotting back to repeat the process.
After only three more trips she found the marker all the way at the top, giving the go-ahead to proceed. Trixie had saved herself a considerable amount of time, but it didn’t help that many other contestants had realized her method of transporting water was more efficient and done the same. She cursed them for taking advantage of her ingenious plan, but knew she had to keep moving. Even if she had saved time, there was no way of telling in what position she really was.
Looking to her right, she saw a few more ponies keeping pace with her. Trixie sent them an intimidating glare, hoping to unnerve them. She promptly fell face-first into coldness that engulfed her whole body. She flailed around to straighten herself, head bursting above the surface and gasping for air. A large body of open water lay before her. She swiveled her head around to once again find the ledge she had just fallen from and lifted herself out with haste, shaking away the cold wetness that had completely ruined her mane. Turning around, she looked out over the artificial lake. The other end was visible, but very far off. Too far to teleport to.
Trixie noticed another sign, similar to that from the last trial, that she had galloped past in her haste. ‘Get across without swimming’ was all that it said. Easy enough. Trixie didn’t know any particular spells for walking on water, but they couldn’t be too difficult, she presumed. Focusing her magic towards her hooves, she tried to imagine small, individual platforms below them. Taking tentative steps, she moved forward until all four hooves were over the water. Standing perfectly still, she tried to get a secure feeling before moving forward. When ready, Trixie took a confident step with her front right hoof. It instantly broke through the surface of the water, dragging the rest of her into the cold once again with a loud splash. Her head popped through the surface, sputtering and cursing. She grumbled to herself as she swam back and climbed onto the bank. Cold and tired, her body was shivering now.
The few ponies around her were slowly stumbling onto the lake, many of them falling in and swimming back to shore. Shaking away the remaining droplets, Trixie once again let her magic shine. Stepping onto the water was the easy part; walking on it was much more difficult. Carefully, and as slowly as she could, she tried to take another step. Her hoof began to sink, forcing her to quickly return to her still posture. Moving her hooves was throwing off what little buoyancy she had. There was no way for her to calculate exactly how much magic should be applied to each hoof to easily walk. All she could do was stand there.
What am I going to do? She gritted her teeth and looked from side to side with worried eyes, trying to figure out her next approach. If I could only get across by just standing still... An idea came to her as she realized that she needed some sort of propulsion to gently glide herself across the water. When standing perfectly still it might be possible to get across! Trying to think of a way to get moving, she recalled the first time she met Twilight Sparkle and witnessed her perform a spell that made the wind blow through some reeds in order to make an ursa minor fall asleep. She remembered trying to duplicate all the spells she had witnessed Twilight conjure that day.
Still focusing her magic on her hooves, she readied the wind spell. Gently, it came from behind, increasing in speed until the water beneath her began to wave and she felt herself begin to move. She was moving at a slow pace, but at least she was moving and not falling back into the cold water. Her magic held as she continued to concentrate on keeping herself afloat and moving. After a few minutes of gliding over the surface she began to close in on the far bank, and gave a final push to increase her speed. It was at that point that the realization of having no brakes finally hit her. There was no way to stop; all she could do was hope for a soft landing.
The wind pushed her forehooves onto the edge of the shore, where the stuck fast in the loam, driving her forward to land face-first into soft, green grass. She sat up, disgruntled at the thought of how terrible she must look, but quickly brightening as she contemplated her recent accomplishment. Trixie turned back to see many other ponies still struggling to get across. She laughed breathlessly to herself before turning and continuing on.
Trixie trotted at a slow pace, every other step making her wince from the aching pain. She couldn’t remember another time when her physical and magical abilities had been exerted to this extent, making her wonder how much further she could really go. Trixie frowned at the thought. By now, it was quite noticeable that not very many ponies had made it this far. Looking to each side, there were now only two others keeping a relatively equal pace. But Trixie knew she wasn’t at the front of the pack, and could only hope that there was still a chance at the finish line. Exerting more effort into her hooves, she sped up as much as she could, wanting to reach the next obstacle as quickly as possible.
It was only a few minutes of trotting over an empty field before she caught sight of the next trial. There was a fairly large group of ponies before her, a little more than a dozen, waiting for something Trixie was unaware of. They had all halted by a wooden barrier that stretched the width of the course, obstructing everypony’s view of the other side. Catching up to the group, she saw ponies standing around, isolating themselves as much as possible in the slightly spaced out crowd. None were speaking to each other, all keeping to themselves. Many of them were visibly fatigued, panting with heads hung low and struggling to keep on their hooves. Trixie took this opportunity to catch her breath in this odd moment of placidity, but she did not dare bend her hooves to lie on the soft grass, knowing there to be little chance of getting back up if she did. Probably the reason for many others also still standing around her.
Still waiting, Trixie passed the time by looking upon the other contestants that had made it this far. She knew and cared for none of them, but that was before noticing Starfall not too far away. Starfall!? How’d he get this far? Her gaze moved on, scanning the crowd until her eyes fell upon the tall and lean, arrogant mare she had met at the starting line. Trixie scoffed at the sight of her. Seeing nopony else of interest, her mind began to wander as she tried to ignore the aches in her hooves and horn.
At last, a loud voice broke the awkward silence, drawing everypony’s attention to the right where a referee pony stood on a platform above their heads. “You are the top twenty ponies of this preliminary round,” he began, the mood of the crowd suddenly feeling lighter at this. “But only ten of you can be chosen to continue on to the Lunar Tournament. This is your final trial. You must acquire one of the ten artifacts and cross the finish line. Good luck, everypony!” The previous mood had been completely diminished, leaving many ponies murmuring to themselves. Just by looking at the ponies around her, Trixie was sure that some of them didn’t stand a chance. She only hoped she wasn’t one of them.
The contestants formed a line before the wooden barricade, readying their tired bodies to tackle the final trial at a moment’s notice. Trixie’s head hung low and as she focused, her eyes only occasionally glancing to her sides at the other opponents doing much the same. A loud bang rang out, and the wall before them fell backward. Everypony hesitated for a mere second before charging at their final test.
Ten unicorn Lunar Guards stood a short distance away, evenly spaced across a wide-open clearing. A metallic-looking, shiny sphere, a little larger than an apple, floated in each of their respective magical auras. They held a defensive stance, strong and intimidating, all of them focused on a single goal - to prevent the contestants from reaching the finish line with a sphere.
Ponies charged head-on towards the guards, many pushing and shoving to gain even the slightest lead. The weaker, more fatigued ponies began to fall back as those more able closed in on the steadfast guards. Trixie seemed to fall in between both the stragglers and the leaders, unable to keep up with the front, but still holding pace well enough. It was only about a minute before somepony finally let off a spell with a spark and a flash. A beam of magic hurled towards one of the guards, who easily jumped away to evade. Many other contestants began to do the same, to little avail. Trixie knew it would be a waste to try attacking the guards head-on, well aware of the little energy she had left. She couldn’t afford to waste a single spell. Everypony began to scatter about the field as the guards broke formation and did the same. Trixie felt as if she stood in the middle of sheer chaos, watching as spells shot back and forth between the guards and the contestants. It was everypony for themselves, and stopping the others from acquiring the artifacts was just as important as attaining one.
An array of spells were being used, from what Trixie was able to make out. Forcefields, duplication spells, disorientation spells, stun spells and many others could faintly be made out from within the skirmish. Trixie’s head darted back and forth, looking for any sort of window of opportunity, a precise moment to strike. So far, not a single sphere had been taken, so every artifact was up for grabs.
A guard rushed past her, another mare close on his tail. Trixie’s narrowed eyes locked onto the possible target. She gave chase, ignoring her aching limbs and slowly catching up to the pony in front. She weaved and dodged her way through the bedlam, trying not to run into any other pony or, even worse, a spell. Trixie was well aware from the rules pamphlet that any harmful spell would result in immediate disqualification, so she’d be facing nothing more than hindrances in this trial... but hindrances she couldn't afford to waste time and energy on.
A beam of magic strayed over Trixie’s head, forcing her to dive low to the ground. Quickly getting back on her hooves, she took off once again in pursuit of the guard. The gap had widened, forcing her to look elsewhere while still keeping a steady trot through the mayhem. Then, all of a sudden, a distinct flash appeared before her; a guard had teleported away from another adversary. Trixie saw her opportunity, heading for the unsuspecting guard just as he reappeared a short distance away, still somewhat disorientated from his jump. Readying her dimly-glowing horn, she lunged at his back, eyes fixed on the sphere above him. She was going to stun the guard, but not before she felt her own limbs tighten. Unable to move or perform a spell, she held her breath, falling to the ground directly behind her target.
Startled, the guard quickly spun around before he was stunned with a magical wave as well. Trixie, still unable to move her limbs, forced her head up to see the guard struggle to break free as well. He succeeded in mere seconds, but it was still not fast enough. Trixie witnessed the turquoise mare from before jump off his back, take the sphere in her mouth with a mid-air flip, and rip it away from the guard’s magical hold. She landed on all four hooves and took off without a second glance. Neither the guard nor Trixie could fully comprehend what had happened in such a short span of time. The spell faded from Trixie’s body, letting her get up in time to see the guard run off to aid his comrades.
The first sphere was taken, and others were quick to follow. Even though the guards used their own shielding and reflecting spells, many ponies were still able to snatch away the prize at opportune moments. Before Trixie could really take stock, five of the ten spots had already been taken. She was running out of time and had to act quickly if she wanted to move on past the preliminaries.
She ran for a pair of guards standing back to back, both still in possession of their spheres. They were surrounded by a small group of ponies that was closing in fast. Trixie decided to take advantage of the situation by jumping into the fray as well, horn at the ready. She trotted towards the defending duo; getting closer, she noticed Starfall close by her side, focused on the same target with his horn shining brightly in preparation for a spell. Then, without warning, a large cloud of dark smoke surrounded and engulfed both guards and ponies. Many halted in their tracks, unable to see through the thick fog, while others released their spells wildly in the confusion. Trixie narrowly dodged a few stray spells, quickly teleporting back out into the clarity of the clean air at the edge of the cloud trap. Flashes of magic could be seen from within, but nothing more.
Suddenly a pony burst through the cloud, a sphere held in his telekinetic grasp. It was Starfall, running as fast as he could away from the fray and towards the finish line. It didn’t take very long for another pony to follow suit. Trixie looked back as the fog faded away, revealing a group of baffled ponies with two sitting guards at the center. There were only three spheres left. Three spheres for thirteen determined ponies.
Ponies were becoming more and more desperate for the prizes, jumping at guards in fruitless attempts. Trixie would more than likely have been one of them if it hadn’t been for her aching body holding her back, forcing her to carefully consider every move. She paused for a minute, quickly scanning the field. Then she saw it: a silver ball simply lying on the ground, unprotected. She ran for it, as did other ponies that noticed. Everypony close enough lunged for it, resulting in Trixie landing atop a mound of pony. She pushed away, as did all the others, standing back up and looking bemusedly for the now-missing sphere. It was then Trixie realized what it really was: an illusion, and she had fallen for it. Turning around, she was just able to catch another pony running off with yet another sphere. Only two more left. Everything was moving too quickly. Trixie could only stand still as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. Ponies and magic spells whizzed back and forth, nothing was in the same place for more than a second, and the remaining spheres were almost undetectable within the mayhem. Her head was spinning, and she didn’t have the time to think straight.
Trixie noticed a pony running off towards the finish line; another sphere was taken. She didn’t know how, but that wasn’t important. There was only one chance left. She shook her head, trying to regain her senses to spot the guard with the final prize. Everypony, guards and remaining contestants alike, were crowded off to one side of the field. Trixie rushed to join the fray. Pushing and shoving, she tried to make her way though the group of ponies, hoping to spot the slightest glimmer of a reflective surface. With so many ponies, it was only a matter of time before sompony got to it.
And then she saw it, held within the magical aura of a guard surrounded on all sides by his comrades. Nopony so far had been successful at penetrating his hold; shield spells and counter-spells thrown by all the guards continuously repelled anything thrown at them, their disciplined coordination paying off. Trixie, as well as other ponies, ran circles around the guards, trying desperately to find a break in the pony wall, but it was a fruitless attempt. There was no way of getting through them. Stopping in her tracks, Trixie pondered an alternative. Realizing her best bet would be to distract them, she needed to come up with something big enough to do so. And fast.
She ran frantically through her mental list of spells, even those that she had initially dismissed as unsuitable. Teleportation, telekinesis, shield, stun, wind call, firewo-. She blinked. Fireworks! They were one of her specialties, and now would be an opportune moment to make use of this skill. She widened her stance and lowered her head, readying her horn with a dim aura. She fed all the magic she could into this final chance, hoping it would give her just enough time to snatch the ball. With a grunt, she let loose her magic, sending sparks flying into the air directly above the guards with loud booms. For nearly a minute the explosions and flashes continued, forcing many to avert their eyes and try to cover their ears. Slowly, silence befell the field, ponies now taking the chance to look up and see the dissipating smoke - and an azure pony running off with the final artifact.
Trixie started off at the gallop, but was soon forced into a slow trot. She was tired, panting with difficulty through her parched, gaping mouth. Her whole body was fatigued and begged her to stop. All the recent excitement had distracted her mind, but now all that she could think of was rest. She tripped over her own hooves, falling on her face and causing the silver ball to fall out of her grasp and roll away before her. She looked up with weary, half-lidded eyes, her body refusing to get up. The sphere reflected her tired visage, as well as approaching ponies not too far off behind her. She was a pitiful sight to behold. Her mane and coat were still damp and completely disheveled, her ears had flopped down, and her mouth was curved into a grimace of effort and pain.
I won’t give up now... I’m almost finished with this stupid thing! She forced herself up on shaky hooves, expression now resolute, and a fiery gleam returned to her eyes. She began to move again, picking up the prize in her mouth and running for the finish line. The other contestants were closing in, desperate to retrieve the final artifact. Beams of magic whizzed by her, hitting the ground at her sides and dissipating with an audible hiss. Trixie jumped and zigzagged in random directions, trying her best to evade the barrage of magic. The distance to the finish line was unknown to Trixie, but now all she could focus on was moving forward.
She bared her teeth and bit down on the hard sphere, tightly shutting her eyes and fighting through the aches and pains of her body. Trying to block out her surroundings, her senses began to fail and everything faded along with it. Sounds were muted, her thoughts became sluggish, and her body felt weightless and detached. Was it a spell or her own body giving in? Trixie could no longer tell. Still moving through her disorientation, she opened her eyes to be granted a fleeting glimpse of the finish line. Then it all went black, and everything was silent.