Chapter 5
The medallion of Magic
No more than a few steps in, some of the ponies started to look about shuddering.
“I can’t believe you actually live here Zecora” Soarin said shuddering. “This place is creepy.”
Spitfire looked up as a cloud moved by all on its own, the golden mare gulping.
Zecora smiled as she trotted over a fallen tree, looking back at all the nervous ponies and Gilda.
“This forest is full of plants and herbs; it’s a wondrous place if you have some nerves.”
“Dude, are you calling us scared? You? Who for no longer than 3 minutes ago refused to let go of my hoof, shouting gibberish in Zebra refusing to open your eyes?”
Vinyl raised an eyebrow at the Zebra who in return gave Vinyl a small look.
“I am not a Zebra here to judge, but look at who was laughing at who first.”
“Yeah ok I’m sorry I laughed at you” Gilda said taking the hint, ducking under some bushes.
Zecora continued to walk along the path before she stopped. “Oh dear… this is not good I fear.”
Luna walked up to Zecora and saw what she was looking at. “Is that… oh by Faust I have never seen so many.”
Derpy walked up. “Ohh look at the pretty blue flowers, they must stretch on for miles.”
“Yes and that is the problem” Luna said with a sigh.
She looked out over the field that stretched from the end of the muggy gassy swamp to the steep mountains on the other side. It was filled with the same blue flower from one end to the other.
“Poison Joke… man I remember the first time I stumbled over these flowers.”
“What do they do?” Vinyl asked.
“Think of it as poison oak, but instead of itches it plays a joke.”
Vinyl blinked at Zecora and turned to Luna.
“In plain speaking please?”
“Step into the flowers and it will place a practical joke on you. When I stepped into the poison joke I lifted the moon, and next thing I know the sky looked like something out of an artwork of Vincent von clop. I had astronomers on my door all night.”
“I remember this” Big Mac said, speaking up for the first time in a while. “It turned AJ into the size of a mouse.”
Gilda blinked. “OK so we don’t go past here… there’s got to be another way around to get to the waterfall, right?”
Zecora nodded. “There is another way, but through the place we will probably be prey.”
“Prey? Prey for what?” Soarin asked, trying to hide the fear in his voice.
“The other way we need to thread, is past the place where manticores step.”
Luna sighed. “Wonderful… Well no choice, we can’t go through here. If we do come across any manticores I’ll take care of them.”
Zecora didn’t look confident, but turned around to walk the long way around. Luna walked up to her as they continued to thread along the path.
“You have lived here for a while I suppose… manticores are not the scariest thing in this place, and yet you look like you are leading us to our deaths.”
Zecora shuddered. “A lion’s head a manticore has, lions are a scary reminder from my past.”
Trixie who was the closest one to them spoke up. “So you’ve had bad experiences with lions?”
Zecora laughed a hollow laugh. “I suppose that my land is not well known, but dangerous is it to live back home.”
“We have little of water and little of food, sometimes we risk more than we should. Near our home the lions stay, getting ready to eat us who would prefer hay.”
“A friend I had, whose name was Zeke. I’m afraid his tale is very bleak. He and I were out at play, and did not notice the lions nearing their prey. Once they jumped away I ran, Zeke behind me, or so was the plan.”
“A stone ahead Zeke did not see, and fell to the ground behind me. I saw him fall but could not stop, as the lions started eating my mind was in shock. As I came home I did not wait, but told the elder of my friend’s fate. That very night we sang for him, hoping that his death had not been too grim.”
Zecora stopped, well aware that everypony was looking at her, listening in to her story.
“It is strange, truth be told, how a land so hot can be so cold.”
She looked up and pointed the way. “Down this path to go we need, but manticores live nearby so please take heed.”
Luna nodded. “I’ll go in front then… and Zecora… I’m sorry for your loss.”
Zecora simply smiled, but glanced at the ground. As Luna started to walk, Zecora was flanked by Vinyl and Derpy.
“Don’t worry Zecora, we’ll protect you” Derpy said, laying her wing in a comforting gesture over Zecora’s back.
“Yeah” Vinyl said firmly. “Nopony touches our friend and gets away with it.”
Zecora smiled. “Good friends you are to make me smile, it’s not something I have done easily in a while.”
Trixie looked back on the three, before turning to Luna.
“I think we are getting near” she said.
“What makes you say that?”
“It’s going to sound strange but… I can feel it. It’s like the element is guiding me.”
“Good” Luna said. “Just keep focusing, and if you see any manticores feel free to shout out a warning.”
“Understood” Trixie said, looking around, trying to not flinch at the scary surroundings.
As luck would have it no manticores showed up, although Luna had a feeling that sooner or later something was going to come and try and eat them all. Going around a turn everypony stopped. In front of them was a magical sight, a huge pond in the middle of a clearing, with a large mountain backdrop, complete with a waterfall.
“Is this what you saw Trixie?” Derpy asked.
“Oh this is the place all right.” Trixie walked forward, Luna noticing that something shimmered in her eyes.
“All right Trixie you’re up… this trial is yours to complete, we’ll be right here rooting for you.”
Trixie nodded and started walking up alongside the pond. Up near the waterfall she noticed a small mark, carved in by magic into the stone. ‘All right Trixie, you can do this’ she told herself laying her hoof over the mark.
As she did the stone glowed and a huge part of the mountain disappeared.
‘Illusion magic’ Trixie thought. ‘Most impressive.’
She walked inside the cave, filled with stalagmites and stalactites, the sounds of water dropping from the ceiling filling the cave. It was huge and dark, Trixie could not even see the end of the cave she was in. Walking a bit further inside she turned quickly as she noticed a blue shimmer. What she saw made her gape.
A unicorn stood before her, wearing a pointed hat much like hers, but in a deep naval blue, filled with cresent moon’s, a sun hanging from the tip of his hat. His fur was a light orange, his hair a dark grey, almost black, as was his impressive beard. Trixie looked over at his cutie mark. It was a huge pentacle star, located right over a wand, similar to the one she had on her own flank.
However this pony that stood before her was not like any pony she had seen. She could see right through him. He was right there, in bright colors, but still she could see straight through him. And around his body a blue shimmer shone.
Trixie gulped. The unicorn looked at her with a gentle smile.
“Have no fear child, I am not here to harm you.”
“That the great and Powerful Trixie find hard to believe.”
The unicorn smiled at her, looking at the tiara on her head.
“You are the current holder of the element of magic?”
“No, I’m the substitute. The real holder is trapped in the stars by a unicorn known as Starvoid the cold.”
The unicorn frowned. “She’s loose then… and you are here for the artifact so you can defeat her and free your friends?”
Trixie frowned. “Twilight Sparkle is not my friend. She ruined my life… I am here because for some strange reason she picked me to be here and if I don’t help out the world is bucked.”
The unicorn gave her a sharp gaze, as if disappointed in her answer.
“Do you know why the element of Magic is called the element of magic and not friendship?”
“I thought they were one in the same.”
“They are, but for a few differences. Magic can be much. It can be everything from levitations to transformation magic. Friendship isn’t like that. Either you are friends with somepony or you’re not. But the magic of a friendship can change somepony. The rest of your group out there, do they think of you as their friend?”
“Trixie doesn’t know, we only just met yesterday.”
“Do you look at them as friends?” Trixie opened her mouth to answer, but stopped, not sure what to answer. “Trixie does not know… Trixie hasn’t had friends before.”
The unicorn smiled in compassion. “Very well miss Trixie, let’s start from the top shall we? I am the first and original holder of the element of Magic, Starlight Lulamoon; it is a pleasure to meet you.”
Trixie’s eyes widened. “Lulamoon?”
“A name I am most proud of” Starlight said nodding. “Princess Luna herself gave my family the name after a dare my grandfather had done with the love of his life.”
“What dare?” Trixie asked interested.
“The pony he loved was not impressed with him, and told him that she’d only give him a chance if he could give her the moon… so my grandfather went to the night court and begged Princess Luna for the moon and explained the situation.”
“Luna smiled and helped him out. Next night my grandfather met with the pony he loved, bearing a pail filled with water. “Well?” The mare asked. Where is the moon? My grandfather pointed into the pail, where the moon’s reflection shone brightly. They got married the next year.”
Trixie smiled.
“However we are not here to talk about my family… you still haven’t properly introduced yourself Trixie.”
Trixie looked at the ground. “I suppose… I’m Trixie Lulamoon… it’s an honor to meet you.”
Starlight blinked. Then he smiled. “Of course… I should have seen it, you have the Lulamoon eyes. Well Trixie, I can’t be partial just because we’re related… you need to earn the artifact… however I can give you a small clue as to what you need to do. A holder of the element of magic needs to be the leader, but also need to trust that no matter what one face, one’s friends give you strength to tackle whatever is sent your way.”
Starlight’s horn lighted up, and a path was shown to Trixie. “The artifact you seek is at the end of that tunnel… get past the guardian and don’t waver, and it is yours to take with you.”
Trixie nodded. “All right… hey before I head in, what exactly are you?”
Starlight smiled. “Before I died I placed an enchantment on this cave, so that when my successor came for the artifact I could meet them and guide them along… when you get the artifact and leave this place I will go back to where I belong… with my friends at my side. Now good luck Trixie Lulamoon… make your friends and your family proud.”
Trixie nodded and turned towards the path, starting to walk. As she walked her head asked about ten thousand questions at once. Believe in your friends and don’t waver, what in the world does that mean? Trixie sighed but continued to walk. Soon she came out into a huge antechamber.
“Well… some light would be nice here” Trixie said, concentrating to make her horn light up. In the light that filled the room Trixie saw a pedestal on the far side of the room. On the pedestal lay a medallion, in the same pentagram star Starlight had had on his cutie mark. Trotting up to it Trixie frowned at it.
“This seems a little too easy” she said.
A growl behind her made her blink, close her eyes and swallow hard.
‘Ok, maybe not, now come on Trixie, be brave, you can handle this.’
Taking a deep breath Trixie slowly turned around and opened her eyes. She then looked up, way up, into the face of something so terrifying and familiar that she started to shake. A blue body, filled with stars, a huge star right between its golden eyes, marked the familiar silhouette before her.
“Oh buck me” Trixie managed to think as the Ursa Minor roared and raised a paw.
Trixie yelped and rushed out of the side for the attack. ‘Shitshitshitshitshit… ok what did Sparkle do? Right she used a spell that made it fall asleep, do I know any sleeping spells… no, ok I’m bucked.’
Trixie leaped again as the bear rushed after her roaring loud enough to make the mountain itself shake.
‘Think Trixie, think, surely there is something you can do… wait I have that speech enchantment maybe that can work.’
Trixie turned and cast her spell, making sure to try and calm down. If this went bad she had no chance of getting away. As she felt the spell working she opened her mouth and started to sing.
Hush now, quiet now
It's time to lay your sleepy head
Hush now, quiet now
It's time to go to bed.
Trixie sighed. The spell automatically altered the target’s voice to a sweet tone, perfect for talking guard ponies away from the fact that she hadn’t any licenses to act in the town squares, or to give the occasional drunk intensive to give her a tad more in tips.
Hush now, Quiet now
It's time to lay sleepy head
Hush now, Quiet now
It is time to go to bed!!
Her voice called out to the bear that slowed down, blinking, getting very tired. Trixie trying to rather concentrate on the others waiting for her, needing her to finish her quest.
Driftin off to sleep
Leave the Exciting day behind you
Driftin off to sleep
Let the joy of dreamland find you
The bear yawned and lay down, an inch away from Trixie’s body, the mare managing the last couple of notes by closing her eyes and trying to ignore the smell of the bear’s breath.
Hush now, quiet now
Lay your sleepy head
Hush now, quiet now
It's time to go to bed.
Trixie stopped singing. The Ursa Minor lay in front of her sleeping soundly. Quietly Trixie sidestepped away from the creature and walked around it in a huge circle. Taking the medallion she headed for the exit, never letting her eyes waver from the Ursa Minor until she was safe and out of sight. The minute it happened she ran out into the entrance where Starlight beamed down at her.
“Well done.”
“An Ursa Minor? Are you insane?”
“Put it this way, now you can boast about how you defeated an Ursa Minor.”
Trixie groaned. Somewhere somepony was probably laughing their flank off at the irony she just knew it.
“How exactly did the hint of believing in my friends and not wander help in that fight?” Trixie asked, still shaking in fear.
“You didn’t run did you?”
“Well not out here.”
“Why not?”
“Because if I had, I’d of disappointed the ot…hers… ah ok, I get the point… now what the heck am I supposed to do whit this?”
Starlight smiled at Trixie. “That medallion has been passed down in our family for generations. In addition to having half of the element of magic in it, the wearer can also double their magic power if needed… and if you are going up against Starvoid you need it. Now go and join your friends Trixie Lulamoon… and congratulations.”
Trixie sighed but got to her hoofs, walking out in the sunlight, wincing at the brightness.
“TRIXIE, YOUR’E BACK, HOW DID IT GO?”
Trixie groaned at the voice of Vinyl Scratch who came rushing up to her. Trixie held up her medallion, Luna smiling.
“Starlight’s medallion… nicely done… so how was it?”
“I had to deal with an Ursa Minor Trixie grumbled, still shaking. Now if it’s all right for everypony I think I’ll collapse here until the shock wears off.”
And true to her word Trixie fell forward, collapsing in Derpy and Vinyl’s hoofs.
Luna sighed. “I suppose we should let her rest, in the meantime why don’t the rest of you see if you can find out where we need to go next?”