//------------------------------// // Eleven: Far away // Story: Celestia's New Student // by Art Inspired //------------------------------// Trixie rolled and fought with her bedding all night, the nighttime noises bothering her every second of the evening. By the time morning came along, she finally raised her tired head, looked at the window’s curtain folds opening at the bottom to create a triangle ray of light and blinked. “Ooooh, what… time is it?” She rubbed her tired eyes, and blinked some more while trying to shake off the sleepiness that still overwhelmed her, kept her connected with the mat. As she exited the tent hazily, she found her escort to be nowhere in sight. “Umm, hello?” Suddenly, Midnight Dancer came swinging down from a tree branch by her tail, wings open, and a yummy looking mango in her hooves. “Boo,” she said playfully before taking a juicy bite from the fruit. Trixie seemed a bit startled, but not by much. "There you are. You scared Trixie!" "Hehe, sorry. How're you feeling this morning?" "Okay... Say, I have a question." "Yus?" "How would you like to replace Druid Shield as Trixie's guard? That way, he can do what he wants, and you'll have reason to break up with him." Moon Dancer nibbled on her meal. "Whatever you wanna do it fine by me. And, yeah, that way I'll know you're not seeing him." "Good! Then the journey into the cave today shall be your test. Pass, and you're my new guard... Umm, Trixie is looking forward to starting her mission by the way,” Trixie said quite forwardly. Moon Dancer merely nodded with closed eyes. After they opened back up, however, she asked, “No breakfast?” Trixie shook her head. “No, we’ll eat when we get back to Canterlot. Let’s just get this over with.”  Moon Dancer released herself from the branch, used her wings to stabilize herself, and landed quite easily on three hooves. She still held the mango, too, and began walking by the campsite. While she went into the clearing, Trixie followed along only assuming this was the way to go. She hadn’t yet realized she was on top of the side of a mountain. However, as soon as she stumbled out from the bushes and into the middle of an empty, dirt road, no wooden side railing to help ponies stay away from the edge, she gasped. “Whoa!” “Hey, relax,” Moon Dancer instructed while tossing the core of her mango away. “First off, do you know where we are?” Trixie came closer and into the light. As she glanced from the rising sun to the village down below, and then to the forest next to it, she was tempted to guess this was ponyville. Though, Ponyville’s closest mountain is the one that Canterlot occupies, and this was not that mountain. No other cities or towns for miles, but other mountains far off could be seen, ones that rose dangerously high, and would take weeks just to reach by normal means of transportation. It was a valley of beauty, no doubt holding well hidden dangers, too. This hardly resembled the landscape of Equestria despite its riveting beauty. So, Trixie ventured to ask, “Where… are we?” “Well, start off in the Crystal Empire. Head north for a ways until you start seeing snow. Cross over Yakyakistan, and keep going until you start seeing some green again, and here we are! This place even has its own coast, you know.” “But, Trixie has only heard of snow in Yakyakistan.” “But this isn’t Yakyakistan!” Moon Dancer continued to trot down the road while Trixie listened, observing up ahead while she did. “This is Kiyak, a hidden nook, not really taken by the entire yak civilization yet. It’s kinda its own little world right now. Did some research before agreeing to the mission. And here we are, the Cave of Hungers!” Just around the bushes, Trixie began seeing signs of stalagmites and stalactites forming the opening of the cave, which the closer she got to it, the more and more it seemed like teeth, and a gaping mouth ready to swallow the two of them up. Though it wasn’t, it still resemble just that. A smooth clearing formed the walkway entrance, but one still couldn’t help but duck as they came wandering inside. Not that this place had been explored recently or anything, but that’s just what both Trixie and Moon Dancer did, was duck despite there being plenty of room. “Okay,” Moon Dancer said. “Time for that cool little light trick you unicorns do!” “Huh?” Trixie mumbled in the dark, “You mean, with Trixie’s magic?” “What?” Moon Dancer whispered in a hushed tone. “Yes! With your magic!” “Well,” Trixie said nervously. “Can’t.” “What?! I don’t have any means of light on me! Thought you could do it!” “Well,” Trixie said nervously. “Can’t.” Moon Dancer sighed. “I’d be impressed. Never got to see that magic trick. I’d only heard and read about it, y’know.” Trixie felt her hoof touch her lip in thought. She couldn’t very well see her hoof, but she felt it nevertheless. “Uh… Well, Trixie supposes she’ll try.” Moon dancer watched Trixie’s horn glisten. Thanks to Trixie’s change in confidence, she began using her name in her sentences again, something Moon Dancer noticed. It was something that’s easy to pick up on, after all. Trixie tried as hard as she could at the time to get it going. But suddenly, she stopped. “What’s wrong?” Moon Dancer asked. “It’s just, I can’t seem to conjure up enough magic to create the light right now. Sad thing is, after it’s done and over with, it’s supposed to stay lit until I choose to extinguish it. Instead, it usually stays lit for a few seconds, and then burns out. What am I supposed to do?” Moon Dancer smiled, something Trixie saw now that their eyes had adjusted to the darkness. “Well, I’m not sure I about this “I” fella, but aren’t you supposed to be the Great and Powerful Trixie? Celestia’s new student? This spell should be easy for you.” At that, Trixie’s face scrunched up. “You’re... right!” Her horn that day shined brighter than ever before, illuminating and chasing away the darkness. A mystic light stayed at the tip of Trixie’s horn, sparkling with the mare’s pink aura. This was a new level of magic for Trixie, and she knew it. That’s why she began breathing deeply, and smiled before inhaling a good portion of air, and exhaling to try and calm her nerves. “T-thank you, Moon Dancer.” “No problem. Now, let’s go get what we came here for.” As they got on their way, the cave opened up into a wider spacing. Although the floor began to break, and some cracks on the ground in the backer parts of the cave were much higher than the others in the front, Trixie and Moon Dancer were able to chart their way through. For the most part, it’d been a typical cave. Damp, cold, and dark. Then, they began seeing differences in color on the stalactites. Some were literally painted blue, red and yellow. Trixie marveled at the colors. Others were illuminated by candles, and the deeper they got, the more candles there were. The more they wandered to the furthest part of this mysterious den, the more the rocks were coated with such vivid colors. Eventually, they began seeing all sorts of oddities, like multicolored flags hanging by strings that were tied around the stalactites. Small shrines with pony figurines symbolizing meditation sat here and there surrounded by candles, and a grand seat made of fluffy, red pillows laid by a large, stone pillar in the middle of it all. To make the lounging area that much more tantalizing was the blanket of a white tiger lying on the cushioning. All this, and much more material of sheer culture could be found in the heart of this cave. Trixie and Moon Dancer simply stared at all the interestingly peaceful things before Trixie finally heard something, but naturally, not before her new friend. “Shh!” Moon Dancer suddenly hissed. “You hear that?” From behind the two, where they had entered from, something crept closer and closer. Trixie thought it sounded like a bear, whereas Moon Dancer considered it sounding more that of a wolf, but either or they had to hide. They soon saw the largest object in the room, a prayer wheel. That’s a cylindrical wheel suspended by a spindle made from metal, primarily used for the purification of one’s karma. Though, as the two came nearest to it, they both felt a disturbance in the atmosphere. This was no ordinary object. Trixie hid in front of Moon Dancer, and at that time could look up at the wheel, and see that if one were to push hard enough, it just begin to go round and round. “Huh, I wonder if-” “Shh, look,” Moon Dancer whispered rather loudly, and she had every right to speak up, too, because what came around the corner was something neither Trixie nor her new friend had expected to see. It was a large, winged dog. Or, at least, that’s what they thought it was at first. Once it came even closer to the candles that lead the way to the flags, they saw that it was a fully grown wolf. Its black fur and even darker wings was enough to send shivers down Moon Dancer’s spine, but not Trixie’s. She saw something else beyond the wolf. She saw a wounded animal. One that carried something wrapped in cloth by its teeth. As it was settled down, they watched the wolf reveal it to be a bowl full of sparkling water. Trixie was so fixed on this scene, that she even leaned in, her mouth agape. The wolf laid itself down, but as it did, it also gave off whales and howles that forced Trixie to hide that much more. When it finally stopped, it looked down at its wound, and growled. By now, Moon Dancer was on edge, worse than she’d ever been. Her heart was racing, because never had she been so close to such a formidable looking beast before. Trixie, however, was almost ready to offer her assistance. She could tell, this being might be friendly. So, despite Moon Dancer gasping at Trixie while she walked out into the light, the showmare revealed herself. The beast growled her way, predictably, and then, a whole slew of barks and vicious growls came. Nine loud barks would pass before it finally stopped, but Trixie still stood there motionless. Her ears rang, though. By now, he was only sitting there, his face furious. Trixie then did something she could only guess would work. She turned around and spun the wheel. As its groan stopped, she turned herself around to once again face this wolf. He watched her closely, observed Trixie coming quietly closer to his approximate position, and just growled. After that last warning, Trixie stopped. He hadn’t growled while she did everything else, which meant to her this was right where he wanted her to be. “State your business.” Trixie had been staring him dead in the eyes blankly the whole time, but after hearing the wolf talk, she came to her senses, and gasped. “Sorry! Trixie is, err, you’re hurt… It’s going to be very difficult to wash that wound. Trixie merely thought you’d… need assistance.” He simply stared at her for a moment, and then asked in the same, scratchy, deep voice, “And what of your friend? Is she to hide behind my mani wheel the whole time?” Moon Dancer gave off a yipe, but even so, Trixie ignored him and grabbed the cloth from underneath the bowl. After she dunked it, getting it nice and wet, she brought it up to the wolf’s wound. She almost expected to get barked at again, but no. He allowed it. The water soaked into his thick fur easily, and to Trixie’s surprise, the wolf’s opened skin began sealing almost instantly. Trixie watched this closely, and was a bit amazed to see no blood left behind from the cut. She stepped away, and waited to see how the wolf would react. He just stood, his wings spreading widely, and then, he gently asked after Trixie had given him some space, “Why have you two come here?” By now, Moon Dancer’s nerves had calmed, and she was able to come out from behind the shadows, and up to Trixie. For the most part, though, she kept behind the unicorn for safety. “Trixie would like to know your name.” “Surely this isn’t all you require,” he replied knowingly. “My master had given me the name Wolf. It’s unoriginal, and as a guard of sorts, it was also brooding enough to fit perfectly. Then I was sold to a princess, and she offered a new name, but I declined. Wolf’s fine.” He licked his paw while Trixie asked, “Are you guarding an amulet by any chance?” “No,” Wolf said surprisingly, his eyes darting Trixie’s way. “But, I have a medallion. It’s for somepony else, yet to be sent by my current master... assuming she’s still going to send someone.” Trixie didn’t yet want to request to have this medallion, and instead, strived for more information about this gentle beast. “How long have you been here?” “Several years… Had anypony else asked me that, I’d have run you out of my cave. There’s something about you, Trixie, that is familiar.” He squinted his eyes, almost appearing angry. “The resemblance is uncanny.” Trixie simply stood her ground, and for the longest time, she stared right into those black, pearly eyes, waiting and thinking about what to ask next. However, she wouldn’t need to ask him of anything further. Remarkably, he had already decided to give Trixie what she wanted. As his wing grabbed hold of something from under all those pillows, he pulled out what must’ve been the medallion. “Is this what you came for?” Trixie considered what to say next. This was a tricky situation. She didn’t want to lie, and yet, he might just give her the medallion, or chase her and Moon Dancer out. Still, she’d come this far without needing to reveal the fact that Princess Celestia had sent her, so she decided to go all the way. Though, she knew good and well, Wolf had probably guessed by now that she was the rightful owner. “Yes, Trixie came for that medallion.” He smiled. “What do you say?” Trixie smirked. “May Trixie please have it?” His smile grew into a snicker. “I can’t believe I’m doing this, but here. I think it belongs to you anyways!” She held out her hoof, and felt the weight of it. The medallion was in the shape of some old stallion with a very long beard going in a complete circle around his head and funny looking, blue hat. Trixie blinked. “Isn’t that…” “Starswirl the Bearded,” Wolf finished. “Before Princess Celestia, he was my master.” Moon Dancer came a bit closer, finally. “Daw, you’re tamed, huh? Well, it was nice meeting ya! Trixie,” Dancer said. “Let’s go.” Trixie watched the freaked out bat pony fly away, but didn’t trail behind immediately. Instead, she simply looked back at Wolf with a smile, and he seemed to grin back. With nothing more to say to one another, she left him and his cave. Wolf sat down before all his pillows, and thought. "Should I stay or should I go?" He looked out that way again, where the two had left, and suddenly heard something that gave him motivation to assist these two strangers that much further. “How are we supposed to get home?” He stood, and crept closer to the edge to observe the two. Curiosity had overtaken him, because if it meant seeing his current master again, then why not? Trixie thought aloud, “Princess Celestia said it was a one way trip. Trixie does NOT wish to travel all that way on hoof!” Thanks to the echoes, the two wouldn’t hear him snickering again. “Celestia, you figured out a way to get me out of the shadows yet again… For old time sake, I guess.” Heeling to the shadows, he crept closer to the two while they left, listening in on their conversation for a bit longer before extending to them his helpful services.