An Elegy of Enlightenment

by Algoortheviking

Chapter Seven: Sister

“So are you sure this won’t hurt?” I asked nervously as I held my left hoof out; gritting my teeth as I prepared for the worst.

“You’ll be fine, it won’t hurt at all,” a pink unicorn responded as she levitated a magic rod towards the bottom of my hoof. There was a zapping sound as a light flickered from the rod when it made contact with my skin. I could feel a tingling sensation as she held the device in place for a moment. The light subsided as she removed the rod and placed it back in its case, which was a steel lock box.

Turning my hoof towards me to see the final result, I felt my heart racing with excitement as a smile drew across my face. Platina and her friends were all standing around me with just as much of a grin. The earth pony with the battle axe placed his hoof on my shoulder, “Congratulations kid, you’re now a full fledge member of the guild.”

“Think of that tattoo as a pass card. With it you can gain access to any guild hall, guild bar, and what not. You now have the ability to take on quest and get paid for it; or if you need a place to stay then the guild hall guest rooms are available whenever you need them,” the unicorn with the three magic staffs explained as he lifted his tankard.

“Wow, so all you need is a tattoo of the guild logo on your hoof to get access that all that?” I replied, still getting a grip on all my excitement.

“That’s a magical seal actually, not a tattoo,” Platina said as she smiled, happy to welcome me aboard. “Like any magic seal, it can be upgraded or revoked by the guild itself. Should a member cause trouble for the guild or break rules, their membership can be revoked automatically and the seal will disappear. However, if a member proves to be a skilled individual, they can be promoted and gain even more rights and benefits. The seal itself will be upgraded automatically as well. The seal is also readable by a magic scanner, so that way nopony can forge a fake seal and try to pose as a member when they are not.”

“So wait? Spectra and I weren’t members when we first entered town, how come we were able to stay then?”

Platina smiled, “As a member of the guild myself, I vouched for you two to be able to stay for a while. That doesn’t always work though. I’m a well-known member to this guild hall, so they had no problem with it. That normally wouldn’t work if it was a different guild hall; but they will usually let a non-guild member or two stay if they are in a party with an actual guild member who is passing by.”

I sat there in awe as to what I was now a part of, taking in everything that was happening so fast. Three days ago I was a normal run of the mill pony with a boring job and a normal life. Now I’m a member of the guild, I battled a zombie and acquired an actual weapon. Glancing down at my new sword; it had a lovely light blue tint to it. It was hard to believe that I actually looted it, from what could be considered more or less a dungeon. Just like in those old rpg games I would occasionally play. Why didn’t I do this sooner?

“I sure wish there was a guild hall back where I came from, I could have been doing stuff like this a long time ago,” I replied jokingly as I stretched my back and spread my wings, sitting there was starting to make me tense.

“So, where are you two from exactly? I’ve been wondering that,” Platina asked with a curious look in those gorgeous big eyes of hers.

“I’m not sure where Spectra is from; but I live in Chesternut village.”

Platina’s earth pony friend batted an eyebrow. “Chesternut you say. That might be a place worth considering. We’ll defiantly talk to the headmaster about it. ”

“Wait, what do you mean?” I asked not knowing his intentions or what he was talking about in general.

Platina smiled as she glanced at him. “What he means is that we need a new guild hall. This one is in poor condition and it’s loosing work to the larger halls westward of here.”

“Due to the nature of this place, many guild halls have sprung up around here, but most failed due to the popular ones taking all the work and members. We’re a tight nit family here, but without a guild hall, we would have to separate to find work. That’s the way it works.” The unicorn replied, setting his drink on the table.

“However there are hardly any guild halls by the eastern sea; so that sounds like a great place to set up a lasting headquarters for us,” the earth pony replied as he pondered the idea even more.

“Hey, I like the sound of that. Chesternut is a very lively place; your guild hall should fit right in there. Oh and if you do plan on setting up there, talk to this grey earth pony named Mr. Clover. Tell him Autumn Bliss sent you and he’ll know what to do. He is part of the town committee after all,” I explained as I sat back down at the table. My body was filled with excitement at the thought of this becoming a reality.

The unicorn mage took one more sip from his mug as he grinned towards me. “You know, you might be one of the best things that have happened to this guild in a while.”

“Autumn, there you are. I thought I would find you down here.”

“Oh, good morning Spectra, how are you feeling after yesterday’s mess?” I asked with a grin as she trotted up to the table. Climbing over the bench, she took a seat right next to Platina and yawned for a moment.

“So what have you been up to all morning?” She asked. I lifted up my left hoof and showed her the mark, smiling the whole time. Spectra just dropped her head onto the table, causing some of the dishes to rattle. “Uhhh, I should have known it was only a matter of time until you joined them.”

“Oh lighten up, Spectra, I really don’t understand why you’re so against the guild anyway. Besides look at the positive, now we have a way of making money.” I said with a smile. I never would have though Spectra would be such a buzz kill. “So Platina, do you mind giving me some tips on how the guild works?”

“Sure, follow me over to the request board. We’ll start there,” Platina responded as she got up from the table and headed towards the main entrance. I followed her in turn.

Spectra sat at the table and sighed as she looked up with a smile.

“Spectra was it?” The earth pony asked as he turned his gaze towards Spectra. “I just want to say thank you. Thank you for everything you done for us.”

Spectra looked back at him, puzzled and confused as to why he would say such a thing. “What did I ever do?”

The unicorn guy just cracked a smile; a tear ran down his cheek. “Both of you helped Platina fulfill that job request, and we heard that you went out of your way to give our beloved Osmia a proper burial. That meant a lot to us; that meant a lot to Platina.”

Spectra was in awe, surprised by their words. “Wait, fulfill a request? You don’t mean... there was a request to deal with that zombie, and Platina took it on by herself?”

The two stallions looked at each other for a moment with heart felt regret. Their faces displayed the burden on their minds. “The request to deal with the zombie, to solve the mystery of the disappearances; that job was taken up by Osmia. Platina inherited the responsibility after the loss of her sister and swore to see it through to the end, yet she wanted to do it alone. She wanted to avenge her sister but she wasn’t strong enough to do it on her own, despite that fact, she was still determined to do it by herself and refused any help form the other members.”

“Look soldier, I don’t know what you have against us, but we want you to know that we still appreciate everything you did,” the unicorn said, grasping is tankard as he was reading to take another swig.

Spectra just smiled at the two of them as she leaned forward towards the table. “I just don’t like the guild itself; I’ve got nothing against its members. It doesn’t matter to me if Osmia was guild or military or just a plain day to day pony, she stood up for what was right. I can respect that.” Spectra then grabbed the unicorn’s tankard and took a drink from it. She smiled as she set it down and pushed it back towards the confused stallion.

“The truth is I have a lot of respect for all of you and what you do, despite what my attitude may seem like towards the guild. Everyone is equal in death and as such, deserves their final respects.”

“You know, you too would make a good addition to the guild. You sure you don’t want sign up, you never know, it might be something you’ll end up enjoying,” the earth pony replied with a grin.

“Forget about it, I still have my own reasons for why I’m against joining.” Spectra replied with a smile and a wink. They were sure getting along as Platina and I returned to the table.

Spectra stood up and stretched her back for a moment before turning to me. “So you ready to head out? We need to leave soon if we’re going to make it to Detrot on time.”

I sighed at the thought of it. I was enjoying it here too much here; however she was right. We had somewhere to be and we didn’t need to be stuck out there during night fall. “Yeah I guess so.”

“So this is it then? You’re really leaving?” Platina asked; her ears drooped downward as she looked up at us.

“Yeah, I guess so,” I replied with a smile, hoping she would cheer up a little. She lifted her head up, her eyes where watery. Suddenly she pulled both me and Spectra into a tight embrace. Spectra had a look of shock as I glanced at her.

“Thank you, so much for everything both of you have done. I’m so glad to have met the two of you.” Platina said as she held on to us. I just wrapped my arm around her; Spectra returned the favor as well.

“Thank you for saving me back there, I don’t know what would have happened if you didn’t show up.”

We stood there for about a minute before she loosened her grip. Spectra was starting to get emotional as well, her eyes were starting to look more liquidly than usual. We waved good bye one last time as we exited the guild hall. Platina was standing over by her two friends with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes as she watched us leave. The door closed and Platina’s smile retracted inward.

“Spark Shot, Rockwell, what do you think I should do? My whole life here was to avenge my sister, and now that that’s done, I don’t know what I should do anymore? Should I… should I go after them?”

“Hehe, hell if I know. That’s up to you, what did your sister always say?”

“My… my sister?”

“Hey Sister! What ice-cream flavor should I get?

“I don’t know, Platina, what flavors do you like the most?”

“hmmm, I don’t know… I like them all!”

“Hehe, well, in that case, get the one that your heart desires the most!”

“My sister, it was always the same thing with her…”

“Hey sister? Do you think I should actually join the guild, like you did?”

“I can’t answer that, Platina. You’ll have to do what you feel in your heart is right.”

“In that case, I’m going to be an adventurer like you!”

“My sister… she… she...”

“Sister! Why! Why are you going on that job! You know that zombie has been targeting pegasi! Why would you choose to do something so reckless and dangerous! I don’t understand sister, why!”

“Platina, I don’t expect you to understand why right now, but somepony must do something about this. We can’t let this menace roam free any longer!”

“But why! Why you of all ponies! Can’t somepony else take care of it instead? Osmia, please, please don’t go.”

“Platina, this is something I must do. I can’t explain why; but… but my heart is telling me it is the right thing to do.”

“She… She said to always do what my heart is telling me to do. That I must listen to my heart, and make my own decision based on that! Osmia, I miss you, I miss you so much. I wish I would have listened to you more often. My heart told me to follow you that day; that I should have gone with you despite your orders not to, despite all my fear. I should have listened to what my heart was telling me… and maybe you would still…”

“You’re sister was a wise mare, though she was stubborn as hell some times, she had a good head on her shoulders. And you’re no different, Platina. Your sister would have told you the exact same thing. So what are you going to do? What is your heart telling you right now?”

“What my heart is telling me… I know what I must do. Thank you both for always being there for me. For always being there for Osmia; I, I will miss you both!”

“Don’t you worry about it, now go on; we’ll always be here if you need us. Do what your heart is calling you to do.”

---

The morning air was chilly to say the least. I could actually see my breath as it froze in the air. I guess that’s how it is up in the mountains. Spectra and I were already closing in towards the split in the road. The trees were much livelier here than they were up at the cemetery. The road was much smoother down here than it was way back up on the mountain. As we reached the cross in the road, we headed westward towards what looked like more rocky terrain. Spectra was back to reading her book as I started to feel the strain of the sword and all the extra weight it added.

“Hey, wait up you guys!” shouted a voice coming from behind us. It was Platina, all dressed up in a silver cloak and carrying a saddle bag with all sorts of neat gear attached to it.

Spectra looked at her in confusion as she levitated her book back into her bag. “Platina, what’s wrong? Is something the matter?”

Catching her breath, Platina spent a moment resting so she could speak. “I… I want to come with you on your journey, that is if you don’t mind.”

“No, not you too?!” Spectra shouted as she lowered her head, like she was reliving a case of déjà vu. She then rolled her eyes up and stared at Platina with this awkward look. “Do you even know where we’re heading and why?”

“I don’t know where you’re going or why; but what I do know is that my heart is telling me that this is what I need to do!” Platina explained as she started to recover from all the exhaustion.
“When I was younger, it was just me and my sister. We would travel the lands, helping those in need. Now that she’s gone, I don’t know what to do anymore! Please, I’m begging you, let me come with you. I want to help any way I can; it’s what Osmia would have done. Like I said, I may not be much of a fighter but my support and healing magic should come in great use to you, so please, will you let me join you?”

“I don’t know Spectra, I mean we can’t let your quest be slowed down. However we don’t know if this is going to be a short trip or a long dangerous adventure. Having a pony with medical magic could be handy wouldn’t you say! I’m all good for letting her join. Besides it’s good to make new friends, and what better way than letting them join us on our quest. Plus she did save us once so that’s something to consider. But this is your call so I’ll leave it up to you.” I explained with a smirk on my face as I wrapped my wing over Platina who had some of the cutest eyes I’d ever seen. The grin on my face was getting wider as I watched Spectra struggle to come up with a counter argument.

“Damn it, Autumn, you really are learning how to piss me off,” Spectra replied with a sinister grin.

“Come one, Spectra, have a heart. Don’t be as tough on her as you where to me when I asked to accompany you. Besides how can you say no to that sweet little face!”

Platina was on edge as she awaited Spectra’s final verdict. Letting out a long sigh, Spectra lifted her head towards the sky. “Alright, you can join us.”

“Thank you! Really I mean it, I won’t let you down!” Platina smiled as she sprang up and readied herself for the journey that lay ahead. Her mane blew in the wind, her eyes glistening with joy as she cantered up to us with a smile.

“Glad to have you on board!” I exclaimed happily as a patted her on the back. We faced Spectra as she glanced back with a smile, she didn’t want to admit it but she was happy too.

“So, we’re heading to Detrot?” Platina asked as she tagged along beside me.

“Yep, we sure are,” I responded cheerfully while maintaining a decent trot to keep up with Spectra’s pace.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why are we going there anyway?”

“We’re… come to think about it, I’m not entirely sure why we are headed there,” I replied since I was never told why we were going there in the first place. I looked towards Spectra, who was remarkably quick to get back to reading her love novel. “Hey, Spectra, why are we going to Detrot anyways?”

“We’re headed to a magical academy so we can figure out what this amulet actually is; don’t tell me you forgot already.” Not even bothering to lower her book, Spectra kept on trotting down the road. “We actually need to head to Central city to find the academy, but to get there we need to catch a ride on an airship. Detrot is the closes city that has an airport with an airship facility.”

“An amulet huh? Oh that reminds me, I have something for you, Spectra,” Platina said as she cantered up to Spectra. She opened her saddle bag and levitated a crystal out of it. It was a shard of a cut gem stone, or at least that’s what it appeared to be. It was a dull grey in color, but the luster on it suggested it was a gem and not a rock. “I found this back in the mausoleum when we were waiting in that study room. I could sense that it had some magical properties.”

Spectra took over the levitating and examined it more thoroughly, rotating the gem around. On one side it was flat; on the other it was refined and smoothed. The rest of it was rough, like it was shattered from a larger stone. “Strange, I sensed this magic before, back when… it can’t be? Can it?” Spectra questioned as she took a closer look at the amulet.

“Maybe you should put it in that gem slot on the necklace. It might look nice,” I commented in a joking tone, gazing at the two. Suddenly the shard lit up brilliantly when Spectra levitated the gem too close to the amulet. After the light subsided, we were shocked, the gem fit perfectly into one of the corners of the amulets gem slot. “Wow, Spectra, how did you do that?”

“I didn’t do anything! It happened all by itself,” Spectra replied as she stepped back, eyes wide and dumbfounded.

“I'm no expert on magical artifacts, but things like that don't normally happen!”

Spectra glanced over the now modified amulet around her neck, puzzled by what just happened. “What is this thing? It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

“Well, I don’t know about you, but that just makes me want to get to Detrot even faster! What do you say, shall we head out.” I gave them both a look of eagerness. I was ready for a big adventure and this amulet is looking promising.

Spectra glanced at Platina, then back to me and nodded her head. A grin ran across her lips, “Lets go.”

Author's Note:

Platina has joined the party!