11. Fathers and Daughters
Trixie kept a tight grip on her hat as she sprinted through the underbrush, ducking and weaving through vines and low hanging branches. Her cape snagged on something sharp, but a hard tug set it free. The rancorous yells and jeers had become uncomfortably close in that short break. Trixie broke into a run again, fumbling her hand in her pocket to pull her wand out. Her sweaty fingers had a hard time getting a grip, and she nearly dropped it once it was finally free.
With a hop and a twirl, Trixie pointed her wand at the ground behind her and shouted, “Lulamoon!”
The ground rumbled and churned. Green tendrils began to spring up, growing as high as Trixie’s ankle before halting and blossoming into tulips.
Trixie gave a frustrated shout and stomped her foot. “That was supposed to be a wall of vines and thorns!”
An iron spear whizzed dangerously close to her head and embedded itself in a nearby tree. She could see the silhouette of her pursuers in the green canopy rapidly drawing closer. Forgoing magic, Trixie broke into a run again, hating the amount of sweat this adventure had caused so far.
The humidity of the jungle didn’t help. Trixie felt like she was trying to breathe underwater. Insects struck her as she ran, gluing themselves to her bare arms. She wasn’t sure what made her angrier: the fact that her repellent spell hadn’t worked, or that the bugs were still alive when they struck her and liked to bite!
Trixie wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep running. Her lungs burned and her legs ached. She desperately wanted to pause and take a long draught from her canteen, even if the water was lukewarm. Her foot caught on a root and she stumbled and tottered before catching herself. Just as she righted her posture, something grabbed hold of her wrist and yanked her off course into a tree.
The trunk rippled like water as she fell through it and into her father’s arms. Artemis pressed a finger to his lips, but Trixie didn’t need to be told to keep quiet. She was too busy catching her breath in the cool space to bother with words anyhow.
The angry mob drew closer, shaking the ground with the force of their footsteps. Trixie tensed as the shouts surrounded them on both sides, English mixed in with the native tongue: cries to tie up the intruders and burn them at the stake. Trixie was too young and pretty to be burnt alive!
But the screams and stomps rolled past them with no one slipping into the tree to take hold of them. When the jungle fell silent, Artemis peeked his head out, then gestured for Trixie to follow after him.
She slipped out from the illusion, feeling the full humidity of the region again. Insects hummed and a warthog snorted somewhere in the distance, but the Lulamoons were alone.
“So…” Artemis put his hands on his hips and gave Trixie a stern look. “What have we learned today?”
Trixie took one more breath to refresh her lungs. “Don’t assume the natives can’t speak English when you insult their village?”
Artemis rubbed his temples. “Close enough. Let’s go before they double back.” He marched off through the greenery, a pep in his step like they hadn’t just been chased.
Well, if her father wasn’t worried about it, then neither was Trixie. She followed close behind, trying to rub the remaining bugs off her arms.
Aside from the bugs, angry natives, and less than favorable climates, Trixie had been enjoying her world tour. Sure, they still hadn’t found the Rainbow of Light, but Trixie had got to see so many new cities and people! They had outrun an avalanche, fought off a tiger, and snuck into a forbidden temple of doom! Sure, it had already been emptied, but it was still cool.
And yet...
Trixie frowned as she scrubbed off the last mosquito. Every time they were in danger, her magic didn’t want to cooperate, no matter how hard she tried. Even simple spells were an effort to cast. She didn’t understand; her father made it look so easy. And she was his daughter, so it must be easy for her too, right? She was fine when they practiced, but here in the real world…
It couldn’t be stage fright. She was the Great and Powerful Trixie! She wasn’t scared of anything! She had absolute confidence in her powers!
She sighed. Perhaps she just wasn’t trying hard enough. Yes, that was it. She just had to try harder. She had a great family name to live up to, after all. She would make her father and all her ancestors proud.
They continued their trek through the dense foliage, the sun reaching its zenith and the heat and humidity reaching a new record. With no path to follow, they had to tread lightly on the soft, loamy soil, watching for stray animals or quicksand. Artemis tried not to cut down any plant out of respect to the already furious indigenous people.
After an hour of walking and Trixie finally getting her insect repellent spell to work, the jungle thinned out to a short cliff face. Large roots jutted out from it thanks to the healthy trees above.
Artemis reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn scrap of parchment. “Judging by the map, there should be an opening somewhere close by.” The jagged and jutting rocks made spotting any entrance difficult.
“It could also be magically concealed,” Trixie said.
“Excellent point, little moon! We must keep an extra sharp eye out.”
They stuck close to the wall, Artemis running his hand against the surface. Trixie tapped random parts of the wall with her wand, hoping for any kind of reaction. She begged for them to find it soon so they could escape this horrid heat.
As she dragged her wand against the rock, Trixie felt a jittery tingle run up her arm. She doubled back, feeling it again as she tapped around. “Haha! Father, Trixie has found it!”
Artemis hopped back over and poked the wall with his own wand. “Why yes, Trixie, you have! Brilliant as always!”
Trixie’s ears turned pink.
Artemis stepped back and made a sweeping gesture with his wand. “Lulamoon!”
There was a mighty crack and a spray of dust as a fragment of the wall fell away, forming a narrow crevice for them to squeeze through.
“I’ll go first,” Artemis said, raising his wand. “Stay close behind me.”
He slipped into the crevice, having to turn sideways to do so. Trixie tailed him, being just skinny enough to squeeze through normally.
The temperature dropped drastically, as did the lighting. It was near pitch black when the crevice opened up into a small cavern. Artemis lit his wand, tinting the room in a blue hue. Trixie did the same, her wand sparking and sputtering a few times before igniting.
“Do you think the Rainbow of Light is here?” Trixie asked just as she had at every cave, temple, and pawn shop they had come across.
“I’d be lying if I said I was confident,” Artemis said. “But that skeleton was clutching this map desperately, and the one rune on here I can decipher is ‘magic.’ Something magical is in here.”
Trixie didn’t want to lose faith but was starting to wonder if this was a wild goose chase. What if the Rainbow of Light didn’t even exist?
But Megan and Merlin had to have beaten Tirek with something.
Whether or not the rainbow existed, Trixie doubted they would find it in here. Water dripped down from sharp stalagmites into shallow pools, the only source of noise apart from the crunch of hers and her father’s boots. The still air and silence made Trixie almost miss the buzz of insects in the jungle.
But, while the cave was devoid of life, it was also devoid of skeletons. Trixie had had enough of them back in the temple. She’d be perfectly happy going through the rest of her life never seeing another one again, including her own.
The path before them sloped downward, steadily at first, then into a steep drop. Twice, Trixie nearly lost her footing thanks to the runoff from the dripping water.
“Hmmm. This seems a bit too easy,” Artemis said once the path had leveled out again. “Not that I’m complaining, but usually something tries to kill us by now.”
“Does the angry mob not count?” Trixie asked, an edge of irritability in her voice. “Trixie prefers it being easy.”
“So do I, but the fact that it is makes me nervous.” Artemis continued forward, occasionally giving his wand an extra wave and distorting the blue light.
They were halfway down the last slope when the ground moaned behind them and a rumbling upset their footing. It grew louder, with loose gravel falling from the ceiling.
Trixie groaned. “Don’t tell Trixie it’s another boulder.”
Sure enough, speeding toward them was an obsidian ball of stone, taking up the entire passageway. Artemis and Trixie gave long-standing sighs before Artemis grabbed Trixie by the shoulder.
“Lulamoon!” The world popped out of existence, throwing Trixie into a colorful void. It lasted for only a second before everything popped back. Artemis and Trixie stood in the same spot, but the boulder was now rolling away from them. They watched it disappear into the dark, carrying on for almost a minute before a terrifying smashing noise echoed back to them.
Artemis sighed again. “It’s like every civilization got the same idea for a boulder at the same time. It’s so cliché now.”
Trixie couldn’t help but snicker. Only her father would find a boulder run cliché.
They carried on down the tunnel, following the boulder’s path. When they caught up to it, they found it had crashed into the entrance to the next room. Artemis pointed his wand at the rock. The blue light disappeared, leaving the tunnel to be illuminated only by Trixie. The light from his wand transferred around the rock in a soft glow. Slowly, it shrank down, diminishing from its massive size down to a marble over the course of a minute.
Artemis kicked it away and stepped into the room beyond. It was a large box made up of tiles in different shades of brown. They lined the floor, walls, and even the ceiling. Each tile had the same symbol on it: a wide eye with a tiny red pupil. The only panel in the room that didn’t was the one Artemis currently stood on. Resting at the back of the room was a small plinth with long wooden staff standing upright. A glowing crystal sat nestled between two sharp branches.
Trixie slumped her shoulders. “Something tells Trixie that’s not the Rainbow of Light.”
“Correct,” a cool voice said from behind.
Artemis and Trixie whipped around, wands pointed. Strutting down the tunnel, dressed in a dark traveling cloak was the woman from Prom, the one who had ordered Moondancer to leave. A triangular golden amulet hung from her neck. One look at it made Trixie’s skin crawl and her soul shudder.
“You,” Artemis growled. “You must be Tempest Shadow.”
Tempest made a small mock bow. “It’s an honor to meet the famous Artemis Lulamoon. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“What did you do to my niece?” Artemis shouted.
“Nothing that she didn’t bring onto herself.” Tempest curled her lips into a smirk. “Everything she’s done has been a free and conscious choice.”
Artemis narrowed his eyes. “Funny enough, I don’t believe you.”
“Believe what you wish. Now, I will ask you once to step aside. I would like to take what’s in that room.”
Trixie brought herself to her fullest height. “Never! We found it first! Also, you’re probably going to use it for something nefarious.”
“I suppose that depends on your definition of ‘nefarious.’ Regardless, I expected such an answer.”
A shadowy pressure descended upon the tunnel. Trixie felt the temperature drop even further, making her almost long for the heat outside. A wind whipped around Tempest’s cloak, revealing a suit of light, thin armor plating. Trixie saw one of her arms was whole, albeit covered with scars and pockmarks. The other was missing from just below the shoulder, or it was until a rush of shadows swarmed down and formed a full functioning arm ending in sharp claws.
“Trixie, go get the staff,” Artemis said, his voice absent of all his normal joviality.
“But—”
“Now!”
Trixie turned and entered the chamber. A flash of light from behind compelled Trixie to turn around and look. Artemis was holding off Tempest’s shadow arm with a shield of light. He pushed her back and with a sweep of his wand, summoned bright doves to divebomb her. Tempest raked her claws through one, turning it to white dust before she was attacked by the others.
Turning her focus back to her given task, Trixie took her first step onto one of the tiles. She heard a short hum to her left and had a split second to duck and throw herself forward before a jet of red light blasted out from one of the tiles on the wall. When she hit the ground, three more hums sounded, and three more red lasers, one from the ceiling, one from the back wall, and one from the right, all blasted at her.
Trixie screamed and rolled up and out of the way before jumping back as another laser came from above, then another from the left, then from the right, then from the left again. No matter where she stepped, a laser blasted from one of the tile eyes.
She danced back and forth, desperate to not get fried. A laser shot down through her cape, leaving a gaping singe mark. She screamed again and threw herself back to the entrance, landing on the only safe square. The lasers stopped and Trixie doubled over, taking a large gasp of air.
Artemis flew over Trixie’s head, tucking into a roll as he landed and springing to his feet just as seven lasers fired at him from all directions. He spun, ducked, and jumped, dodging most by the skin of his teeth. One fired through his hat, leaving a hole similar to the one in Trixie’s cape. Another one brushed against his shoulder, and he yelled in pain as it seared his skin.
“Father!”
Artemis jumped again, waving his wand as he did. Before he landed, a blue sigil appeared beneath his feet, floating just above the ground. Instead of the tiles, he landed on the sigil, and the lasers stopped.
Trixie turned back toward the tunnel in time to see five shadowy claws reaching for her. She hopped backwards and thrust her wand forward, shooting a desperate beam of purple energy forward. It hit Tempest’s shadow hand, forcing her to recoil, but Trixie was now left to the mercy of the laser blasts again.
“Trixie, bubble shield!” Artemis called.
She hopped to the left to avoid getting shot and frantically swung her wand, trying hard to think of a shield around herself.
A shield did pop up, but it formed around Tempest instead, who had been watching the chaos with a bemused expression up until that point. Her grin melted and she punched the bubble. It wobbled but stayed firm.
Thinking quick, Trixie ran forward and shoved Tempest back down the hall, Tempest turning and tumbling inside the dark blue sphere. It bounced against a sharp rock and popped, freeing Tempest and dropping her on her back. She rolled up and charged toward Trixie.
Trixie pointed her wand out, imagining the doves like her father had summoned and cried, “Lulamoon!”
A few motes of light drifted out and floated toward the ceiling.
“Eeep!” Trixie huddled as Tempest lobbed a ball of dark energy at her.
Artemis jumped in front of Trixie and swung his wand like a tennis racket, knocking the energy ball back. He then reached into his sleeve and pulled out a deck of cards. Like a Las Vegas dealer, he whipped the cards out onto the ground at breakneck speed, lining the space between them and Tempest.
Tempest smacked the energy ball into the wall where it left a deep singe mark, then stared blankly at the cards on the ground. “What kind of dumb trick is this?”
“I call it, solitaire!” Artemis flicked his wand upward. The cards crackled with electricity before arcs of lighting shot up to the ceiling. They spread out like a spiderweb, creating an electric curtain between Tempest and the Lulamoons.
Artemis turned with a flourish of his cape and ran back to the edge of the chamber. He pointed his wand at the staff in the back but it refused to move. “Figures.” He looked over his shoulder to see Tempest reaching out with her shadow hand to grab the cards on the ground. Electricity arced up her arm, but she merely gritted her teeth and bared it, crushing the cards in her grasp.
“Trixie,” Artemis said, “I need you to teleport over there and grab the staff. I’ll hold Tempest off.”
Trixie looked at the space between her and the staff. It couldn’t have been more than twenty yards, but it felt like an entire football field to her. She gripped her wand and swallowed. “O-okay. Trixie can do that.”
Artemis patted her shoulder before strolling forward. “Of course you can. You’re a Lulamoon!”
Tempest swatted the cards away, canceling the electric wall. She rolled her neck and scowled. “If parlor tricks are the best you can do, perhaps I was wrong to be cautious of you.”
“I find beauty in the simpler things in life.” Artemis adjusted his hat and raised his wand over his head. “But if it’s razzle-dazzle you want, I’m more than happy to provide! Lulamoon!”
Tempest’s cloak fluttered and drifted upward before her entire body rocketed up to the ceiling and remained there. She growled and extended the claws on her black arm. Artemis stepped out of the way, watching them impale the hard dirt. Tempest fell to the floor, landing like a cat and lunging at Artemis. He spun out of her reach and ducked under her first swing before she caught him with a hard kick to the side. He stumbled back but let loose a fireball that grazed Tempest’s armor.
Trixie tore her gaze away as her father found his footing again and leaped out of the way of Tempest’s next punch, which left a crack in the wall. Her father could handle himself, Trixie had to believe in that. Just like how he believed she could get the staff.
“Just teleport,” Trixie said to herself. “Just like Father. You’ve done it before. It’s easy.”
She stared at the plinth, etching it into her mind, then closed her eyes. Trixie imagined herself standing on it, the staff an inch away from her face. Holding her wand out in front of her, she let the magic flow through her veins into every part of her and whispered, “Lulamoon.”
The world twisted around her, vanishing in a puff of smoke. Spacetime shoved her forward, and the cave reappeared before her eyes in a second puff. A hum rose to her ears, and Trixie realized the staff wasn’t as close as she wanted it to be.
She twisted on her heel, a red beam of energy shooting up from the floor, grazing her cheek and singing her hair as she dodged out of the way. She ducked under a shot from the left wall, then frog-hopped onto the plinth as another shot burned a second hole in her cape. She grabbed the staff and held it like a life preserver. It was warm in her hands and she could feel magical energy running through it.
Trixie almost called out to her father, stopping herself when she saw the battle he was locked in.
Tempest had turned her shadow hand into a jagged blade and was trying her hardest to cut Artemis in half. Artemis, for his part, put on a display of incredible and artful dodges, staying just out of harm’s way by the hairs on his chin. Though by the panicked murmurs of, “No, no, no, nope!” Trixie knew his oddly graceful display wasn’t by choice.
Artemis finally got just enough distance to swing his wand and blast a gust of air to shove Tempest further down the tunnel. He then began to swing it in a wide circle, a thin trail of fire following his arc. The flame grew larger with each rotation until he moved it over his head, where it began to take form. Thin arms ending with clawed hands, a long snout with wide whiskers, and a narrow, serpentine body. The cavern glowed red from the fiery Chinese dragon making circles over Artemis. From her place in the back, Trixie had to hold a hand up to block the heat radiating from it. Artemis pointed his wand at Tempest, and the dragon let out a roar before surging forward.
Tempest took a knee and smashed her palm into the dirt. A black dome rose up and encased her as the dragon descended and engulfed everything in flames. The heat magnified, but Artemis didn’t look away. He raised his hands, and the fire swirled into a towering inferno that hit the ceiling. He then clapped his hands together, and in a flash of white, the flames turned into ice.
It was beautiful; tendrils and swirls of fire perfectly frozen in time to create a swirling crystal pillar. Artemis made another wide circle with his wand, and the faint sheen of a forcefield rippled between him and the crystalline tower. He turned to face Trixie.
“That won’t hold her forever. Come, let’s get out of here while we can.”
Trixie nodded. As she prepped herself to teleport back, Tempest smashed through the ice, eyes narrowed and brow creased as she charged full speed toward Artemis. She slammed into the forcefield instead and flew onto her back. Trixie could hear a muffled curse from the other side of the barrier. She snickered to herself before closing her eyes and shouting, “Lulamoon!”
In two puffs of smoke, she stood beside her father, the staff still in her hands. “Ha! I did it! Trixie is amazing!”
Tempest dropped from a black portal above them, slamming a boot into the side of Artemis’ head as she fell. She landed, grabbed the staff with one hand, and backhanded Trixie with the other.
Trixie’s face stung, both from the force of impact and from the shadowy burn Tempest had left on her. Trixie pointed her wand at Tempest, unsure of what exactly she wanted, but shouted, “Lulamoon!”
Brightly colored magnolias burst from the end.
Tempest smirked and lifted her shadow palm at Trixie’s chest. A sphere of black energy burst to life, and Trixie tried to conjure her bubble shield, praying it would work this time.
Two strings of multicolored ribbons wrapped around both of Tempest’s wrists. Her arms snapped behind her back, and Artemis swung her around and slammed her into the wall. He reached forward, ripped the staff from Tempest’s grasp, and cut the ribbons extending from his sleeves. They continued to move on their own, trying Tempest’s arms together.
Tempest’s shadow arm faded out of existence, freeing up her real one. She spun around and shook the ribbons off before summoning her left arm back.
Artemis tapped his chin. “Hmm. Never really considered that flaw in my trick.” He jumped back, avoiding Tempest’s claws.
Trixie scrambled out of the way of her father, retreating up the tunnel to give him more room to fight. She bit her lip, watching as a blast missed him by inches. There had to be something else she could do to help. She pointed her wand at Tempest, trying to think of the most effective spell that wouldn’t backfire. Tempest got dangerously close to hitting Artemis who was stuck on the backfoot, using quick shield spells and small blasts of magic.
With a wave of her wand, Trixie threw a fireball at Tempest, briefly giddy at how effortless it had been. Tempest batted it away, barely giving it a glance as she aimed a high kick at Artemis.
Stamping her foot and huffing, Trixie prepared to cast the spell again but paused as an idea struck her. Instead of hitting her, I’ll just hinder her instead! She moved her wand to aim at her father. If there was one thing Trixie prided herself on, it was her illusion magic.
“Lulamoon!” she cried, a spark of energy shooting from her wand.
Artemis pivoted on his heel, twisting out of Tempest’s slash and forcing her to overextend. The spell struck her instead, and in a flash of light, two Tempest Shadows stood in front of Artemis.
“Eeeep!” Trixie cried.
The two Tempests stared confused at each other. One leaned away, and the other mimicked her movement. They both raised a fist to strike each other, the one on the right passing through the other like it was smoke. Its figure disrupted for a moment, then formed back together. Both of them grinned maliciously and turned toward Artemis.
He was shoving the staff down his long sleeve, pushing the crystal just past the cuff when the twin Tempests returned their attention to him. The crystal vanished into the confines of his shirt, and he raised his arms. “Tada! Nothing up my sleeves!”
Both Tempests growled. They reared their fists back, but Trixie waved her wand again, forcing the illusion to fade into vapors. Down to one opponent, Artemis bloomed a venus flytrap looking flower from his wand that snapped onto Tempest’s hand, drawing blood. Her fist kept going, however, and crashed into Artemis’ chest, sending him to the ground.
Tempest planted a boot on his abdomen, ripped the flytrap off, and aimed a dark blast at his face. “Where did you send the staff?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Artemis said airly. “As long as you don’t have it, it doesn’t matter where it is now.”
Before Tempest could retort, Trixie flung the strongest blast of raw magic she could muster. A bright ball of white energy surged down the tunnel, coalescing into a spinning sphere. Tempest brought her shadow hand to block it but it still flung her back. She stumbled but stayed on her feet, digging her heels into the dirt as the magic shoved her backwards. It pushed her right up to the threshold of the laser chamber, whereupon her claws dug into it and she blasted it back toward Trixie.
Artemis bounced to his feet and held his wand up. The magic sphere hit it and transformed into a swirling vortex, growing smaller as the wand absorbed it, leaving nothing behind.
Tempest rolled her shoulder and scoffed. “Well, it’s good to know all those rumors weren’t baseless. But if the staff is no longer here, I have no more business here either.” A rush of cold air blew down the cavern and a black portal opened behind her.
“Oh no, you don’t!” Artemis shouted. A golden lasso sprung from his wand.
Tempest smirked and jumped backwards, vanishing into the swirling darkness before the lasso could reach her. The portal closed on itself and melted away, leaving a few wisps of shadows behind.
“Dang it!” Artemis huffed before clutching his chest and dropping to one knee. “Ngh… maybe I am getting too old for this.”
Trixie ran to his side and knelt next to him. “Are you okay?”
He gave her a full-toothed smile. “Just a few bruises. Nothing a veteran adventurer like me hasn’t dealt with before.” He looked at the burn on Trixie’s face and frowned. “The question is, are you okay, little moon?”
Trixie huffed and turned her nose up. “Of course Trixie is fine. That Tempest Shadow barely laid a finger on me.”
Because Father did all the work.
Her confidence deflated like a punctured balloon. Sure, her father had done most of the fighting, but she had gotten the staff like he asked… after almost getting fried by lasers. And she had used her illusion magic on Tempest instead of him. And her bubble shield had backfired...
Her haughty smirk faltered and her shoulder dropped half an inch. It wasn’t much of a change from her proud presentation, but it was still enough for Artemis to notice.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“Nothing!” Trixie said automatically. “Here, Trixie can heal your wounds!” That would make up for her lack of contributions! “Lulamoon!”
A soft light glowed from her wand tip. Artemis winced, grabbing his chest and sucking in a deep breath. The glow washed over him like a wave, and the bruise on the side of his head faded. The light dulled, and Artemis poked himself a few times in the gut, laughing nervously. “Well, sweetheart, you’ve definitely removed the pain… but, er… I think you may have removed my spleen by accident as well.”
Trixie’s hand fell limp and she bowed her head. “Oh…”
“Now, now, little moon, that’s easily fixable! You still did a tremendous job!”
“No, I didn’t,” Trixie mumbled, tears starting to sting her eyes. “I’ve been messing up spells this entire adventure! I couldn’t even get the insect repellent spell to work! I couldn’t help you fight Tempest, I almost lost the staff. Maybe… maybe I’m not cut out to be a Lulamoon.”
The solemn idea caught Trixie’s heart in a vice. If she wasn’t good at magic, then what was she good at?
Artemis cupped a hand to her face. “Trixie, don’t say that. Of course you’re a Lulamoon,” he said gently.
“But, look at all the times I’ve messed up! I’m nowhere near as good as you are! I try to picture all my spells working like yours and they all backfire! Every time we’re out doing real adventures, I just… panic. You make everything look so easy.”
Artemis let out a soft chuckle. He moved into a sitting position and patted the dirt next to him. “You know… I used to compare myself to Apalla all the time,” he said wistfully. “She was always the better one between the two of us. She learned spells quicker, she was more nimble, she had more friends. Of course, I inherited the best looks.”
Trixie chuckled weakly, wiping her eyes.
“She was the older twin, so naturally, I looked up to her. I tried to do everything like she did. More often than not, my own spells would backfire on me. We would put on dual performances for our friends. Hers would always go off without a hitch. Mine would… not a lot of the time.”
“Really?”
“But of course! Magic may run in our blood, but it needs refinement, just like any other skill. And what works for some may not work for others. I make everything look ‘easy’ because I’ve found my own rhythm, just like you will someday.”
Trixie looked down at her wand sitting idly in her palm. Was that what she was doing wrong? Was she thinking too hard about what her father would do instead of doing what felt right? Her illusion spell had worked, it had just been misaligned. But the secret to success couldn’t be that simple. Though, she reasoned, her spells worked better when she wasn’t thinking too hard about them. Maybe it really was that easy.
She breathed deep and nodded her head. She had been mimicking her father for so long, it would be a hard habit to break. But if it meant being better at magic, she would try.
“Good,” Artemis said. “And, more to the point…” He placed a finger under Trixie’s chin and lifted her head up so she met his eyes.
“Being a Lulamoon isn’t just about knowing spells and going on magical quests,” he said in a soft but serious voice. “Yes, you come from a long line of witches and sorcerers, and we do have an important role in the world. But that’s not what defines us, Trixie. I love that you love magic, but if you had wanted to be an accountant, I would have been just as happy. Being a Lulamoon means following your dreams, doing your best, and trying to leave the world a better place than you found it. Magic or not, you will always be a Lulamoon. And your mother and I will always be proud of you.”
Trixie hiccuped and buried her face in her father’s shirt. He wrapped his arms around her, and she cried harder. She hated sappy, cheesy monologues like that! Specifically because it led to tears and she hated crying! But her heart swelled at her father’s words, of knowing that she was, in fact, making her ancestors and more importantly, her parents proud.
Though why on Earth would she ever want to be an accountant?
Once her tears had stopped falling, Trixie pulled herself away and got to her feet. She put her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out, holding her head up high. “Trixie is going to become the greatest magician in the world and find the Rainbow of Light! That is her dream! Then, everyone around the world will know of her amazing feats of magic and heroism!”
Artemis threw his head back and laughed heartily. “That’s my girl! I can’t wait to see your name up in lights!” He climbed to his feet as well, wincing and grabbing his side as he tried to straighten up. “Wait, one second. Lulamoon!”
He pointed his wand at his stomach and sighed. “All right, spleen’s back. Now, let’s get out of here. This cave is depressing.”
“Agreed. Trixie can’t believe she’s saying this, but she actually misses the jungle.” The two turned up the tunnel and started their hike. They were halfway up when Trixie paused. “Wait, Father… do you really not know where you sent the staff?”
Artemis laughed again. “Of course I do! Granted, I warped it in a hurry, but I sent it to one of the safest places on the planet!”
********
A soft thunk woke Selena up and forced her upright from the bed, hands raised in self-defense. The bedroom was still pitch black… save for a soft glow coming from near the door.
Cautiously, she grabbed the dagger behind the headboard and crept out of bed. She lowered her guard an inch when she saw it was just a wooden staff with a bright crystal on top. Her first thought was Artemis had sent it from wherever he and Trixie were. Her second thought was, how much trouble did they get into getting it?
Curiosity sated, Selena put the dagger back where it belonged and climbed into bed. The staff could wait until she was properly awake.
*******
Two birds chirping outside on her balcony roused Moondancer from her slumber. A groggy groan rose from the back of her throat. Thanks to last night’s exploits, she couldn’t have gotten more than six hours of sleep, and like most nights recently, it had been restless.
Morning light shone from her balcony door and across her bed. Combined with the chirping birds, Moondancer saw little point in trying to go back to sleep. She lifted herself into a sitting position and gently peeled off the wet washcloth from the burn on her face. She winced as the cool air brushed against it, letting the pain run its course before she got up from her bed.
She shuffled into the bathroom and began her morning routine, trying her hardest to not look at herself in the mirror. She freshened up, changed into a casual blouse and long skirt, and made her way back to her nightstand, where her mask and a bottle of aloe vera waited for her. Very, very gingerly, she rubbed the clear gel onto her burns, stifling her hisses of pain by clenching her jaw. When the aloe vera was applied, she carefully slipped the mask on, feeling the gel squish across the inside.
Moondancer sighed, then placed her hand against her chin. Today was like every other morning, even if she was starting a little earlier than usual. But she couldn’t help but feel she had forgotten something.
Negligible, I suppose. If it was truly important, she’d remember eventually. She opened her room door and headed down the corridor. Breakfast first, then I’ll see if the roses are in bloom. I’m sure Mother would love to see them.
That would take Moondancer to about noontime, then she would have to do the maddening task of finding something to occupy her time for the rest of the day. She was quickly running out of books to read, and the piano brought her less and less joy every time she played it. She pushed the thought away for now. There were still a few hours before she had to cross that bridge.
Moondancer made her way downstairs and into the dining room. A silver serving dish with a cloche resting on top waited for her on the massive table. The room was empty otherwise, as it usually was. She walked over and lifted the lid off, blinking hard at what laid beneath.
Pancakes coated in frosting and sprinkles greeted her, still warm. Planted into the top were a 1 and 8 candle, currently unlit.
“Oh,” was all Moondancer could say. That was what she had forgotten.
She was eighteen today.
Which meant it had been almost ten years since her life had been upended.
“Happy birthday, Lady Moondancer!”
Moondancer didn’t jump at Lemon Fresh’s sudden voice. She was too transfixed by the candles. “Thank you,” she said weakly.
If Lemon noticed the lack of energy in Moondancer, she didn’t comment on it. She approached the birthday pancake with a lighter in hand and ignited the candles. “You’re never too old to make a wish!” she said cheerily.
Moondancer took a seat and watched the tiny twin flames flicker. In years past, she had wished for one thing: Tirek’s permanent death so her mother could wake up. Now, she was torn between that or wishing her face would stop burning.
She took a short breath and blew out the candles, deciding to keep with traditions. What was a little pain compared to the eradication of evil?
Lemon clapped her hands. “I hope you enjoy your birthday today! I’m making your favorite pasta for dinner as well!”
Moondancer managed a weak smile. Putting on her other mask took more effort than usual today. “As always, you spoil me, Lemon Fresh.”
She gave Moondancer a sympathetic smile. “I just want your eighteenth birthday to be nice, My Lady. I know the last month hasn’t been easy for you…”
“You’re too kind.” Moondancer pulled the candles out and set them aside. “After recent ordeals, I have to believe that things can only go up from here.”
“That’s the spirit, My Lady.” Lemon Fresh took the candles and gave Moondancer a curtsey before retreating to the kitchen. Like all of the food she made, the pancakes were delicious; sweet and fluffy with an extra sugary layer thanks to the frosting. It was almost enough to lift Moondancer’s spirits.
She cleared her plate and leaned back in her chair, taking in the hush of the dining room. Ten years ago, the room had been filled with her parents, her aunt and uncle and Trixie, and a few friends from school. Then she had gone six years sitting by herself.
Then Twilight walked into her life. Three perfect birthdays where she got to go out into the world and share everything with her best friend.
Moondancer stood from the table and made her way to the garden. There was little point dwelling on the past; she had to keep walking forward. She didn’t have a choice.
Fair weather greeted Moondancer as she stepped outside, a surprise with how close summer was. A cool breeze blew over the mountains, keeping the morning heat down and wafting the scent of budding flowers through the air. Moondancer slipped her gardening gloves on, picked up her old wicker basket, and grabbed her shears.
The early spring flowers were beginning to wilt and drop their petals as the heat increased, while late bloomers stood proud and healthy. A large patch of dirt sat empty close to the gazebo, where Moondancer would plant her summer seeds when she found the energy to sneak out and buy them.
A beautiful batch of blue roses bloomed along the back wall. Taking her shears, Moondancer snipped off an even dozen and clipped their thorns before laying them neatly in her basket. Her main task done, Moondancer gave all of her flowers a generous sprinkle from the hose, creating a shimmering rainbow as the water caught the sun’s light.
Back inside, Moondancer selected a vase from the glass cabinet, filled it with water, and neatly arranged the roses: six on the outside, five tucked behind them, and one in the very center. Flowers in hand, Moondancer ascended to the tower at the back of the mansion.
“Hello, Mother,” she said, pushing the door open with her hip. “I brought your favorite… what are you doing here?”
Night Shade sat by Apalla’s side, one hand resting atop hers. Despite his nice suit and clean-shaven face, he looked haggard and despondent, and his eyes held no light. He looked in Moondancer’s direction as she entered. “Good morning, Moondancer. Happy birthday.”
Moondancer was careful not to slam the vase on the bedside table. She took the time to make sure it was centered while she calmed her nerves. When the display was perfect, she turned on her heel and addressed her father. “Good morning. Why are you here?”
He looked at Apalla, her lidded eyes vacant as she stared out the window. “I came to see your mother. And I knew you would be up here today.”
“There’s only so many places I’m allowed to go.” Moondancer crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “Can I help you with something?”
Night Shade reached over and pushed a lock of hair out of Apalla’s face. “You take good care of her.”
“Someone has to.” Moondancer chilled her words to the lowest temperature they could go. She could count on her hands the number of times she had run into her father up here, and none of them had been recent.
He moved his eyes to the window. “I saw you in the garden earlier. The flowers look lovely.”
Moondancer pretended to swoon and held a hand over her heart. “Goodness, your approval has set me all atwitter. I should savor such praise; who knows when you’ll give it out again.”
“Moondancer—”
“What are you doing here?” she asked again.
“Am I not allowed to see my wife?”
“Well, I suppose it is time for your once a year check-up.”
Night Shade narrowed his eyes, a rare heat filling them. “You shouldn’t make baseless assertions like that.”
“They’re hardly baseless with the scant amount of times you’ve been up here.”
The heat left her father’s eyes, and he said in a guilt-laden voice, “I admit, I made it a point that our paths did not cross up here. I preferred to spend time with Apalla alone. As I’m sure you did.”
Moondancer moved her hands to her hips, her foot still tapping erratically. While she couldn’t fault him for that line of thought, it was still a point against him for largely ignoring her all these years. “So, you decided our paths should cross today? Is this the part where you give me my birthday money then go back to hiding in your office?”
Night Shade fixed his gaze on the blue roses. “I just thought… it’s been a while since we’ve all been together as a family.”
“Not at all helped by you,” Moondancer said, the ice in her voice beginning to crack.
“I… admit, I’ve—”
“No,” Moondancer said firmly, swiping a hand through the air. “Don’t spend ten years avoiding me and then think showing up by Mother’s side on my birthday is going to magically make everything better!”
“I wasn’t—”
“Then why—are—you—here?”
“Because I’m trying to make up for it!” Night Shade yelled, jumping to his feet and finally looking Moondancer in the eyes. “I’m sorry, Moondancer! I’m sorry for pushing you away all these years! I’m sorry for letting Tempest barge her way into our lives!”
He turned toward the window. “That woman…. After she took Apalla’s soul… she threatened to do the same to you if I still needed persuading, and I… I couldn’t lose both of you. She kept holding it over me as a bargaining chip, and anytime that wasn’t enough, she’d put the damn necklace near me and… all my strength just drained away. I thought, maybe if I just held you at arm’s reach, pretended I didn’t care…”
“What, she’d stop threatening to take my soul away?” Furious tears welled up in Moondancer’s eyes. “You thought virtually abandoning me would spare me from Tempest’s wrath?”
“Yes,” he said quietly.
“Then you’re a coward and you’re stupid.” She wiped the tears off her cheek. “Tell me, when did you finally realize your brilliant plan wasn’t working? May I have a guess? Was it when I came home with half of my face?”
Her father, wisely, chose not to answer.
Moondancer gave a loud, slow applause. “Fantastic job protecting me. Father of the year, everyone!”
“I didn’t expect you to join with Tempest!” Night yelled, spinning around to face Moondancer again. “I wanted you to stay out of all this!”
“She stole my mother’s soul, has a hold over your company, and comes over to the house every other day! How was I supposed to not get involved!”
Night Shade pulled on his hair. “I don’t know! I thought after I convinced her to let you go to school, you’d get to have a normal life!”
Moondancer balled her fists, digging her nails into her palm. “That’s real hard to do with her hovering over me and constantly reminding me that if I breathe one word to anyone, she’ll take mine and Twilight’s soul!” She gave an incensed huff and looked down at her mother, completely unaware of the shouting match between her husband and daughter.
“I wish I couldn’t care what Tempest is doing. But, I want my mother back. I had to do something.”
“So you thought helping Tempest even more with this… this world domination scheme was the best way to do something?”
Moondancer raised her head, eyes burning. “Well, unlike you, I have a—” She bit her tongue.
Night Shade looked at her, bewildered. “What? You have a plan?”
“No,” she said evenly.
“Moondancer—”
“Enough!” she yelled. The scars on her face flared, forcing her to press a hand to her mask. “I have no desire to continue this conversation!”
Night Shade reached a hand out. “But—”
Moondancer turned her back to him. “Your apology is just a touch too late, Father!” she spat, the burning getting worse. “If you’re trying to make up for lost time, I’d advise you don’t. You’ll just waste more of it.”
She stalked out the door, leaving her father to look dejectedly after her.
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Loved the adventure, loved the drama. Admittedly, I was expecting a reunion between girl and snake. Oh well next time. Funnily enough, I hadn't read the previous three chapters until a few hours ago. When I finished, I thought, man, I wish I could read the next chapter. I click refresh then BAM! How about that, huh?
While it's good to see Artemis and Trixie bonding ... I can't say that I'm surprised that Night Shade's own attempt failed so badly ... I have severe doubts that that relationship will ever mend.
Goes from no update in two months to two updates in one week? What’s with that indeed?!
Thanks for the double update!
Oh, this, isn't going well for you, is it?
What did you two do?
Sounds about right.
You're lying to yourself.
Give it time.
And there it is.
Eh, Strange Minds Think Alike.
Tempst Shadow.
Called it.
Bull-fucking-shit, you practically blackmailed/bullied her into becoming your crony.
Funny thing is, I WAS reading her lines in Cinder Fall's voice.
Not what she intended, but that works.
Beware the tricksters, Fizzlepop.
Ah hell.
Crap.
Dammit.
Oh.
Maybe it is. Use your own magic your way, not your Dad's way.
It's straightforward and relatively riskless?
Sounds about right.
Oh jeez.
Sounds about right.
She wouldn't go after her.
Well, it's been focused on Best Horse Human and Moondancer.
10204881
Night Shades inadvertently fed into Moondancer's worst traits (her self-centered nature and need for attention) with his neglect. Not exactly father of the year.
But if Moondancer does find redemption, she might accept her father was a man doing the best he could under the impossible circumstances.
I really loved the interactions between Artemis and Trixie, especially at the end. Perhaps Trixie's going to start finding her "grove" with her magic once she takes to heart that she has to make it hers. And, of course Selena keeps a dagger by the bed. Why wouldn't she?
Regarding Moondancer and Night Shade, I do feel bad for them. Not enough to overlook the bad things they're involved in, but given their circumstances, I can be a bit sympathetic.
Good stuff Albi. Thank you.
Whoo! Another chapter! And a Lulamoon one at that. A lot of exciting and well paced action as Artemis and Trixie ventured the jungle and temple. And throughout it I was beginning to think Trixie's magic really was going haywire because she kept trying to be like her father too much. Nice to see that was true and that he gave a good, encouraging speech to her. Really feels like something Moondancer should hear as well. She might not be ready to hear it, but it might help save her in the long run. If Apalla can tell her it might help all the more.
The battle with Tempest was tense and filled with action and surprises, never knowing what spell would come out next. It's good to see our heroes get one over on Tempest after everything. Sure, she might get the staff back at some point, but take the victories where you can for now. I do love how after the battle ended we found the staff with Selena who just went back to bed.
It was good to see how Moondancer is doing. It's good Lemon Fresh is willing to be good with her, though, I do wonder how much Lemon Fresh knows on all this and if she'll have some important role or not. Moondancer's wish over her pancakes was very telling. Every year she wished for Tirek's destruction so her mother would awaken, or to heal her face. Choosing the former suggests so much. One, her selflessness to bear with the pain to do some good. Two, her single minded drive to stop Tirek and save her mother herself no matter the pain brought on, to herself or others. Three, the tragedy of her bearing all this alone for so long as she keeps to the tradition of her wish rather than finding a new way to do things differently given all that has changed. Moondancer still has hope to turn things around, but she;s going to need to take risks and actually help and work with her family and Sunset and the Spectacular Seven to do so.
Her confrontation with her father was very telling. Her father just wanted to protect her, but so much harm has come out of it. Moondancer was never going to be able to escape this and she just bore with it all instead alone. Yeah, Tempest using that amulet on him at times didn't help, but if he had worked with Moondancer from the start, maybe she could have turned out better and then they could have found an opening to defeat Tempest with Artemis and everyone. Both he and Moondancer have been led to tragedy because of their need to overprotect and handle things themselves. This isolation caused even within the family has made them easier for Tempest to control. They need to open up to one another and others when next given the chance to truly escape her.
This has been a spectacular chapter that really delved into the Lulamoon family and I look forward to what shall come next! Hope you're doing well!
Artemis is such a good father. And you played that perfectly across from Night shade who sucks so very hard. Admittedly, I had been wondering what Trixie and Artemis had been up to. And yes, it's a giant ball of cliche but come on, Raiders of the Lost Ark is as classic as they come!
That's somewhat concerning. Moondancer almost let slip that she has a secret plan. No doubt Tempest is gonna spot that thread.
And the more Moonie gives into her wrath the more her scar hurts. And not a hint was recieved by her.
I really like this story but Trixie never seems to associate with anyone besides the main cast or her parents. Will we ever see her make her own friends like Starlight or Sunburst while she’s traveling with her dad.
Well, you do have me not quite hating Moondancer so much now. But I'm still leaning more heavily towards her reaping what she's sown rather than being redeemed.
I'm hoping the adventure helps Trixie find her stride. Illusion magic seems to be her forte; she just needs to work on her timing and aim.
And Moondancer...ouch.
Imagine Moondancer with Zuko's scar :00
Well Moondancer's scar is definitely a curse of some sort. But did Sunset curse her on purpose, or was it an accidental side effect?
I'm tempted to read this, but the ratings being disabled makes me a bit nervous...
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Dude, before the ratings were disabled this thing had the likes going over 700. It wasn't to hide a bad rating or something.
I want to say her mother would be ashamed of her but no. She would be greatly disappointed in her choices. Still, I can understand why she's doing this, any child would want their mother back if they had a way to get them back. Unfortunately in her attempts to do that she compromised her humanity, sanity and morality just to try and spite Sunset Shimmer for 'taking what was hers' when Twilight was never her's to begin with, Moondancer not making a move on Twilight before Sunset is ENTIRELY her own fault, not Sunset's.
Like I could see if Sunset legit came in stole Twilight from you with the intent to hurt you and spite you, but nope. It was by CHANCE Sunset was walking home after not being sent to jail for attempted murder and property destruction that she happened upon a frightened and screaming Twilight who needed a savoir and true while it was magic that compelled sunset to help Sci-Twi; Sunset still would have helped anyway.
Jealousy is very easy emotions that can lead into hatred and it was that hatred she had of Sunset Shimmer that cost her any chance with Twilight.
Another wonderful chapter
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Love your comments dude.
10224950
TBH, Alby is a bit touchy on any magnitude of negative ratings. I've told him he's crazy because everyone loves this fic.
I wonder if we are going to se human Stalight.
Also, I want to punch Tempest, can't wait for her defeat.
That was a close one.
Runnnnnn!!!!!!
Tempest is here!?!??!
Good going trixie.
Awesome!
And she just made it worst, great
Hopefully it was sent somewhere safe.
Oofity
I still don't understand why she's wearing it.
10903772
Burn scars. Burn scars that still sting with pain.
Just keep soaking it. It's nothing to worry about, nothing at all. Just keep soaking it.
10225461
The father is the root vlame. Why did he even have Tempest in hos home in the first place?