13. Medallion of the Lion
Early one morning during breakfast, every creature gathered around the Dining Table as for usual.
"Pancakes for every creature this breakfast!" Starlight cheerfully announced.
"I believe that the correct saying is 'this morning'," Volcano corrected.
"Whatever, just enjoy every creature! It's not every morning that you eat these fruit faces pancakes, especially when they're inspired by the ones made by the previous Ruler of Equestria..." Starlight began, before Falcon Dive cut her off.
"Princess Celestia, we know."
"She tended to make them for her sister Princess Luna, every morning, something I found out when the Map summoned me to sole their friendship problem," Starlight recalled.
Once Starlight's sentence was finished, her daughter's cutie mark began to glow.
"Um, Luster? Is that mark supposed to do that?" Krona asked.
"It is when she is summoned by the Map," Starlight explained, before gasping, "That means...the Map is calling her!"
Rushing to the Throne Room, the creatures found out that the Map had not only summoned Luster, but also summoned a pony with a cutie mark of a shiny silver platter.
"Is it just me, or did I see that cutie mark before?" Starlight asked, observing the floating cutie mark images on the Map.
"That's because you have met the pony with that cutie mark, before, Head-mare Starlight!" Yellow Bright exclaimed.
"He is the youngest brother of one on of the students at the School of Friendship!" Alkali gave a hint.
"She meant, one of the former students, the student had graduated!" Evergreen clarified.
"But we still take our younger siblings to see him, as in, see the pony with that cutie mark!" Buffer added.
"If you can't work it out, we're talking about our siblings' unicorn friend, Gloss Semblance," Sunshine Rays stated.
"Oh! Right, Gloss Semblance is the youngest brother of a former student, since their parents have three sons, and no daughters," Starlight remembered, "And Gloss tends to come to the School whenever parents and guardians can enter."
"He and our younger siblings met and befriended each other on the first Parents-Teacher Conference we had," Nature Bloom recalled.
"Because he was with his parents when they came," Krona added.
"Just like our siblings!" Alkali contributed.
"The only difference is, Gloss's sibling is the same gender as he is, and his sibling is close friends with other creatures, not us." Volcano pointed out.
"I may not be there when Gloss befriended your siblings, but I do remember my first meeting with him, we became friends so instantly!" Luster remembered.
"Don't mean to ruin this good conversation, every creature, but Gloss isn't here yet! And if he isn't here, Luster can't go on her mission to whatever that place on the Map that the cutie marks are floating around at!" Falcon Dive announced.
"Oh, right! Thanks Falcon! I'll just use the name scan and magic compass spell I learnt before to find him, and get him here!" Luster declared, using her magic to do as she said she would do.
"To make things faster, I'll give you a lift!" Falcon Dive told his unicorn bst friend, picking her up and flying out the door.
In the Throne Room, every creature waited for the return of two of their best friends, just before there was a spark of magic, as Luster had teleported herself, Falcon Dive, and Gloss Semblance into the room.
"Gloss Semblance, it's good to see you again!" Nature Bloom greeted.
"Especially since you couldn't make it to the last birthday party we all went to, with our families!" Alkali added.
"Good to see you all again, older creatures..." Gloss Semblance greeted in a rather nervous tone.
"Gloss? Are you alright?" Luster asked.
"Not quite!" the preteen unicorn shuddered.
"Maybe he needs a little space," Luster told her best friends, taking Gloss to a corner of the room.
Once they were away from the crowd, Luster asked the preteen, "What were you so uncomfortable about?"
"I...I never experienced being the only kid in a room before, it was so...overwhelming!" Gloss Semblance cried.
"But, you know all these creatures older than you, especially when they are the older siblings of all of your friends!" Luster pointed out.
"But this time, none of my friends are around! I always feel braver with them! Without them, I feel like a coward!" Gloss sobbed.
"I do feel braver with my best friends nearby, too But I do not depend on them as a source of bravery," Luster explained, "And company is actually a boost of bravery, the real source of bravery is in the creature who owns it."
"But...I'm not very brave, that's why I never went to the School of Friendship, because I'm not brave enough to live somewhere my parents aren't living! My oldest brother went to the School, my older brother went to an Academics School far away, while me? Stuck in hometown because I'm too afraid to leave my parents..." Gloss sobbed.
"Tell you what, I was uncomfortable when I left Sire's Hollow and my grandparents for the School for Gifted Unicorns," Luster explained, "But that was until I became close to Princess Twilight Sparkle, my mentor who can...be kind of like a mother to her students."
"You are lucky to have some creature like her, but I don't," Gloss stated, looking gloomy.
"But the Map had called just the two of us! Maybe we'll get along better throughout the mission! Pus, you're not going to feel like the only preteen in an adults' group since there aren't any group of adults just a duo," Luster pointed out.
"Maybe you're right," Gloss replied.
"Alright every creature," Luster turned to the others as she announced, "Sorry that Gloss can't quite handle being the youngest in a huge group, he needed some space, and I'm sure I can take him on whatever mission the Map has for us, so no reason to worry."
"Except for the fact that you are chronologically younger than him," Starlight said with a smirk.
"Mum, that doesn't matter because of the age spell..." Luster reminded.
Starlight giggled, "Just joking, I know that, Luster. And by the way, safe travels."
After getting off the train, the unicorns were amazed by the natural sight, as there were no houses nor buildings around.
"Why would the Map send us here? There probably won't be any friendship problems to solve if there aren't any creatures here to have such problems!" Gloss whimpered.
"Or maybe the problem can be a problem that the problem solvers themselves have!" Luster figured.
"What do you mean?" Gloss asked, still afraid.
"Well, my grandparents told me that they used to have problems, and soon, when the Map sent my parents to solve it, my parents realised that the friendship problem they had to solve, is their relationship with their parents," Luster explained.
"So, you think that the Map sent us here to solve...our friendship problem? I mean, can't it just send us to Ponyville to look for the problem and get along?" Gloss asked.
"I don't think 'send' is the right word for this situation, I mean, there wouldn't be much of a send, if we were already there..." Luster told the preteen.
"Or maybe the Map's broken! Or Discord messed with it to send us on a wild goose chase like he did when he sent the School of Friendship's first and former teachers away!" Gloss figured, "We probably should just go back..."
"No way Gloss, maybe there are creatures here that we have to help, only...right now, we haven't found them. Maybe they live deep in these woods surrounding the Train Station," Luster interfered, "We should explore it and check, just to be sure that it is, or is not a false alarm."
"But...the woods is...somewhere we never bent too! Plus, I don't think many creatures go there! It can be dangerous!" Gloss cried.
"Then we'll just use our magic to defend ourselves, simple as that," Luster said in a calm, easy-going tone.
"No! " Gloss cried as he hung onto Luster's back legs.
"What was that for?" Luster asked.
"I'm sorry, Luster. It's just that...I don't want either of us to go in there, nor do I want both of us going there. It's just so...scary," Gloss whimpered.
"Gloss, it's not even as scary as it is at night! And I can just conjure up a force field as we walk in there! We'll be fine!" Luster assured.
"You can keep on saying that, but I just...can't think the way you do!" gloss cried.
"Gloss Semblance, you don't have to worry. Things are only scary because you think they are! Scared is a feeling, and just like other feelings, creatures feel them because of different things, and what the creature themselves are like. In other words, what you are scared of might not be what I'm scared of, because it is only scary to you, so the real thing can't be that scary," Luster explained.
"I will like to believe you, but I'm not so sure how I'm supposed to brave my way though the mission!" Gloss replied sadly.
"Don't worry, a little company should be enough to boost your bravery," Luster assured, hopping into the woods, followed by Gloss, as light, upbeat, positive music started playing.
Luster sang, "Take a look, listen and smell of this amazing natural place!
What you first think can be proven wrong, as you take a closer gaze.
Keep your feelings and worries down as they can alter your views,
what is real remains reality and you see it as what you choose!
Don't let your characteristics take away the beauty of your surroundings,
the reality can be better than what you think of certain things.
Never let your fear,
make the refreshing water feel freezing,
put all of your negativity aside,
and let your world be pleasing.
Look closely and you will see,
the branches are just the regular branches that they always will be.
Strolling and seeing the little animals roaming around,
in the tall trees, or safely on the ground.
Don't let your characteristics take away the beauty of your surroundings,
the reality can be better than what you think of certain things.
Never let your fear,
make the refreshing water feel freezing,
put all of your negativity aside,
and let your world be pleasing.
What can look awful or frightening only worsens,
as you let your negative thoughts make some twitches and turns.
The only way to not view them as something not scary nor frightening,
is to tell yourself, that it is only terrifying because of what you are thinking.
Don't let your characteristics take away the beauty of your surroundings,
the reality can be better than what you think of certain things.
Never let your fear,
make the refreshing water feel freezing,
put all of your negativity aside,
and let your world be pleasing."
After the song ended, the two unicorns were in front of a huge boulder that was surrounded by bushes.
"I guess you are right Luster, I did let myself get scared by making things look scary to me, so everything here can be rather pleasing and alright, nothing to be afraid of," Gloss told his companion.
"That's the spirit, Gloss! And a reason why positivity is one of the Elements of Purity," Luster replied.
"And maybe we can get a better view by standing on the top of this boulder," Gloss suggested.
"Worth a shot," Luster replied, teleporting them both on to the top of the rock, only to fall through the intangible surface and find a secret cavern underneath!
"That surface was an illusion!" Luster said her thoughts out loud.
"Does this mean that there are more illusions in this woods?" Gloss whimpered.
"No there aren't, the illusion you just found is the only one here," a somewhat old voice could be heard saying.
One of the tree roots from the underground caverns turned into a fifty-metres long serpent, who slithered down towards the unicorns.
Gloss Semblance whimpered and hugged Luster in fear, as the serpent chuckled.
"What's wrong, kid? Never seen a serpent before?"
"Well, don't mind him, he can be afraid of countless things, unlike me," Luster told the serpent.
"That's alright, even I was scared of serpents bigger than me when I was little, way back when. By the way, I'm Xian Zhe, named after the Chinese word that means sage, or great thinker of the past. And it is a pleasure to meet you two unicorns,"
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Xian Zhe. Anyway, I am Luster Dawn, and this is Gloss Semblance, a friend of my best friends' younger siblings." Luster Dawn introduced.
"Good to meet and know you both, although, one of you seems to have a great problem that needs to be solved," Xian Zhe stated, closing into the unicorns, causing Gloss Semblance to hug Luster even tighter.
"And...that problem is a lack of courage, and it is obviously, manifestly, Gloss's problem," Xian Zhe plainly said, pointing his tail at the younger unicorn.
Luster then gasped, "Could this be the friendship problem...or basically, the problem the Map sent us to solve?"
"Did you mean, the Castle of Friendship's magical map? The one grown by the Tree of Harmony?" Xian Zhe asked.
"How did you know about it?" Luster asked.
"That's because, I'm not any regular, common, ordinary serpent; I'm a special, divine, ancient serpent, the rarest serpent around! And I can sense what's happening around Equestria, and most likely the big changes everyday!" Xian Zhe explained.
"I don't remember reading such thing! Or such creatures that can do that!" Luster scratched her head..
"That's because..." Xian Zhe started, before singing.
"Ancient serpents are very special creatures;
they can live up to twelve decades, one of their many rare features!"
"Twelve decades?! That's 120 years!" Gloss Semblance interrupted by saying his thoughts out loud, before Luster shushed him.
"They eat both plants and meat,
but despite their great size,
a plateful is the most they can eat!
They have the ability to store trillions of joules,
all from consuming several food molecules."
"Are you telling the truth? Because that sounds too impossible to be true!" Gloss Semblance could not help but say, before Luster pulled him back with her magic.
"Gloss! Let him finish explaining!"
"Ancient serpents are not usually seen,
because they spend their time protecting their lairs, and keeping it clean.
Most importantly, they get a lair to look after,
once they passed a big test, and become their mentors successor."
"Mentor's successor?! Just like Princess Twilight Sparkle!" Luster could not help but comment.
"Oh great, now you are the creature interrupting," Gloss Semblance responded.
"Every ancient serpent with a lair of their own,
has a duty to watch all of its magic, and keep it hidden with stone.
Ensuring that no creature unworthy,
will ever get such power that might shape reality..."
"So, this lair contains magic powerful enough to do that?!" Luster asked.
"It does," Xian Zhe replied, "In fact, every ancient serpent protects unique magical things from the outside world, so no creature can mess with them, which is why they keep them, and themselves hidden in lairs that are hidden from everything. But fortunately, you two are nothing like threats I have to protect this lair from."
"Ancient serpents may not have wings nor look light,
but they have the ability of bird-like flight!
But they sadly have a low reproduction ability,
one couple can only have offsprings as many as three..."
"Maybe that's why you're so rare, you don't have much of you to begin with," Luster figured in a somewhat sorry tone. The next second, Xian Zhe immediately switched back to a cheerful tone as he sang.
"But cheer up!
There are so many wonderful things about ancient serpents!
They can do so much, they don't need any servants!
But they are still the friendly kind,
they totally welcome friends, and can put burden behind..."
After the song ended, Gloss Semblance caught Luster Dawn's attention, "Luster, can I have a private talk with you?"
"Sure, you can," Luster relied, before telling Xian Zhe, "Can you please excuse us for a second?"
"Of course, if only I don't have knowledge of many things power!" Xian Zhe answered.
"What is it?" Luster asked in a soft tone.
"I'm getting really scared: I mean, a serpent who barely leaves his lair? Saying that he is the rarest species of serpent around? And he keeps a lot of magical things in his lair? And he says that his species can live up to twelve decades old?! Do you think that's too out-of-the-ordinary?" Gloss asked.
"It can be very hard to believe, but don't forget, former Rulers of Equestria, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are much older than regular creatures, something that is very uncommon, too! As well as Dragon Lordess Ember's father, the former Dragon Lord!" Luster pointed out.
"But they didn't hide from every creature! Unlike he does! And staying in a lair deep in a woods with a secret entrance? Those former rulers don't have something like that!" Gloss Semblance argued.
"Gloss Semblance, Xian Zhe already explained his reason why he hides here, I believe the real reason why you think he is a little...appalling, is because you're thinking of too much negative thoughts, that's what negative thoughts do: Mostly nothing good," Luster assured.
"Looks like what Gloss Semblance needs is something even more powerful than any magic, to be confident and brave," Xian Zhe told the unicorns, "And I know just the thing he needs to find: The Medallion of the Lion, whoever can get it from the King Lion will undoubtedly be some creature with unspeakable bravery."
"Are you sure he needs that? I mean, he'd probably gain courage as he gets older like every creature does," Luster responded.
"But what about the problem that we have to solve? And my courage problem?" Gloss asked.
"Well, solving one problem is better than solving none," Xian Zhe stated, "And don't worry, the medallion is right around the corner, or kind of around the corner, as far as I can get you to the King Lion, is to the border of his kingdom," the serpent swiped his tail and made a magical portal to another realm.
"Do you think that we have to go there? I mean, who would want to go up close to an actual...lion?" Gloss asked Luster, shuddering.
"Well, we might have to at least give it a shot, so we won't miss anything, plus, Nature Bloom taught me that we should always start a first meeting by being polite and respectful," Luster answered.
"Oh, and one more thing: You must remember, that the realm the King Lion resides in, have magic of its own. You unicorns best not try your own magic there, because the realm is nothing like the world you live in. And one more warning: It is safer to reverse your answers there." Xian Zhe warned.
"Don't worry, we will," Luster vowed, before walking through the portal with Gloss.
Reaching the realm, the unicorns were amazed by the natural surroundings with many animals whom they usually could not understand like other creatures.
"So this realm is just filled wild animals from the African Savannah? Like giraffes, elephants, antelopes, gazelles and birds? I don't see any magic here! Maybe Xian Zhe just said that so we wouldn't use our magic and make things tougher! We should just use magic to find the King Lion, and get what we came for, and leave!" Gloss suggested.
"I'm not so sure we should do that right away, we can just ask the animals for directions, no need to use magic for that!" Luster pointed out.
"Fine," Gloss Semblance responded, following Luster.
Approaching two giraffes, Luster asked, "Excuse, me, giraffe? Do you know where we can find the King Lion?"
"The King Lion?!" the giraffes asked in a somewhat shocked tone.
"Why would you want to find him?" one of the giraffes, the female giraffe, asked.
"He doesn't usually get visitors, but he still has guards to protect his territory!" the other giraffe, the male giraffe explained.
Gloss Semblance whimpered to hear what the giraffes said, shuddering, "Th King Lion doesn't have visitors? That is so unusual, especially for a ruler!"
"But do you know how to get to his territory from here?" Luster asked.
"We do, but we never dared to go there," the female giraffe replied.
"Just go straight uphill and through the maze, his territory is in the very centre," the other giraffe explained.
"Thanks for the directions!" Luster thanked, walking off with Gloss Semblance following.
"Just be careful!" both giraffes said in unison.
"See? Asking isn't that hard," Luster assured the colt.
"But maybe that's just the ease before the advance, what if they can't be trusted? I mean, we're probably creatures they have never seen before, and yet they just give us directions without asking us questions? Do you think that it's odd?" Gloss asked.
"But Gloss, back in Sire's Hollow and Canterlot, whenever some creature asks me for directions, I just directly answer them and not ask where they are from, or why they are skingquestions!" Luster pointed out.
"But those giraffes sound scared when you ask them about the King Lion, you don't think that the king is...scary? Do you?" Gloss Semblance whimpered.
"Maybe they just think he is scary, so in reality, he isn't," Luster positively figured.
"I just hope that you are right..." Gloss Semblance said as he followed her.
The two unicorns then spotted the maze when they made it to the top of the earlier mentioned hill.
"There's the maze! And...the centre looks like a huge mountain," Luster observed.
"This really makes no sense! Lions do not live in mountains! They usually live around rock formations in the savannah! This is the weirdest thing I've ever encountered!" Gloss Semblance remarked.
"Come on Gloss, let's just get what we need and go as soon as we do so," Luster assured.
Once they reached the entrance of the maze, two male rhinoceros, like Royal Guards, stopped them.
"Halt! Who goes there?!" the large animals said in unison.
Fearfully, Gloss Semblance nervously replied, "No creature..."
"Excuse me, please don't mind us being from another realm, but we will probably leave as soon as we get the Medallion of the Lion," Luster told the rhinoceros.
"Any good reason why you would want that medallion?" the other rhinoceros asked.
Gloss Semblance walked backwards in fear as Luster stood in front of him, "An ancient serpent said that my friend Gloss Semblance here needs to find it, and we can't go back if we don't get it."
"If what you were saying was true, why isn't your friend the one doing the saying?" one of the rhinoceros asked, with steam flowing out from his nostrils.
The unicorn colt whimpered as the events unfold, but Luster managed to advice her friend, "Remember! Things are only scary because you think they are!"
Gaining courage from Luster's advice, Gloss Semblance stood up to the rhinoceros, "The only reason I didn't do the talking, is because I was scared, and thinking of all sorts of negative things that hold me down. Now, this instant, I am telling you: Brave or not, I'm going to get that medallion and return to where I belong! And most likely, you will never have to deal with me coming here, ever again!"
The rhinoceros looked at each other, before one of them responded, "You sure have bravery in you, kid."
"And that's something that makes you unlike every animal in this realm! Except for your friend here," the other rhinoceros stated.
"You both may enter," the two large creatures made way for the unicorns, allowing them to get into the maze.
"You did it!" Luster praised, as she and Gloss Semblance walked down the path in between the maze hedge walls.
"Only because you were there to advise me," Gloss Semblance replied.
The two unicorns quickly encountered a decision: They had to choose between the left and right paths.
"Which way do we go?" Gloss Semblance asked.
"Left or right?" Luster said her thoughts out loud.
"We must get it right! If we got it wrong..." Gloss began, before he realised something, "Wait...get it right? Switch answers? Maybe we should just go left all the time when we have to choose! Because we have to reverse our answer! And the reverse of right in the directions' case is left!"
"Alright, left we go!" Luster exclaimed, trotting off and causing the preteen to follow her.
Not long after making a few turns, the two unicorns encountered a board with a math question on it.
"State the maximum or minus value of the graph? How can a natural habitat like this have a math question? Don't tell me that there are secret academics, educational schools here!" Gloss Semblance said his thoughts out loud.
"It's not just a math question: It's an Additional Mathematics question! Volcano and Alkali taught me how to do it, you just start with some factorising and..." Luster began, while activating her magic to write the answer, but unfortunately, she found that instead of doing what she wanted it to do, her magic was levitating all sorts of things, including her friend!
"I'm so sorry, Gloss!" Luster apologised. as she deactivated her magic, causing everything to fall."
"I guess now we know what Xian Zhe meant about magic here," Gloss Semblance groaned.
"Who goes there?!" a female cheetah asked, causing the unicorns to turn their attention towards her and her companion, a male cheetah.
"Just...two creatures needing to see the King Lion..." Gloss Semblance nervously answered.
"You sound rather nervous, are you hiding something?" the male cheetah growled after she asked her question, scaring the colt.
"Gloss, remember? What you think is scary?" Luster reminded.
"Is not really that scary," Gloss finished for her, as he took a deep breath and faced the cheetahs, "I am not hiding anything. My friend and I just need the Medallion of the Lion so that we can leave."
"You are brave to go this far, but you need to have something valuable to trade the king for the medallion," the female cheetah responded, "Don't have anything, and he will barely give you that medallion for free."
"But we don't have anything that is worth a lot to give him!" Gloss Semblance ejaculated.
"You can find a diamond to trade," the male cheetah suggested, "All you have to do is answer that math question, and use your answer to figure out which one of the points on the graph that you must go."
"Which one of the points on the graph that you must go?" Gloss Semblance repeated the sentence in shock, "But the graph's too small for us to fit in!"
"Not the actual one on the ground," the female cheetah stated.
"As soon as you draw your graph on that board, the graph on the ground will appear as well," the male cheetah explained.
"Alright, Gloss, since some creature your age won't get a hang of Additional Mathematics, I might as well do it, despite my chronological age." Luster declared, as she used the dirt on the ground as ink, and her hoof to write.
As she wrote, the preteen unicorn noticed lines forming on the ground the cheetahs pointed at.
"Luster, look! Whatever that's on that board is the same as whatever is on the ground!" Gloss Semblance called.
Luster moved her head to see the ground that the board was blocking from her view, seeing the lines like the ones on her graph, Luster giggled, "Looks like this place really does have magic of its own."
After a while of difficulty, Luster eventually completed the graph, ending with the coordinated of the graph's maximum point.
"Alright Gloss, because the coefficient of x square is a negative number, this graph has a maximum value that serves as the turning point. And the coordinates of that point is (5/3, 66/9) Now, 66/9 is the y value, and since the graph is asking for the maximum value, we should just choose the y value." Luster told her friend.
"But wait, we have to reverse our answers, so maybe instead of positive 66/9, we should go for negative 66/9," Gloss Semblance suggested.
"Um...Gloss, the y-axis on the graph do not go that far down!" Luster stated.
"Then maybe we should try going down the x value instead! That's the reverse of y, is it?" Gloss Semblance asked.
"Well, maybe in this realm," Luster remarked.
"Or maybe the y value? Or just draw the negative y value? Oh...why is it so hard to get a hang of this place?!" Gloss Semblance asked.
"You got to hurry," the male cheetah warned the unicorns.
"Because once the graph is completed, you are expected to go, go, go!" the female cheetah added.
"And if you don't make up your decision...or you will most likely suffer a division!" the other cheetah continued.
"Lose what?!" Gloss Semblance asked.
But instead of directly answering his question, the cheetahs began to sing.
"Time is running pass,
time is running fast.
You got to make your decision,
or you will get a division.
Decide or divide,
so you better choose a side,
could it be wrong,
or could it be right?
You'll find out by going on a ride!"
During an instrumental bridge, Gloss Semblance figured, "Wait, the maximum value or the minimum value? Since on the y-axis, minimum values are down at the very bottom, and we would usually find diamonds deep down, and things are reversed here, we should go up the y-axis and go for the maximum value, which is on the graph!"
"Alright, then through the maximum value it is!" Luster announced, about to go onto the huge life-sized graph.
"Unless that is what they want us to think!" Gloss semblance suddenly thought and said out loud, "We should go for the minimum value instead."
"But when the coefficient of x square is a negative number, there are no minimum points nor values! Just a maximum!" Luster stated.
"You must make your choice,
before this plant splits apart!" sang the cheetahs, as they stood around a plant with a large fruit.
"If you do not,
you might get an attack on your heart!"
The cheetahs' words were making Gloss Semblance even more anxious and panicked as he tried to figure it out, "Maybe we should include the x-coordinate? Or maybe go for the x value? Or go for the exact maximum point involving both x and y coordinates?! I just can't decide!"
"Decide or divide,
so you better choose a side,
could it be wrong,
or could it be right?
You'll find out by going on a ride!"
As the music went on and the cheetahs repeat the chorus, Luster noticed that the plant was getting very close to the last seconds before its splits.
"Gloss! The plant!"
"Luster, be careful!" Gloss Semblance called out.
The cheetahs ended the song with, "Divide!"
Unfortunately for Luster, when she reached the plant, it bursted open, scattering several seeds on the ground where she stood. To make matters worse, the seeds grew into a new plant that sprayed magical dust on her, making her cough as she went through a transformation, to Gloss Semblance's shock.
"Luster! Are you alright?" the colt ran up to his friend, to his horror, instead of a unicorn, all Gloss Semblance could see was a parrot with Luster Dawn's colours.
"Luster?! Is that you?!"
Luster did not seem to remember anything her regular self knew, as she acted like a wild parrot, being focused on animal needs.
"Seeds! Seeds! Seeds!" she chanted, as she flew forward, trying to find the mentioned food.
"Hey, where are you going?! I need you with me!" Gloss Semblance called, running after Luster, but he unfortunately fell right through the intangible ground that had the graph drawn on it.
Once he landed after a scream as he fell, Gloss Semblance looked up to see the mirrored image of the graph on the underground cavern ceiling, something unpleasantly surprising.
"Are you kidding me?! I was having a horribly tough time making a decision that isn't even necessary because all points lead to the same place here?!"
The preteen then turned to look at a diamond in the cavern, gasping once his sight sensed it.
"The diamond! All I need to do now is get it to the King Lion, and hopefully go back with Luster," Gloss Semblance told himself, just before gasping, "Oh no, Luster! I can't leave her here! Neither can I take her back without changing her back into a unicorn..."
"Seeds!" Luster could be heard squawking, catching Gloss Semblance's attention as he turned to notice the entrance of the caverns, about thirty metres away.
"Luster!" the preteen unicorn called, as he picked up the diamond with his hooves, placing it on his back, "Wait up!"
Once he was out, he quickly caught up with his friend, "Luster..." he panted, "Please stop flying around without me, I really need you by my side..."
Luster obviously did not listen to Gloss Semblance's words, as she continued squawking, "Seeds!"
"What did I just tell you?!" Gloss Semblance asked Luster, annoyed that she flew off out-of-control again, during the chase, he mumbled to himself, "Now I know what that 'divide' and 'attack on the heart' means..."
After chasing Luster, Gloss Semblance soon found what she was looking for in the area she circled around.
"Luster...look at what I got..." Gloss Semblance said in a persuasive tone that lured Luster to him, as he held up a leaf of seeds with his front right hoof.
"Seeds!" Luster exclaimed, charging at the preteen.
"Then come and get them!" Gloss Semblance called, running with the diamond on his back, and the leaf pocket filled with seeds in his mouth.
Soon, the two reached the mountain foot, where the chase ended as Gloss gave Luster the seeds
"Luster, I may not have any seeds left, after you eat them all, but can you please stay close to me and not fly off wild and on the loose?" the unicorn asked, as she pecked on the seeds.
Luster did not answer, but she responded by giving him a warm nuzzle, causing him to giggle, "Oh, Luster! I guess that is a yes."
The two then looked at the mountain and its height, before the preteen unicorn declared, "Well, all we got to do know is...climb and find the king."
The scene then changed to show the two as they hiked up the mountain, with Gloss saying his thoughts out loud, "Who would want to live on a mountain that' really tall? Especially at the peak? Probably some creature who doesn't like visitors...and why is it getting colder and windier?"
The freezing winds on the mountain acted like friction, as it opposed Gloss Semblance and Luster's motion.
After all their struggles, the two finally reached their destination, with Gloss Semblance panting and wheezing for air.
"We finally made it! Now...as soon as we meet the king, the sooner we can leave..."
The gates to the king's lair opened after Gloss Semblance gave it a push, catching the attention of the former.
"Who dares enter my lair?!" King Lion roared, revealing himself to the visitors.
Getting scared, Gloss nervously started a conversation with the lion, "Hi...I'm Gloss Semblance, and I came here to ask you if I can trade this diamond for the Medallion of the Lion..."
King Lion was where near pleased, responding with a roar, "NO!"
"No?!" Gloss Semblance repeated in a shock tone.
"But I will keep the cute, little birdie instead," King Lion said, turning his eye on Luster.
"What?! No! She's my friend!" Gloss Semblance cried.
King Lion went closer and closer, making the frightened colt retreat, allowing the former to grab Luster.
"Birdie stays, while you and your diamond offer goes!"
Determined to not lose his friend, Gloss Semblance snatched Luster from the king's paws, and tried to dash off with her. Unfortunately, the king was even faster, and managed to snatch Luster from the colt's left front hoof.
"Luster! No!" Gloss Semblance called.
"Lionesses! Get him out of my sight!" King Lion called, summoning several lionesses who surrounded the colt, who quickly tried to use his magic to. fight, only for it to fail and give out nothing but sparks.
The lionesses then moved in on the colt, as the scene went black.
Gloss Semblance was soon imprisoned underneath a rock pile like a prisoner locked in a dungeon. With his magic not working, all he could do was call for help, "Xian Zhe?! I'm sorry I messed up this badly, but I can really use some help now!"
Unfortunately, there was no answer, leaving him to figure a way out all on his own.
"If Luster were here, she'd probably just bravely try her best to get out..." the preteen figured, "But...I am not her, and now, I don't have any magic. Plus, I'm not match for those lionesses, and I can't get out without making the rock pile collapse on me. And...I still haven't figured out why the King Lion did not accept my offer?! I mean, who would want to have a bird more than a diamond?"
Gloss Semblance then looked at his reflection in the shiny diamond's surface. Staring at his reflection, made him gain a different kind of reflection.
"What have I done? What a fearful coward I was the entire way, especially after how Luster told me that things are only scary and...awful when I think they are, and mostly because I am thinking negatively...so it means.." he gasped as he realised something, "The King Lion isn't that scary! And he probably doesn't like it when I'm scared of him! Just like the other animals today, I was scared of him! He might not like being feared of by every creature... just like...what regular creatures are like...I was the one scaring myself the entire time, I should have known."
"What is he crying about?" one of the lioness guards asked.
"Who cares, as long as the king doesn't see him close to the birdie, he's fine," the other lioness guard replied.
Their conversation immediately reminded Gloss Semblance abut the King Lion and Luster.
"Luster! I must save her, no matter what!" the colt told himself, with determination in his tone and heart, "But first, I need to get out of here..."
He then looked up and said to himself "The rock pile will collapse on me if I moved one of the rocks surrounding me..." he then looked at the ground he was standing on, "But there aren't any rock piles below me! ?I'll just use magic and try to blast the ground, hopefully, it works..."
With a determined and brave expression on his face, Gloss Semblance activate his magic and destroyed the ground he was standing on, falling down with a scream, catching the lioness guards' attention.
"The prisoner escaped!" one of them told the other.
"We better warn the king..." was the reply.
Armed with his bravery and determination to save his friend, Gloss Semblance was able to perform his spells like he could in his home world, being able to make his hon glow like a super-powered torch, and levitate the diamond as he ran.
"I'm coming, Luster!" Gloss Semblance called, rushing out of the caverns in the mountain, and soon up the trail until he was back at King Lion's lair.
"You again?!" the king roared.
"Yes, it is me, Gloss Semblance, and I am here to inform you that I need my friend back, and as a king, you should put others before yourself, regardless of whether they are your subjects, or not."the colt confronted, surprising the king, who backed down a bit.
King Lion then smiled, "Now that is the spirit I was hoping to see from you!"
"Wait, you were?" Gloss Semblance asked in a tone with confusion, but not fear.
"I never saw any animal who isn't afraid of me before, you are the very first one to do so, something I'm proud of you for, therefore, you may have your friend back," the king gave the unicorn Luster, who was happy to be reunited with the colt.
"Thank you, your Majesty, and, I'm sorry about what I've done to escape from the rock pile prison, I would make up for it by being the creature who repairs it," Gloss Semblance vowed.
"That is a noble offer you got there, Gloss Semblance but my guards have already done so, a while ago..." was the reply.
"If you say so, and one more final thing before I go...Your Majesty, may I please have the Medallion of the Lion, in exchange for this diamond?" the colt asked politely with a bow.
"Sounds like a fair deal...I accept it," King Lion answered, before he took out the said medallion from his fur, like a magician trick.
After the trade was finished, Gloss Semblance replied, "Thank you so much, Your Majesty," before picking up Luster and calling, "Alright, Xian Zhe, you can come out now, I got the Medallion of the Lion, and once I got it, Luster and I should be going back, remember?"
The surroundings suddenly transformed back into Xian Zhe's lair, as Luster turned back into a unicorn.
"What did I miss?" she asked, confused.
"Oh Luster, I'm so glad that you're back to normal, and not a seed-obsessed parrot!" Gloss Semblance hugged his friend, causing them both to share a laugh.
"You two are really interesting creatures..." King Lion said, as he approached the two unicorns.
"King Lion? Your Majesty? Shouldn't you be in your realm?" Gloss Semblance asked.
The king chuckled, "I actually am in my realm, because I am..." within a second, the lion transformed into something surprising.
"Xian Zhe?!" the unicorns asked in unison.
"You were the King Lion, this entire time?!" Gloss Semblance asked.
"Indeed I was, I just set that whole test up so you can finally find the unspeakable bravery you need," the ancient serpent explained.
"So... the Medallion of the Lion doesn't give whoever has it courage, getting it from the King Lion proves that they have courage!" the colt finally understood.
"And your courage really proved itself strong when you were able to activate your magic and have it to obey your commands despite the environment in that realm," Xian Zhe added.
"Probably because saving my friend was the only thing that mattered to me, something that really boosted my courage," Gloss Semblance figured.
"I may not remember what I did or went through after getting sprayed by that plant, but, everything you two are saying is quite enough to know for now..." Luster stated.
"And since the medallion doesn't give any creature any courage, I believe that I don't need it, and therefore, I'm going to return it to its rightful owner," Gloss Semblance said, levitating the medallion to the ancient serpent.
"That's nice of you Gloss Semblance, but I believe that you should have it, as a token and reminder of this day," Xian Zhe replied.
"Thank you so much, Xian Zhe, and I'm ready to hear more from you anytime, because now that I know I have courage the whole time, I will not scare myself with any of those stuff I think of," Gloss Semblance responded, just as his and Luster's cutie marks glowed.
"That means our work here is done!" Luster exclaimed.
"And it turns out, the Map did send us to solve our own problem! Or more technically...my problem..." Gloss Semblance said, somewhat embarrassed.
"And this is a very valuable lesson to learn. Can I please report a letter to Princess Twilight Sparkle about this?" Luster asked the two for permission.
"Sure, but please tell the Princess that she should be more careful with information about rare creatures, especially when they have a reason to hide from every creature," Xian Zhe pointed out.
"Don't worry Xian Zhe, I promise that this letter will not say a word about you, if you really wanted that," Luster assured.
"I respect your decision, Luster Dawn," Xian Zhe chuckled.
Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,
Today, the Map sent Gloss Semblance, a friend of the younger siblings of my best friends, and I out of Ponyville to solve a problem, but we soon found out that the problem was Gloss' lack of courage problem. He overcame his fears when he finally took in my saying that things are only scary to the creature who thinks that they are, so in reality, they are not. Gloss Semblance soon found out that courage and bravery have always been with their owners, and friends and allies only help boost their courage and bravery, but never really give them it. Gloss Semblance's courage became the strongest thing he ever had when he was determined to save me, his friend. Therefore, the Magic of Friendship has the ability to boost courage and bravery, among its many wonders.Signed, your faithful student,
Luster Dawn
After Luster sent the scroll away, Xian Zhe asked the unicorns, "So, now that some creature finally let his courage and bravery out, should I tell you more about ancient serpents?"
"Well, I can stay, but not for too long, especially when I have school on Monday," Gloss Semblance stated, "And we promised every creature that we will be home as soon as the mission is accomplished.
"I respect your promise-keeping spirit, colt. Of course you two may go, but don't forget to visit me if you can!" Xian Zhe replied, waving them goodbye.
"We will!" Gloss Semblance answered before Luster teleported both unicorns out of the lair.
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VERY good job on the exchanges, characterizations, general wrap-up and future chapter set-up in all the right places. I LOVED how Luster and Xian helped Gloss learn to overcome his fears when it was really important. Yes, a little fear is a good thing (as it keeps us from getting reckless), but there ARE times when caution can be taken much too far. And, yeah, even though I never saw the episode that inspired this (or even heard of the series that the episode was from), I still thought it was a really good adventure.
Anyway, great midseason finale and I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the season AND season 2.
Ok wow so the map called luster dawn and Gloss Semblance for a friendship mission I guess the tree of harmony choose whoever I guess i mean look at sunburst right lol anyway So basically luster and Gloss meet a serpent Which that's a pretty interesting creature And basically telling them to get the medallion to make gloss to be brave But things did not go too well because luster turn into a parrot and leaving gloss on his own Once they meet up with the king lion he took and sent gloss into the Dungeon but when he was down there he realized that he let his fear got the best of him So he decided to not to be afraid and face his fear which turns out that he did it And rescue luster dawn That's a pretty good lesson about fear nice job