The Labyrinth Isles, a paradise with unrivaled grandeur, is the home to countless distinct pony or ponyless cultures. It is also home to the adventurous filly, Twilight Sparkle the Gifted Traveler. This is her tale.
"Do not fear Adventure's sweet whispers of enticement. She is an impatient mare, but life can only be truly fulfilled when you get up and listen to her call."
These are the words of the wanderer, Twilight Sparkle the Gifted Traveler. She was a mare of great wisdom and knowledge. Legends, myths, and folk stories have risen from the tales she brought home after she wandered the entirety of the Labyrinth Isles, a place so vast, some consider it unending. However, among the myths and tales, there is one true story of her long quest. This tale is paved with the struggles of a growing filly, out in an unknown world, searching for the pony she held most dear.
He gulped as he saw the expansive structure before him. His young was in awe of the tall round walls, the carved stones that decorated the outside, and of course, the massive telescope that pointed outward to the horizon. Two double doors were in his path, preventing him from entering the fantastical building. Here in front of him was, surprisingly, a house. The huts at the bottom of the mountain's trail and even the rich homes that dotted the hills could compete with this particular house. The place that he wished to enter was by far the most glorious monument on the island.
He took a deep breath. His small hooves brought him just close enough to the doors for him to knock on them with the feeble strength he possessed. The lavender-painted doors took his knocking and echoed it on the other side for the owner to hear. He then waited, his heart beating with both excitement and fear. The satchel that was swung on his side made him sweat from humidity. In his nervousness, he put it on the other side and then back, refusing to stay patient.
He eyes stared almost blankly at the golden doorknobs. his mind was elsewhere, thinking of all the ways the next moments may occur. The owner of this house was rich and famous. She was the island's pride and joy. Everypony knew her, or at least, they though they did. Nopony down the hill had actually met her before, as she resided in this mansion every day and night, performing studies for something the typical islander couldn't care less about. However, it was not what she was doing currently that made her so famous, it was what she did when she was this colt's age. And that was why he had ventured up to the tip of the mountain to meet her.
His heart leaped in his small chest when the doorknobs were enveloped in an aura of magenta magic. He held his breath when the door began to open, his eyes peering inside intently to catch any glimpse at what could be hidden in this mansion. Instead of seeing what could be inside, his eyes were now looking right at a lavender leg of a pony much taller than him. The next moment, he was looking up at the face of a unicorn mare, who smiled warmly back at him.
"Why, hello there?" she giggled. "What brings you up here?"
"I...I..." he stammered. "You're Twilight. Twilight Sparkle the Gifted Traveler?"
"Hehe, yes I am. You can just call me Twilight. I don't really need that title," she told him kindly.
He trembled in her presence. Only the tales he heard of her made him doubt himself, as she was nothing royal or even glorious. Her purple-striped mane was unkempt and her eyes appeared tired from a long night of no sleep. However, her smile was warm and incredibly kind, so after a few seconds, he felt more assured of himself. He coughed when he tried to clear his throat, but stayed strong in addressing her.
"Miss Sparkle, er, I mean, Twilight, I...I..." he stammered once again.
"Go on, no need to be afraid," she encouraged him.
"I've been wondering on the stories my parents tell me. The tales of your adventures when you were my age. You know, the reason why we call you the 'Gifted Traveler.' Are...Are they true?"
Her smile faded and her kind glance went upward in thought. When she did this, the colt felt afraid once more. Had he offended her? Of all things he wanted to do, this was not one of them. The tales he was asking about included her magical prowess and how she could cast even the most difficult of spells. He had no intention of being turned into a fish or a seagull, so he quickly shouted an apology.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean o bring it up!" he yelped.
She looked back at him. "Do your parents know you're here?" she asked casually.
He rubbed the back his neck. "Well, no. I mean, Papa's out on the seas and Mama is taking care of my little sister. So I mean, they won't notice I'm gone."
"And why do you want to know the stories so badly?" she questioned.
"Um, because, well, the tales, they often conflict with each other. Nopony seems to know it right if they keep contradicting each other. And I really, really want to know, so, why not go to the original source?"
Twilight giggled again, a bit louder than before. "I understand that thought process. I'm impressed by your initiative, reminds me of myself when I was a filly. Yes, my story is often exaggerated in some areas and sometimes completely false. Like, for example, I was never eaten whole by a shark. I honestly have no idea where ponies got that from. Well, hehe, I kind of do, but I can't say that in front of you."
"Really? But that was one of the best parts!" the colt complained.
"By the Sun Goddess, the actual tale is much better," Twilight insisted. "If you have the time, I can start it for you."
"Really?" his face lightened up.
"Of course, but not out here, it's much too humid. We can sit right inside. But!" she pointed a hoof at him, "don't stay here that long. Put your family first. I don't want to be in some trouble with your parents. Alright?"
"Yeah, yeah!" he nodded quickly.
She moved to the side to let him in. He ran inside like a bolt of lightning. His large eyes widened even more upon seeing the inside of the mansion. Besides the telescope, which dominated the entire place, the walls, covered in strange artifacts of all kinds, held just as much interest. Totems of dragons, warriors, gods, goddesses, and beasts filled every corner. If it were not so well organized, the mansion would not be able to hold so many trinkets. A flute rested on a table, swords of all shapes lined glass cases, a set of crystal armor stood in a corner, a gigantic ax was hung on a wall, and in the center of the massive room was wooden bust, depicting a grinning beast that the colt did not recognize. Above this bust was a chandelier that hung from the high ceiling, letting jewels and crystals hung gently from its many round arms.
"Wow!" he exhaled.
"Heh, yup, it's pretty spectacular," Twilight chuckled. "Now, let's sit over here."
She led him to a corner where a fabric sofa was located. In front of the sofa was a small table where she magically placed cups of water for both of them. When she sat down, he placed his satchel on the same table without any consideration of the hostess. Twilight rolled her eyes at him, but did not mind. It was clear he was on a mission and she was going to fulfill his journey.
"Now, I guess I have to start at the beginning," she told him with a sigh. "Seems like yesterday."
"How? It was years ago." he asked.
"Well, when you're older, you'll understand. Now, it started with me reading a book..."
"From what I've heard, that doesn't surprise me. Some of the ponies said you were quite the reader, like, you never had any friends."
"That's not true," her cheeks reddened. "I...I had friends!"
"You did? Why aren't they ever mentioned?" the colt pestered her.
"Well, because..." she blinked. "I don't know! I had three or four of them."
"Besides your family, right?" the colt said, not knowing that he had just insulted her.
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Just listen will you? You'll understand later."
"Oh, alright," he nodded in understanding.
"Good," she said and then cleared her throat. "It began with me reading a book. And at that time, I thought life was just peaceful and uneventful. I was but a filly. I did not know anything about this world or the Labyrinth Isles that you and I call home. When I was reading this book, it was just another regular day in paradise..."
The cool and refreshing ocean breeze ruffled the young unicorn's vibrant mane. The filly did not mind the breeze, as she hummed a tune that she learned from the island's traveling bard earlier that morning. The ocean sang a song that matched her peaceful tune from the smooth rocks below the cliff she rested upon. Each gentle wave that broke on the rocks called for her attention, time and time again. Its soothing rhythm went unheard by the unicorn however. Not only did the wind and waves whisper and shout her name, but the island's sea birds did as well as they flew down from the steep mountains to the west. Even the late morning sun shown brightly on her to get some reaction, but the filly paid no heed to the beautiful world around her.
Instead, the young unicorn innocently cocked her head from side to side as the familiar song played in her occupied mind. Her eyes did not wander about the soft green grass that hosted the cheerful bugs that jumped from leaf to leaf, nor did they inspect the white and blue waters that stretched for miles beyond the comprehensible. No, her eyes darted from inked letter to inked letter, from every word to every sentence. Her eyes studied the pages of an aged book with a brown leather cover. It's yellowish pages displayed decay and use. The words of her language were written elegantly across the parchments, telling an ancient story of adventure and bravery.
As the filly read the exciting story before her, a mare watched her from the shade of an island hut. The mare, the filly's mother, smiled calmly as her daughter was engulfed by the book. The memories of when she would read the little filly stories of the island ponies replayed themselves in her mind. Their home island had their share of heroes and adventurers, but these peaceful times lessened the need for such ponies to rise up and now their tales were just tales.
The mother glanced at the sun's position in the clear sky. It was almost noon and thus almost time for midday meal. She ran a tired hoof through her white and purple striped mane. It seemed like dawn just happened. So, as she stood up to return to inside the hut, her smooth voice called to the enthralled filly.
"Twilight, dear, it's time to come inside," the mother announced.
"But Mama! I'm at the good part!" Twilight called back with a whine.
"Then I guess you'll miss your midday meal," the mother teased and disappeared inside their humble abode.
Twilight's muzzle scrunched up in annoyance at her stubborn mother. So what if I skipped midday? I'm not hungry anyway. Her attention returned to the epic that rested on the back of her front legs. A gust of wind screamed by her, but yet again, nature did not disturb her from her diligent reading.
"Twilight, you better come in or Shining is going to eat all the bread and fruits!" Mother said with a snarky grin.
This finally reached the filly's attention, making her gasp audibly. Her brother was going to eat all the food? It wouldn't be the first time that the aspiring sailor had eaten everything on the table without her. I may not be hungry, but I will be in an hour! With her unicorn magic, she shut the old epic and carried it with her to the hut.
The sea breeze pushed her along when she trotted to her mother, who smiled back at her. The shade of the hut went over her as she entered it without a glance to her mother. Inside was a spacious room with a table that stuck out from the wall. An accompanying bench circled around it. The wooden floor creaked lightly under the filly's step. Since her family lived on the high cliffs of the island, they did not need to build it on stilts like her trader neighbors who lived by the long shore. Her father, although a trader and sailor himself, had enough money to live with the rich merchants who also built their homes upon the grassy plateaus.
The hut also had a ceiling fan in the middle of the dining room. The fan ran on a continuous pulley system that Twilight had developed herself. It was a cool addition to their home, especially during the miserable summer days where rain was absent and heat was plenty. The wooden walls were lined with colored pots, vases, and other clay decorations. Mementos and other items from the travels of Twilight's father were scattered around the hut, showcasing all of the unique cultures he met on the neighboring islands. One item was a small snake idle from the Northern Tribes and another was a carved sun from the distant islands of Sun's Trinity of which was the home of the Sun Goddess's worshipers, the Sun Priestesses. The Labyrinth Isles that Twilight called home were a vast network of large and small islands, each unique in its pony, or ponyless, culture. Every time the filly observed these various totems, her wandering mind would always yearn for the opportunity to visit the other islands that surrounded her.
"Mama! Shining isn't here," Twilight grumbled when she realized her mother tricked her.
"He's certainly on his way though. Papa and him were by the docks to talk with Old Fareye. The crazy sailor thought he saw a sea serpent by the windmill. He's just seeing things I say," The mother explained as she followed her daughter inside.
"Old Fareye is not mad," Twilight stated. "He's a kind sailor."
"Yes, but he's not all there. Old ponies lose their senses."
"Not him. I think he's too smart to lose his senses," Twilight said while she placed the book on the eating table.
"If you say so."
The mother clearly did not want to continue the debate on the sailor's age and wit. So instead, she brought the fruits from the kitchen over to the table with her unicorn magic. Bananas, coconuts, palms, and other treats were placed on the table neatly and orderly. Twilight watched with mild interest before opening her book once more.
"Mama," Twilight began, "do you think sea monsters exist?"
"They used to," she answered, "but the Sun Goddess took care of them long ago. Old sailors say there are still the small ones that swim around the seas, but I doubt that. Anypony can call a big fish a 'sea monster' and tell wild tales about them. So no, I don't think they exist anymore."
"And the Shadow King?"
The mother paused. "Shadow King? Where do you know that name from?"
"From Old Fareye! He's the one that gave me this book," Twilight told her and pointed an excited hoof at the old pages on the table.
"I think you shouldn't pay attention to that old coot. I know the tale of the Shadow King. A wicked stallion named Sombra. Legend says he could turn into a sentient shadow, right? A bunch of nonsense. It's an old Hollow's Eve tale to scare children. I think you're a little too big to be scared."
"I'm not scared," Twilight boasted. "I'll get father's sword and defeat him!"
"I'm sure..." Mother said with the roll of the eyes.
"I'll defeat him just like Captain Hurricane did with his sword, the Typhoon! I'll come sweeping in and heroically-"
"Alright, dear. You can fantasize on battles with shadows later, it is really time to eat," her mother told her kindly.
Twilight slowly closed her mouth and listened to her mother. The wind chimes let loose a soft melody as the wind rode through the windows of the hut. Despite the island's peaceful life style, there was no silence. Whether it was the ocean waves, the singing winds, or the creaks of the palm trees, something was always reminding the ponies how alive their island home was. At this moment for Twilight, it was her mother's humming tune. A tune that followed the melody of a song that Twilight's father would play on his flute.
The filly wanted to join in, but instead levitated a banana over to her. With determination, she peeled it and started to eat it, enjoying its sweet and delicate taste. It was such delicious fruit. As she ate, she watched her mother walk about the kitchen, magically putting objects where they needed to be. Like usual, the filly had another question in mind.
"Mama, when do I get to go with Papa and Shining on the boats? You know, go off trading and maybe even fish!"
"Fish? We don't fish, Twilight," Mama rolled her eyes. "We're ponies."
"But Old Fareye says that ponies can fish too! He's eaten fish and he says it's del-"
"Enough of Old Fareye," her mother stopped her. "He's an old pony and back when he was young, they lived a bit differently.
"Then when will I go with Papa?"
Her mother turned around. "Twilight, I don't think trading is your well...trade. You are a studious filly and you do well in school, much better than I or your father did. Don't you want to use your intellect? You know, become a scholar or a Sun Priestess?"
Twilight shook her head. "I don't want to be a Sun Priestess. I hear they only go about on the Trinity Islands and have to wear these crazy sacred robes and chant to the sun every other hour! That sounds boring!"
"Yes, but the Sun Goddess would love to have you as a disciple. There's nothing wrong with the Sun Priestesses. They are scholars. They like to experiment and search for new magics and sciences. My sister is a Sun Priestess, remember?"
"Hmm, I think that proves her point, Velvet."
They both turned to see two stallions in the hut's doorway. One was white with blue hair and the other was blue in both mane and coat. Scars and bruises on their thick legs displayed tales from their short adventures beyond their home of the Twin Islands, which was composed of two close islands, one being of a long shape while the other was almost a complete circle. The northern one (the one that was their home) was Day Island and the other southern one was Night Island.
"Big Brother!" Twilight beamed and ran over to hug the white stallion's chest.
"Hey Twily!" he happily said back. "How's the morning gone?"
"All she did was read that silly book," Mama said before the filly could respond.
"It's not silly!" Twilight huffed.
"Haha! Least my little girl loves her literature," Papa proudly remarked. "Reading isn't something everypony gets to learn."
"So what did Old Fareye say?" Mama asked while she leaned on the table.
Papa cleared his throat and walked over, removing his large hat in the process. "Ah, ya know, the usual. Goes about like he's found something grand and it just turns out to be a large rock snake. Took a little to catch the vermin, but Shining and I were able to take it away from the windmill's beach."
"Well that's good," Mama nodded.
Shining Armor chuckled to himself and leaned close to Twilight's little ear. "What Papa doesn't mention is that he fell off the boat when he saw the snake. Scared the horseapples right outta him."
Her big brother's words made her giggle. She loved her brother dearly even though her time with him was not constant or even consistent as he was often away with Papa on their trading routes. She was quite jealous of him, as he had already seen lands and cultures that one could only dream about, all before he had even reached stallionhood. It was a common lifestyle in the Labyrinth Isles, but a precious one that Twilight desperately wanted to be a part of. She was tired of simply hearing about the glorious islands that were just over the horizons, she wanted to see them for herself.
"C'mon on, Twily," Shining rubbed his heavy hoof through her mane once more, "wanna go see what Papa and I brought home?"
Shining did not wait for his sister to respond. Instead, he walked out with a quick high step. Twilight was trying to answer him audibly, but with his sudden movements, she just darted after him to have any hope of catching up. One stride from his strong legs equaled three of her little steps. As she caught up with him, for he was purposely not going his normal walking speed, they went down the Beach Trail, a commonly traveled path that connected all of the huts of the island.
There was Minuette, Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, and Moon Dancer, having a card game together on Minuette's family's overhanging porch. From there, they could all see Twilight and her brother head down the trail. Twilight waved a hoof at them excitedly. She knew these fillies well as they had grown up together. The four ponies were the closest to what she would call "friends." They enjoyed her company and she enjoyed theirs.
"Heya, Twilight!" Minuette, a young blue unicorn called to her. "What are you and Shining up to?"
"He's going to show me what he and Papa brought home!" Twilight answered.
"Mr. Light always brings something cool from the other islands," Lemon Hearts squeaked. "We should follow."
The four filly unicorns stopped their card game and galloped down the porch steps to the trail. Twilight was already racing Shining again, so they had to catch up. Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine caught up easily, but the youngest, Moon Dancer, struggled to keep up and fell behind. This was usual for them.
"Wow, what could it be?" Twinkleshine gasped when the trio finally reached the brother and sister. "I hope it's gold. I like gold."
"Nah, it's not gold!" Minuette shook her head. "It's gotta be more unique, like a griffon idol from Wind's Peak!"
"We didn't go to Wind's Peak, so no," Shining chuckled at the filly.
"How 'bout the head of a Sea Lurker?" Lemon Hearts jumped up at the idea of seeing the head of such a monstrous creature.
"How 'bout no?" Shining laughed.
The group reached the docks after taking a turn off the main trail and walked down the wooden planks towards one particular ship. Sea birds squawked at their arrival, flying up only feet before coming back down at their passing. Other trader ponies were there too, making their usual rounds about the docks and the nearby sale square where merchants and buyers awaited their goods from the other islands. The docks were always the busiest place on the island.
"Here we are," Shining said as they arrived at the ship.
Well, one could call it a "ship" but it was actually a large and heavy fishing boat turned into a small tradeship. With only one sail, it was easy to operate with a two-pony team. Wide and sturdy, she was a sound boat on the waters of the Labyrinth Isles, which were usually peaceful throughout most of the year. The boat was shaped after the war boats of centuries past, being long and made of thick wood. Upon her bow was a gaping head of a draconequus, a mixed-creature that the island ponies made many legends about. To them, draconequui represented both order and chaos, a perfect symbol for the oceans they were surrounded by. On the side that face the dock were carved letters that read "The Stormrider."
Twilight was confused upon arriving at The Stormrider, as the small ship did not possess many items on it. Her brother stepped right on her deck and with his magic, began unfolding some white cloth in a corner. He had a bright grin as he did so, his excitement growing. The other fillies gathered at the edge of the dock and the boat, waiting eagerly for him to reveal the big prize.
"Get ready guys!" Shining turned around and revealed the rather large item. "Cool, huh?"
A disappointed sigh came from all the fillies, including Twilight. Since Twilight's father had often bedazzled them with the unique wares he brought to their quiet island, this item gave them nothing to gasp about. Moon Dancer had finally caught up to them at this point, and with her large spectacles, peered carefully at the object with more confusion than disappointment.
"It's a rock," Moon Dancer said.
"Not just any kind of rock," Shining tried to defend himself from their reaction. "It's a rock from Rock Island!"
"Wow, what a surprise," Twinkleshine remarked with evident sarcasm. "Who would've thunk?"
Shining Armor frowned. "It's a cool rock! Papa and I paid good money for this. This is a black crystal, a pony-made type of rock that can be used for many things. The ponies of Rock Island are very skilled in making such materials! You guys just don't know how valuable this is!"
"Old Fareye says the ponies of Rock Island are weird," Moon Dancer said as she adjusted her glasses with her magic.
"Old Fareye says they eat rocks!" Lemon Hearts nodded quickly. "That's so strange!"
"Old Fareye says they are born from rocks," Twilight added with a curious smile. "I kinda find it fascinating."
"By the Sun, enough about Old Fareye!" Shining rolled his eyes. "Well, since you fillies were so happy to see it, I'll just go to the storehouse and put it there." He stuck his tongue out at them in annoyance and carried the large black crystal with his magic. His heavy hoofsteps took him towards the shop square where the family storehouse was kept.
"What a waste of time!" Minuette complained. "C'mon girls, let's get back to our game."
The trio ran off in pursuit of childish fun. Moon Dancer stumbled and once again, fell behind the escaping group. The young beige filly then looked back at Twilight, who was just sitting on the wooden pier. Behind her massive glasses, one could see her brow lift in confusion. It was always like Moon Dancer to care about Twilight the most.
"Hey, Twilight," Moon Dancer asked her, "aren't you coming?"
Twilight blushed. "No thank you, I have a great book to finish back at home. Maybe tomorrow?"
"It's no use, Dancer!" Minuette called from a hill. "Twilight never leaves her books unread! Come on!"
Upon hearing her friend, Moon Dancer quickly waved at Twilight. "Well, alright, bye then!" she told the purple filly before chasing after the trio. Twilight watched her go before turning her eyes towards the sea. She was facing the west, seeing distant islands and peaks on the edge of the horizon. With the sun overhead, she had to squint to see so far. The ocean was vast, remarkably vast. She gulped at even trying to comprehend how much lies beyond that horizon.
"Fear not the call of adventure, young one."
She jumped in the air at the deep voice that boomed next to her. In her panic, she looked all around, but not a pony was near her. The closest ponies were the dock ponies lifting crates onto a larger tradeship. Nopony was close enough to make such a clear and albeit calming voice.
"Who said that?" Twilight croaked. "Anypony?"
There was no answer save for the winds above and the seagulls that yelled at her from their nests on the sides of the rocky shores. Twilight knew the voice was real and not of her imagination. It scared her. With her heart racing, she dug her hooves into the wooden planks and ran. Whatever was watching her would not get her as she ran and ran, all the way back up the trail and to her mountaintop home.
Twilight peeked over the top of the book that was on her belly. Her curious eyes inspected the living room of her family's hut. It was a cloudy day, thus making the inside quite dark as they hardly ever used lamps or candles to illuminate their home. Her reading light came from her horn, shining only dimly due to her mind losing concentration, making her magic fade slowly.
The low ceiling fan above her turned slowly with the vine pulley-system that kept it moving. Twilight always wondered why she had made such a contraption as there was a constant breeze from the waters. It was always on, using a cyclical force to keep it moving, but it moved so slow that it made no wind, and there was also always a breeze, thus making it completely useless. Perhaps it was there simply to add movement? Twilight did not know. When her mind stumbled to keep focused, she always began to question even the most pointless of things.
"Twilight?"
The filly looked to her right to see her mother looking at her with a slightly worried expression. She had just returned from speaking with Lemon Heart's mother, as the two often enjoyed speaking about how to keep their personal gardens on the cliff sides. Now that she was done with that, she was back to prepare the hut for a large evening meal that she had planned for a week now. Though all her planning did not keep her from noticing her daughter's odd behavior.
"Yes?" Twilight asked with a most uninterested tone.
"Aren't you usually outside? You know, by the cliff or the sea?" the mother asked and gestured with a hoof pointing out the door.
"Yeah..." Twilight mumbled and brought the book up to hide her face.
Twilight's mother rolled her eyes and walked up to the filly, using her hoof to bring the book down. The young filly refused to look up, making her mother a bit aggravated. Waiting for her daughter to speak, the mother simply raised an impatient brow.
Twilight folded her front legs. "I was reading that."
"If you were reading that, you would still be reading," her mother responded. "I know you, Twilight. What's the matter? You've been staying up in the hut. It's the third day you've done this."
"It's Papa's boat!" Twilight said suddenly.
The mother blinked in confusion. "How?"
"I think it talks!" Twilight spoke in a loud whisper.
The mother sat on her haunches, still very confused. "Did Old Fareye tell you this?"
"No, it spoke to me! When Shining took me down to the docks, it spoke to me after he and my friends left. It was scary!"
"You mean, like the draconequus head opened its mouth and talked to you. Also, Papa's ship is not an 'it,' but a 'she,'" the mother corrected.
Twilight scratched her head. "Well, I didn't see it...I mean she talk. But it was the only thing that could've! It was the only thing around me!"
"Whatever Twilight, you just heard things. Maybe that dumb book is getting to you. If your Papa didn't give you such strange books, maybe all your reading skills would do something good."
The mother turned and started to work on some vegetables and fruit with a knife and her magic. Twilight remained there unconvinced. Her mother had not brought up a counter-argument to the ship speaking, so it was still a possibility. The filly moved her book to the side before walking over to the busy mother, who was currently slicing fruit with a knife in her magical grip.
"Where did Papa get the boat?" Twilight asked.
"The Stormrider?" the mother asked back.
"Yeah."
"I'm surprised you don't know. He inherited her from his father who inherited her from his father who won her in a bet with some Hoofprint Island pony. She served in a war with the Crystalites, you know," the mother said as she moved the knife in the air casually. "She was one of the only surviving vessels from that conflict."
"So you don't know who made it?" Twilight pressed the question.
"No, I don't think anyone does. Nopony makes ships like her anymore. I actually don't know why Papa won't get a new one. Stormrider is outdated compared to the new ships I see the neighbors sail around the islands."
"I knew it!" Twilight gasped and raced out the door, grabbing a spyglass as she ran out.
Her mother jumped in fright by the filly's sudden reaction. The knife missed the pineapple she was about to slice and instead buried its blade into the small pot-tree that was there for decoration, effectively cutting the small trunk in half. The mother looked at what she had done in disappointment, as that plant was one of her favorites.
"Knew what?" she could only mumble.
~~~~
With one eye closed and the other behind her father's spyglass, Twilight spied The Stormrider from the bushes she hid in. The small ship simply rested at her dock, going up and down slightly with the rising tide. Nothing unusual in the slightest. However, to the unicorn filly, the ship was merely acting innocent.
"Hoofprint Island eh?" Twilight said, trying to sound intimidating. "Well, that island is known for its magic users, so this matches my prediction!"
She spoke as if the ship could hear her, but to nopony's surprise, The Stormrider did not reply. The little filly continued to spy at the ship. When she thought it was fine to move, she slithered along the ground to a closer spot, right behind a pointed rock. Some island ponies noticed her odd movement, but instead of mentioning it, they responded with shrugs before continuing their daily chores.
Some seagulls watched her from a wooden post. The birds were curious about the filly and cocked their small heads at her. She looked at the birds with disdain, as their presence could give her secret hiding place away. She hissed at them to shoo, but they did nothing but squawk at her.
"Dumb birds," she grumbled.
"No need to hide," the scary low voice told her almost mockingly.
"Gah!" Twilight squealed.
Taking her spyglass, she fled from behind the rock and headed straight towards the shop square. She did so not only to escape the possible gaze from The Stormrider, but to get to her father's storage house where protection awaited. As she ran past neighbor ponies, they stopped and stared at her, wondering why she was so frightened. However, once they recognized that it was simply Twilight, they went about their ways, not wanting to try and understand such a strange filly.
Twilight shuffled between two ponies before reaching the storage house. It was not a large storage house at all, being only slightly bigger than their hut. Most of her father's wares were not large, so they did not need a large place to keep them all. That and the fact that her father was excellent at selling the wares meant that over-supply was a rare occurrence.
She stepped inside the place. Her father was not there, as he was visiting one of his friends on the other side of the island. Shining Armor was there, sleeping on a chair made from carefully woven seaweed. His mouth lay open and soft snoring left his throat. Twilight rolled her eyes upon seeing her lazy brother. She ran up to him and placed her front legs on his belly before giving him a shake.
"What...?" her brother stirred.
"Shining! Shining!" Twilight yelled in his ear. "I need to tell you something!"
He then fell out of his seat and onto the floor, causing the room of small valuables to shake. When he hit the ground, he jumped up in a defensive position, ready to fight anything that was heading for them. Once he saw there was nothing to fight, he frowned and looked down at his little sister.
"Twily? What is it?" he asked worriedly.
"I think The Stormrider talks!" Twilight said in a loud whisper.
Shining did not reply and simply blinked in confusion, much in the manner of their mother. Twilight seemed annoyed by her brother's reaction and pressed her notion with an aggravated grunt.
"Twily, Stormrider is just a ship, she doesn't talk. You sail her, you dock her, you fill her with wares. That's it. Is that all you bugged me for?" he rolled his eyes.
"But Shiny! It came from Hoofprint Island. That place is full of magic! The textbooks told me so."
"That's stereotyping actually," Shining explained. "Hoofprint unicorns are just more willing to explore magic than we Twin Island unicorns. That doesn't mean that everything they make is possessed or something."
Twilight was not convinced by his answer. "Hmph! Well, can I have Papa's book on the nearby island? I think it will be good to relearn about them. Perhaps, um, it will help me learn about Stormrider so that um, when Papa takes me on it, I'll know what to do?"
Shining chuckled. "Alright, but I doubt that book can help you learn how to sail."
Her big brother got up and walked over to a far wall where there were some small books on a high shelf. His magic shuffled through the leather-bound tomes until he found what he was looking for. He levitated the particular book down to his little sister, who took it in her magic excitedly. The book was a simple black and gray tome with the faded words "THE LABYRINTH ISLES" written on it as a lazy title.
Twilight looked down at the book that was now in her magical grasp. Ah, knowledge! With a little nudge from her brother, she was told to get in a corner of the place while he did work. She obeyed and sat on the floor next to a small bronze idol of a dragon that was almost exact to her in height. She glanced at the odd dragon figure as its wicked face was right in hers before opening the book to its contents.
Her small purple hoof went sideways along the text until she saw what she was looking for. Turning to that page, her magic allowed her to get there in less than a second. Her eyes read the letters "HOOFPRINT ISLAND" and from there she began to read aloud, much to the annoyance of her brother.
"Hoofprint Island, a mostly unicorn island located in the central part of the Labyrinth Isles. Home of the Matriarch, the ruling unicorn mage of the island. She guides the residents of the island and is also the leading archivist of the island's history. Their history is tainted in many wars with the surrounding islands. Because of this, they are often considered one of the most advanced cultures in terms of navy technology." Her voice trailed off as she read faster through the text.
Shining had paused in his work to listen to her speedily run through the book as if she was being timed. Her eyes dashed from word to word, feeding on each syllable for every ounce of knowledge it could possess. Words like "magic," "ships" and "wars" popped up constantly on the aged pages. However, none of it linked to The Stormrider's ability to verbally communicate. Anything that was mentioned of their ships were their physical designs and abilities to sail through treacherous seas. There was no doubt The Stormrider lived up to her title as she had sailed through some of the worst storms in the Isles' known history, so this did not help the filly.
"You know, Twily, the ship is just a ship. There's no need to worry about her so much. Papa and I know her well and she um, is not that unusual. Yeah, she's from another island, but that's where the oddness of her ends," Shining reassured her.
Twilight sighed in defeat and closed the book. "I guess you're right. But something is still talking around me by the docks!"
"Some of the old sailors like to play pranks on little fillies like you," Shining chuckled. "Wouldn't be surprised if it's one of them."
"Fine," she shrugged. "Do you need any help around the shop?"
"Well, actually I do. Since I fell asleep, I kinda fell behind. Here," he levitated a basket of dried cornmeal in a cloth to her. "This needs to go to Mrs. Pine. It's from Night Island from Carrot Top's farm. Mrs. Pine gets a lot from that farmer, heh."
"But Mrs. Pine lives on the other side of the island!" Twilight protested.
"Then ya have a ways to go. It's just up the North Trail."
Twilight grunted in disapproval, but took the basket in her magical grasp. Though she complained, Day Island was not that large, being only half the size as Night Island, its twin. With a little hop to her gait, she left her Papa's storage shop. As she wandered into the shop square, she looked back through a large window to see her brother. Shining was busy inspecting the black crystal him and Papa had traded from Rock Island.
At this moment, a wave of uncertainty wrapped around her as she quietly watched her brother simply stare at the dark, jagged rock. His fixated eyes stayed on the rock as he turned it slowly in his hoof. Why give it such attention? Twilight thought. The rock as just a jagged thing of no value, right? The filly raised a brow at him, but he did not see as he continued to be enthralled by the crystal. Finally, after a couple of long moments, he shifted his eyes off it to see his little sister out in the square. Annoyed, he gestured for her to keep going before sinking out of the window's view.
Twilight felt like staying to see what he would do next, but thought that it was best for her to head inland to Mrs. Pine. She placed the basket on her back so that she did not need to be constantly draining her magic supply. With a determined expression, she then began her way up the North Trail that led the shop square into the hills.
As she went up the trail, rain began to fall. It always rained whenever it was cloudy. There were never any times that clouds just came and went, they always left the islands wet and miserable. Fortunately, it was not a storm, just a simple rain with the ceaseless sea breeze. Twilight encased the basket in a magical shield bubble, a spell that she had learned from her big brother. The rain bounced off the magical bubble, rolling down the sides.
"Oh!" Twilight complained. "Of course it rains on me!"
The trail started to turn into mud and streams of brown water began to run down the hillside and towards the beaches below. Her mane was soaked and fell over her eyes, much to her annoyance. However, despite the inconvenience, she carried on up the hill towards Mrs. Pine's small farm.
The palm trees along the trail soon started to turn into the thicker forest trees that hugged the mountainsides. As Twilight ascended up the spiraling trail, the air became chilly and the tropical world was being forgotten behind her. This area of the island was Twilight's least favorite place. It lacked the fine beaches, the sea breeze, and the sea birds that flew about. The northern part of Day Island was a coarse place for independent ponies. Very few ponies lived in the inland area away from the seas.
Twilight pulled herself over a short ledge and saw with glee Mrs. Pine's lonely hut. It was anything but like the huts on stilts far below. This hut was made with thick logs and stone.The back of the home was tight up against a large rock face, shielding it from harsh gales. Leading up to the hut was a path paved with small rocks, much better than the mud that Twilight was currently traversing. Smoke rose quietly out of the stone chimney and the fire's light went through the window, lighting Twilight's remaining steps to the front porch of the hut.
"Finally..." the filly groaned.
She reached the thick wooden door of the hut and lifted a small hoof to knock on it twice. Almost instantly, there was a commotion within the hut. In a few seconds, the door swung open and a young earth pony mare opened the door. Seeing a pony without a unicorn horn was always off-putting to Twilight, as Mrs. Pine was the only earth pony on Day Island. Between the two Twin Islands, Night Island had more diversity, as they also had pegasi along with the other two kinds. Day Island was practically exclusively unicorn.
Mrs. Pine was a white mare with a faded light blue mane that curved around her ears. With matching bluish eyes, she was a pretty mare, living all alone up on the mountain since her husband, a unicorn sailor, had drowned off the coast of Dragon's Respite. She used to sail with him to trade with the dragons, but since his demise, she turned to farming on the hilltop.
"Twilight Sparkle?" she asked the filly with confused worry. "Wha ya doin' up here?" she said with her strong accent she acquired from the Northern Tribes.
"I, um, got your cornmeal," Twilight said as she levitated the basket to the mare.
"Really?" Mrs. Pine blinked in utter surprise. "Well, that's mighty nice of ya, but ya didn't need to go out all dis way! It's rainin'!"
"Yeah, it is raining, isn't it?" Twilight replied in annoyance.
"Well, wha' ya doin' out here!" Mrs. Pine yelled. "Come inside, lil' one. Come in before ya catch a mighty cold!"
Mrs. Pine stepped aside with her basket in mouth to let the filly in. Twilight didn't hesitate and went straight towards the fire. She plopped her small flank on the floor and kept her hooves close to the flames. The earth pony walked about to get some things before placing a kettle on a kettle stand up by the fire to heat up some tea, a common drink for ponies north of the Labyrinth Isles.
"Did ya father put ya up to dis?" Mrs. Pine asked the filly.
"No, Shining did," Twilight answered.
"Oi! I'll show 'em! He should've known the rain was coming!"
Twilight ignored the mare's violent remark and started to look around the room. This was not the first time she had been in Mrs. Pine's hut, but this was the first time she could get a good look of the place. On the shelves by the ceiling were several small dragon statues and what appeared to be stuffed dolls of some sort. Most of the statues depicted the dragons with silly faces and a less-than-intimidating demeanor. Big eyes, crazy nostrils, and tongues sticking out. The dolls were the same, being in a silly manner that did not go along with the dragon's reputation of being big and nasty.
"I see ya like the drags up there," Mrs. Pine giggled.
"They are fascinating!" Twilight awed. "I guess your husband got them?"
"Oh yeah, he and I both did. By the Sun, Dragon's Respite was like a second home to us. Those drags were always interested in what we would sell. Good buyers, the lot of 'em were. Never much for buildin' stuff, but they loved pony culture. They loved our clothes, they loved our crops, they even loved our ships!"
Twilight's ears then drooped. "Papa has never visited the dragons. He thinks they are too scary."
"Well, that's after wha' 'appened to my husband," Mrs. Pine chuckled. "Many think he died because of 'em drags. They don't like listenin' to the real story that he sailed us right into a hurricane that shattered our poor craft. Naw, the drags ain't bad at all. I say, if ya ever go there, ya could meet a new friend!"
The kettle began to shriek, indicating that the water within it was at the right temperature. Mrs. Pine took the kettle's handle by the mouth and walked over to the table with it. Steam rose to the ceiling as she poured the hot water into two small mugs that held tea leafs. Being unable to take both mugs to the filly since she was an earth pony, Twilight had to take her own mug with magic.
It was too hot to drink right away, so Twilight opted to ask another question to the former tradespony. "Did you make many dragon friends?"
"Oh, of course, deary," Mrs. Pine nodded. "I even got to meet the Dragonlord several times. A bit of a loony, the Dragonlord is. Ember is her name, if I recall. I remember my husband and I always tryin' to impress her with our beads and wares. She would cross her blue scaled arms and roll her slit eyes at us. The common drags would gasp when they saw our wares, but not her. We always had to step up our game to get anything from her, but when we did, it was always great. Many of 'em statues came from her very lair. That's why we never sold 'em, they were priceless ya see."
Twilight was able to sip her tea. "Wow!" her smile faded and she sighed. "I wish I could go to Dragon's Respite. Hmph, I wish I could go anywhere for that matter."
Mrs. Pine chuckled at the filly. "It ain't hard. Jus' get ya a ship and go out there. My father taught me how to sail when I was real little. Didn't actually care for it 'til my husband made me go on trips with him."
"Yeah," Twilight sounded defeated. "That's the difference. Papa won't teach me. Mama wants me to be a Sun Priestess too."
"Oi, those Sun Priestesses!" Mrs. Pine laughed loudly. "That's for mares who don't want adventure. I've met many of 'em in their red and white robes. They aren't far from Dragon's Respite."
"They aren't?" Twilight blinked in surprise.
"Here, let me get ya a map of the Labyrinth Isles. Then ya can see jus' how close all these fantastical places are."
In a wild excited hurry, the earth pony mare shot up and went into a dark room. Twilight patiently waited, sipping her fine tea, as the sounds of shuffling and objects falling kept coming from the room where Mrs. Pine had disappeared. Then, with the speed she had left, the mare returned like a cannonball, almost tripping herself over a cushioned chair. Her hooves held a thick parchment and she spread it over the floor in front of the filly so that they both could see it in the firelight.
"Here we are," Mrs. Pine panted in excitement as her hoof pointed in the right hoof corner of the parchment's image, indicating that it was the northeast corner of the Labyrinth Isles. "And here's Dragon's Respite," her hoof slid across to the northwest corner. "And just south of it is the Sun's Trinity, the three islands where the Sun Priestesses are," her hoof pointed at three large islands that were almost a single landmass. "My original home, the Northern Tribes, are too far up north for this map."
"Where's Hoofprint Island?" Twilight asked.
"It's down here, to the southwest of Twin Islands," she showed the filly. "Why that place? Not a very lively culture if I may say."
"Well, it's just that The Stormrider was built there. I think the ship could be magical," Twilight explained.
"Eh, wouldn't surprise me none. Hoofprinters are an odd bunch, always meddlin' with magic and such."
Twilight thoughtfully took another sip from her tea. Her eyes scanned the map, reading the names of various islands that made up the vastness of the Labyrinth Isles. Places like "Rock Island," Wind's Peak," and "Towers Isle" were just a few of the many, many islands. To her, navigating the place would be like traversing through a maze with no end. Some of the islands were far apart, some were close with narrow straits beyond them. Such a scattered array of places and cultures. Just seeing it inspired her to visit every single place of land. The whole thing was beautiful. The names, the cultures, the ponies, and even the strange sea beasts that marked the ocean areas of the map.
"I think I should head back," the filly finally spoke up.
"It's still raining, ya should wait. Go back out there and ya'll get a cold. Bet my young life on it!" Mrs. Pine protested.
"Guess you're right," Twilight said when she looked outside. "But when I do leave, can I have the map?"
Mrs. Pine stroked her chin. "I guess I don't need it anymore. I like ya, so ya can have it. Jus' take real good care of it, ya hear?"
"I understand. You can count on me!" Twilight saluted.
Twilight strapped a leather bag onto her back. The bag contained two large books about novice spell casting. She tightened the straps around her torso and turned to exit the front door of the hut. Just as she was about to do so, she heard a call from her mother.
"Twilight! Don't forget your lunch!"
"Oh thanks!" Twilight stopped and received a small pouch from her smiling mother. They embraced in a hug.
"I'm so glad you take your studies seriously," Mama beamed. "Reminds me of my sister when she was your age."
"Yeah, I know," Twilight chuckled. She had heard her mother say this line a few times already. "I think I need to go now."
Mama pushed her on. "Yes, go and learn from Dr. Mild. Listen to him well."
Mother scooted her out the front door and into the bright sunlight. Twilight did not enjoy the shoving but she did not protest her parent. She took the pouch and the leather bag and started to walk down the trail to the village. It was midweek and she had her bi-weekly classes with the only physician on the island, Dr. Mild Dose. Dr. Mild was a nice middle-aged stallion who was by far the most magically talented unicorn on the Twin Islands. He had several magic classes with fillies and colts on the island, but he preferred to teach one on one, so he only took his students at specific times throughout the week.
Twilight walked past her friends' homes. She did not see any of them outside, so she assumed they were helping their mothers. If this was the case, playtime was not going to happen any time soon. Twilight did not exactly mind that, as she had reading and studying to catch up with. Friends often got in the way of such things, so it was fine that a break in socializing happened.
It did not take her long to reach the village and find Dr. Mild's medicine shack. "Shack" was the proper word to use to describe Day Island's hospital. It was by far one of the ugliest structures on the island, and with it being near the market's well-designed huts and buildings, it was truly a blemish on the village. Why it was such a disaster of a hut, nopony knew for sure. Was it laziness? Lack of intelligent design? Some rumors were that Dr. Mild distorted a once beautiful building with his magic and another was that he preferred being in ugly places due to some unholy fascination. However, those rumors were often perpetuated by magic-fearing ponies, which were a significant minority, even with the unicorns.
Twilight hummed a tune when she arrived at the medicine shack's crooked door. The door had a knocker on it despite its bizarre appearance and Twilight banged it by using her magic. The response, like always, was immediate. The door swung open and Dr. Mild, with his lopsided grin, was there to answer the door. Such insanely quick responses made Twilight believe that he simply stood right on the other side of the door, waiting minutes if not hours for somepony's arrival.
"Hello!" he said cheerfully. "Ready for our lesson?"
"As ever!" Twilight answered enthusiastically.
Dr. Mild moved to the side to allow her to enter the shack. The inside was much more suitable for the title of "hospital." There were tables, benches, and a faucet, the only one on the island. Instruments were laid out on one table, ready for immediate use. However, Twilight's magic did not concern with such things, so he led her to his backroom, where they always conducted their magic training.
"So, I see you brought your books. Good," he said and adjusted his glasses. "Set them over there."
Twilight did as she was told and levitated the books to a side table. Once that was done, she gleefully awaited further orders. Dr. Mild was a favorite teacher of hers, but that was mainly because he was the only real teacher outside of her family. Father and Mother were not the most keen on magical development, but since Twilight was so interested in the subject, they were willing to let her pursue it if it could help her specialize in a field, as either a sun priestess or a physician.
"Now, Twilight, have you been working on the blood fix spell?" Dr. Mild asked.
"I tried, but I could rarely find cuts to heal," Twilight responded. "I did heal a small knife cut Mama had."
"Good, good," Dr. Mild nodded. "Just remember, that only works for very small cuts. Anything bigger or of a different type, it would be pretty useless if not dangerous to the victim; magic is precise. The only way to use magic at its best is to know as much about the world and how it works as possible. An ignorant spell caster is a dangerous spell caster."
She had heard him give this lecture before, but she did not mind hearing it again. It was good to hear it again as it was this that helped drive her forward and strive for adventure. Going across the Labyrinth Isles in search of knowledge would make her into a grand unicorn! There was so much out there that she could digest and, to her, the Isles had no limit. The journey to visit every island could take a lifetime.
"Now, tell me the procedure of a blood fix spell," Dr. Mild continued.
"First, you have to cut the blood off using a tourniquet," Twilight explained. "and once the blood is still, use the spell to close the skin together and fasten it in place. Hold it there and allow the magic to merge the two sides of skin back into one piece."
"Good! Good! I'm glad when a student listens so carefully. It is good that you remember, as a misstep could leave a scar. Your mother would not have liked that, haha!"
They both giggled at his little humor. This was how Dr. Mild acted. When not taking care of patients, he was relaxed and a joker, but once he is flung into the role as a physician, he turned into a stoic, methodical figure that spoke with authority. It was certainly a clashing personality, but a respectable one to the ponies of Day Island. Twilight then tugged at his leg to gain his absolute attention. She had a question on her mind.
"Can we learn about attack beams?" Twilight piped up. "Old Fareye says there are evils down south. If I want to go exploring the Isles, I need to be able to defend myself."
"Well, those things are novice level, but can be dangerous," Dr. Mild huffed. "I don't want to get in trouble with Night Light. He has quite the glare."
"But Papa and Shining know how to do them! I can control it!" Twilight nagged the physician and tugged at his jacket's sleeve persistently.
"Hmmm, perhaps it won't be too difficult," he muttered in thought. "But promise me to never practice this outside my hospital."
"Absolutely!" Twilight agreed. "Magic is dangerous, so it's always best to be as safe as possible!"
"Exactly," he grinned. "Now, stand over there. I can at least show you the basics since you're so interested. With the proper care, we can eliminate any risks.
Twilight walked across the room and turned to face the teacher. He spread his legs for a sturdier stance and then turned his neck until it popped, a habit of his. One hoof slid back his greasy mane and he readied himself. Twilight simply stood a bit lopsided, waiting for his instructions.
"Now, to activate magical energies and turn them into a single force beam, you must have concentration and accuracy. This is not about casting a spell but more of focusing energy and releasing it from your horn. Once you get the mind-power part down, the rest is merely aiming," he explained.
Twilight took a deep breath what she always did whenever told to concentrate. It was a long, solid breath that Dr. Mild waited to end. With a determined look on her little face, Twilight arched her eyebrows and stared straight ahead. Her horn began to glow with green magic. The light that came from the top of her head illuminated the floor under her. The backroom was always on the darker side, as it only had two rather small windows that faced the sides of another hut. This made her magic look all the brighter.
"Don't be afraid to unleash your willpower, Twilight. My magical barrier can handle it," Dr. Mild said as he put a wall of magic up in front of him.
"Heeuggghhh!" Twilight grunted loudly as she summoned more magic.
"It's not about straining yourself; it's about letting the magic flow through you without restraint. Magic in its purest form is just a beam of dense illumination, much like light. And from that simplest form, we can manipulate it to become the arcane."
Twilight was not sure what he meant. All she knew was that she had to concentrate and not try to force the magic out of her. Her horn was glowing quite bright now and some loose magic spat out in random directions, hitting the floor and walls harmlessly. She had the magical strength, now she had to direct it into a single blast.
"Nyagghh!"
"Just focus it on me," Dr. Mild instructed. "You are almost there."
Then it all clicked. She opened her eyes and looked right at her teacher. With care, she focused her mind on him and the magic followed her train of thoughts. Fwom! a magic beam of intense brightness left her horn and traveled at a tremendous speed to strike the teacher's raised barrier, shattering upon impact and ricocheted to the ceiling or the shelves. Several objects were knocked from their resting positions. They both flinched when a glass bottle of herbs broke on the floor.
"Welp, there went those," Dr. Mild huffed. "Another trip to the Northern Tribes for more of that, ha!"
"I am so sorry!" Twilight gasped
"Oh, don't be. I should have made my barrier not angled towards such breakable objects. Well! You did it! It was a fine beam, a fine attack. Nothing too dangerous, as that would more likely shove a pony over than harm him or her. But meh, the place is now a mess. I ought to clean it up in case a patient arrives." He then looked at her. "This has to be it for today. Don't go practicing that around other ponies, you hear? Magical beams can travel for a long ways before fading away. If you ever fire one again, make sure you a sturdy target for it to break on."
Twilight bowed. "Thank you for the class! It really helped!"
The physician gave her a little pat on the head. "Oh, think nothing of it. I barely did anything. You are a natural sorceress, Twilight."
She took her books and put them back in the bag. When she did so, she spotted her midday meal in the pouch. Now where would she eat if class was ended so early? She shrugged and took it with her. With a departing smile and a friendly wave, she left the medical shack and headed towards the storage house where Shining would be.
With a merry tune on her lips, she skipped along the path to the storage house. It was just a ten minute walk, but she saw friendly faces along the way. Islander ponies told her "good day" and "hello" as they went about their chores and errands. This was how Day Island was and one of the reasons Twilight adored her home.
"Shining! Shining!" Twilight called for him when she walked into the storage house.
"Aren't ya supposed to be with Dr. Mild?" Shining asked without looking at her.
He was toying with the black crystal. He tossed it playfully from one front hoof to the other. He was either heavily invested in the precious stone from Rock Island or he was bored beyond his mind. Twilight guessed it was the former, as he barely ever let the black crystal stay on the shelf where it belonged. She knew this from last night, when their father told him to leave the crystal alone. It was apparent Shining did not take to his father's commands.
"I kinda broke some things in the back room. He has to clean it up," she confessed.
"Pfft, nice," Shining chuckled. "Yeah, I did that once when I was your age. That was when I decided magic was just not my thing. I think I made the right choice too."
"So why are you so fascinated in the crystal? Aren't we going to sell it?" Twilight pointed at the object in his grasp.
"Well, yeah, it's just that..." he trailed off. "So how's Moon Dancer?" he said a bit loudly.
"She's fine," Twilight furrowed her brows. Her tone indicated that she was well aware of Shining's disobedience.
"What?" Shining responded to her glare.
She persisted. "Papa told you to leave that thing alone."
He rolled his eyes. "What else am I supposed to do? I just wait here until he takes me on Stormrider or some customer shows up. This crystal....just sits there. It's something to look at and....feel."
"That's weird, you know?" Twilight said in a matter-of-fact manner.
His eye twitched. "Yeah, yeah!" he waved a dismissing hoof at her and his voice deepened. "If you're jus' gonna make fun of me in my boredom, you can go somewhere else."
The response was a bit overly hostile for the situation. Twilight at first thought he was joking with her, but he kept the annoyed appearance. That and the fact that he stared a her harshly while he awaited a response. Shining was not the hardest to get riled up, but this was certainly too easy. He was a teenage stallion, but a good and caring teenager too. Twilight could only blink in shocked confusion.
"Well?" he shouted. "Get!"
Twilight did not cry, but she was hurt. Still blinking and confused by her brother's unusually brutish behavior, she simply turned and walked out the door with the food and books she was carrying. Once outside, she walked over to a bench that faced the great sea. She sat on it and unwrapped her meal from the pouch. While she munched on the cooked seaweed, she looked out towards the endless waters.
During the next six days, Twilight and her friends had mostly stayed separated, except for Moon Dancer, who often visited Twilight mid-afternoon for an hour or so. It was good for her to have at least the company of her best friend, as Shining's odd behavior was continuously becoming more severe. Studying was becoming more difficult as she constantly worried about his decline. Besides that, Twilight had to fight with her urges of adventure and the discomforting thoughts of the haunted Stormrider. It was a lazy and quiet six days, but not quiet for her bustling and concerned mind.
However, upon this particular day, slumber found her quite easily. It was almost mid-morning and she had her face buried in a book she had barely read. Soft filly snoring sounds came from her drooling mouth. The drool was sliding out over her lips and onto the delicate pages that she, in her wakened state, would protect with utmost care.
The sun was not shining down on her like the average day, as clouds of various shades loomed over the paradise the ponies called home. No rain fell, no lightning brought terror to the island's equines, just inconvenient darkness. In fact, it was almost alarmingly dark, with some ponies requiring torches to read fine print or to see in the blackest of corners in their very huts. This was also one of reasons Twilight had fallen asleep reading. She tired herself out struggling to decipher each word of the cluttered text that the pony language used. She lost interest in the story she was digesting and thus the boredom and darkness drove her to nod off.
On the wicker couch she rested on, she was deep in her home, far from the noises of the docks. The sounds of the sea and sea birds still infiltrated the hut, being also played in her dreams. However, none of these passive noises interrupted her sleep. Not even her mother, who was right outside the front door, trying to take care of a small palm tree, disturbed the filly.
What did disturb her was the sounds of galloping hooves up the mountain trail. Twilight opened her eyes, a bit startled, but not enough to prevent her from yawning much like an awoken cat. The sound of hooves was plenty, meaning it was more than a few ponies racing towards her home. Her head popped up from the book and she stared out a window where she could see her mother, though only a silhouette in the day's unusual darkness.
"Velvet! Velvet!" a stallion Twilight did not recognize called to her mother. "We have terrible news!"
"What is it?" Mother's sweet voice was full of sudden distraught. "What has happened?"
"It's your son, Shining," the stallion told her between tired breaths. "Something is wrong with him!"
"Take me to him!" Mother told them and together, they all ran down the hill towards the docks. Twilight was wide awake now. Her brother in trouble? Her heart started to panic and she jumped from the couch. Her small legs made her bounce across the floor and with adrenaline running through her frightened veins, she, with the quickness of the adults before her, chased after them down the hill in the dimness.
Several times she almost tripped or tumbled down the rocky trail. Tears started to swell in her eyes just at the thought of her older brother being hurt. What could have happened? She could not even begin to guess. All that mattered to her was getting to his side before anything worse happened.
She could see the docks, being lit with torches. The pack of ponies that got her mother were ahead of her, too close to lose, but too far to catch up with. Still, she kept running with all her might. She was starting to wonder if she was dreaming, but it felt too real for that. Besides the darkness, what else could be dream-worthy? No, this had to be real life.
The pack of ponies went all the way to the storage house where Shining should be at this part of the morning. There was already a crowd of the Day Island residents in front of the storage house's door. Apparently the town knew of it all before the victim's mother did. Mother passed by the standing ponies and rushed inside. Twilight, being a bit behind, also rushed by them, but some other ponies went in after her mother and now were blocking her from entering.
Twilight could only tilt her head in some odd manner to see past a mare's leg and see the inside. Her brother was on the floor, breathing heavily, with Father and Mother crouched beside him. with Dr. Mild there between them. Twilight lost her breath for a second when she saw her brother in such an awful state.
"What happened?" Mother asked.
"Not sure," Dr. Mild answered. "I believe it is some sort of magical wound."
Shining yelled out in pain. Half of his face was burned and some smoke rose from his cheekbone. It was a terrible sight and Twilight could not bear to look at it. More parts of him were burned in similar fashion, such as his hooves and parts of his front legs. The worst was his horn, which appeared to have lost its tip.
"But how? Why?" Father tried to understand.
"Only a magical presence could create such burns," the physician noted. "I've only seen such wounds during one of the Hoofprint wars. They were burns from unicorn attack beams."
"A unicorn blasted my son?" Mother was about to wail.
"The cr....the crystal..." Shining forced out. "It did it..."
The adults looked at each other. Father then turned to see the black crystal, laying on the floor with a small crack that was not there before. The black crystal, so innocent before, now appeared to be a demon in their mist. Dr. Mild was the first to get up to his hooves and approach it. His green magic enveloped the crystal and he lifted it up carefully. Mother and Father moved back and also moved Shining a few inches away.
"This was traded from Rock Island, yes?" the physician questioned.
"Yeah," Father nodded. "We thought it was just a harmless precious stone."
"Perhaps at one time," Dr. Mild huffed. "A skilled unicorn could have made it a trap. Shining could have triggered the trap and received the consequences."
"What unicorn would do such a thing?" a mare asked.
"That's the biggest hole in my reasoning," he answered. "Why would anypony arm a single crystal?"
"Well, no matter!" Father said. "We must do something to make sure this doesn't happen again."
"I understand," the physician nodded.
With care, the doctor covered the black crystal with a cloth that he found on a nearby shelf. Twilight watched with uncertainty. With her own knowledge of magic, she presumed that the physician did such a thing to prevent the trap's trigger from being sprung again. Some of the worried ponies began to leave, so she was now able to force her way through the remainders and reach her harmed brother.
"Twilight?" Mother gasped. "Why didn't you stay at the house?"
"I had to see him, Mama!" Twilight insisted. "Shining! Can you hear me?"
Shining Armor rolled his eyes. "Of course, Twily. I'm not dead. My face won't look the same though."
"Your brother will need to be in my care for at least a day," Dr. Mild reminded them o his presence. "Magical burns can become worse if the magical presence is not eliminated."
"I understand," Father said with a sigh. "I needed him for a short trip northward, but I guess I'll have to do it myself. Take care, my son."
Father patted Shining lovingly on the side. Shining was able to get up to his hooves, but had to limp. He gave Twilight a smile, or at least, what he could of a smile. Some of the burns reached his lips and thus did not allow them to turn up in confidence. Twilight tried to return the smile, but her worry was still too much and she could only stare at him with concern. At least, she thought, he was returning to his good humor that had been absent for the past week.
"Come along, Twilight," Mama said. "We must return to home. Let Papa get on with his work and let Shining get to Dr. Mild's hut."
Twilight allowed her mother to push her forward out of the storage house. The filly did not mind, as her thoughts remained on the now hostile black crystal. The picture of it stirred within her head. Such a fascinating object, now full of terror and distraught. What? How? Why? All these questions filled her mind as her mother led her onward back to home.
~~~~
"Wow, a dangerous crystal? Sounds frightening."
Twilight rolled her eyes at Moon Dancer's curiosity. The two fillies sat at the edge of the cliff outside of Twilight's home. The Twin Islands were still shrouded in darkness. A lone candle was being levitated by Twilight's magenta magic. A slight wind was present, but not powerful enough to blow the small flame away. Moon Dancer rubbed her cheeks with a bit of excitement. Such an event never occurred on Day Island before. Yes, it was a frightening experience, but it was evident that some of the islanders felt that it brought some needed liveliness to the usual dull routine. Ponies needed their weekly dose of fresh gossip.
"Something isn't right," Twilight sighed and looked intently at her friend. "A black crystal from Rock Island shouldn't just attack somepony like that."
"You heard Dr. Mild. It was booby trapped," Moon Dancer retorted.
"Yes, but that doesn't seem right at all," Twilight shook her head. "It's so impractical. I think it's an evil relic."
"Really? Where would such relic come from?"
"The south, like Old Fareye would tell us. A unicorn pirate could have had it and...and used it to keep his crew from mutinying. Or...it could have been something vile created from the far, far south."
Moon Dancer was beginning to see Twilight's reasoning. Perhaps this crystal was some relic that nopony should possess. Oh, what horrors it could behold! The beige filly gulped and adjusted her large spectacles with concern. Twilight nodded to emphasize her point before continuing.
"I think we need to show it to Old Fareye," she suggested.
"But he's been by himself ever since Little Bublo!" Moon Dancer protested. "And Dr. Mild will never let anypony have the crystal now."
"I just think Old Fareye would be the only one who'd know where such a thing came from. He has journeyed farther than anypony we know. Well, maybe Mrs. Pine would know."
"I think we should just avoid the darn thing. Like really, it's just a dumb crystal. It'd probably be best to pitch into the sea!"
Twilight gave her friend a disapproving glare. She did not like Moon Dancer's rejection of her ideas. This crystal could not simply be forgotten, not after it severely damaged her older brother. No, this required a proper investigation. This was also entering her domain, which was magic. Being a Day Island pony, she had taken more interest in magic than most of her peers and maybe it was now to take advantage of her studious habits.
"Moon Dancer, we need to look into this. Whatever we do, we need to make sure this doesn't happen again. I'm starting to think that Shining was lucky. The next pony that comes across something like this crystal may not be so fortunate."
~~~~
"Now, Shining, please don't exert yourself."
Dr. Mild told Shining Armor this while he stroked his red beard. Shining obeyed him and laid himself carefully on a cot, his wounds now bandaged and cared for with magical treatments. He did so with his usual confident air. Dr. Mild took it as a good sign. A patient that was still in a good mood despite bodily harm was a sign of future progress.
"What are you gonna do with the crystal?" Shining asked.
"I believe I'll place it in the back room. I use that room as a lab of sorts. This island doesn't have any proper lab, so I must make do with what I have. Whatever you do, do not come into this room. If my theory of it being a trap is correct, it could be activated at any time. You were quite fortunate to only take edges of its beams. A direct hit could kill you."
Dr. Mild then took up the covered crystal and walked back to the room he spoke about. His dark green eyes inspected the cloth as he placed it on a table softly. His instincts told him to walk away and leave it there, but his curiosity told him to unwrap it and investigate. His ears drooped upon his indecision. With an adjustment of his round glasses, he let his magic untie the knotted cloth to reveal the crystal.
The black crystal was the same, including the crack from earlier. The physician cocked his head. Something was immediately eerie about it. A magical presence invaded the room, not with ferocity, but more of a soft, slow fog. The feeling of magic enveloped the doctor, making him quite uneasy. He backed away as the disturbing feeling wrapped itself around his legs and shoulders. A sudden coldness took his breath away.
"My eyes see you...."
A heinous voice uttered from the black crystal. A voice so deep and menacing that every syllable was felt. Dr. Mild gasped and almost fell to the floor. With effort, he took the cloth and covered it again, only slightly hiding the magical presence that now engulfed the entire back room. He took more cloths, wrapping them tightly around the crystal until its presence was dampened enough for him to collect his thoughts.
"What a monster..." he muttered. "How did such a terror reach our shores?"
His glasses shook upon his muzzle. His hooves rattled as they tried to steady his stance. He watched in horrid awe as the many-colored cloths slowly turned to a uniform black. The blackness almost seeped through the fabrics much with the characteristics of water. Some of it dripped onto the table, leaving stains. This darkness was so incredibly dense that it appeared to have physical qualities, something that could only be achieved with high level magic that was perhaps, beyond even the wisest of unicorn mages. It was now for certain that this crystal was no mere magical energy source. It was full of magic unheard and unseen in these parts of the Labyrinth Isles.
Suddenly, he felt the blackness reach him. He started to choke on the air that was as thick as molasses. He stumbled across the floor. His lungs felt clogged as if he was drowning. Still the blackness continued to drip out the cloths, now spreading its staining qualities to the floor. Dr. Mild began to cough, black liquid being spat from his throat.
"Don't ignore me! For I am above you!"
The physician made it out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him. The barrier seemed to have lessened the effects of the magic, as some fresh air reached his ailing chest. He fell to the ground, coughing what remained of the liquid. Shining Armor watched in fright. With a dismissing wave of his hoof, Dr. Mild signaled that he was alright.
"This is beyond anything I imagined," Dr. Mild croaked. "Don't let anypony see that crystal again. What an evil!"
"Then we must get rid of it!" Shining said boldly.
"I'm not sure if we can," the physician wailed as sweat poured down his face. "It's too strong, my boy. Much to strong for any of us."
Shining did not reply and their eyes met in mutual worry. Then they stared at the closed door that kept the evil blackness at bay. They both knew quite well that the door was only a momentary restraint on the crystal's brutal magic. It would not be long until the crystal broke through the barriers and engulfed the island in its killing magical aura. In their panicked minds, they thought hard of what to do. To the physician, he could only think of more wood to pile on the barriers to slow it down. So that was what he did.
