//------------------------------// // 5. The Quest for Redemption - Luna's Own Student // Story: Trixie Lulamoon: Child of the Moon // by FenixBlaze979 //------------------------------// A few hours had passed before Trixie and Luna had arrived at their destination. Trotstown, although not as sprawling as Fillydelphia, was at least bigger than Petalburg. There were plenty of things to do in town, which is why they had a station built at this town. Annually there is a festival held here to celebrate ponies coming together with the royalty at Canterlot. Usually, at least one of the princesses comes down to this festival to celebrate with the townsfolk. As they traveled to the station, some of the ponies bowed to Luna as she and Trixie walked on with fervor as they tried to hurry and get to the station. Luna smiled at them as she walked past, but she knew her sister was very worried about her, so she had no time to lose. Trixie caught sight of the ticket counter, and nudged Luna when she spotted it so Luna could stay with Trixie. “We need two Great and Powerful tickets to Canterlot, please!” Trixie smirked. “I’m afraid we don’t have any of those tickets, but if the princess is escorting you, you can ride for free together in the first car”, the pony at the ticket counter said. He had a black coat with strange glasses and a proper guard hat. Luna raised an eyebrow, “Well, you see, kind sir, I’m…” “Yes, of course Princess Luna is escorting me!” Trixie interrupted Luna, “The Great and Powerful Trixie has a performance at Canterlot today that she doesn’t want to miss!” Trixie winked at Luna, letting her know to roll along with the opportunity presented to them. “Ah, is that so?” said the ticket guard, “Very well, then!” He produced a roll of tickets and snapped two of them off using his magic. “Good luck and safe travels, you two!” The guard smiled as he gave the tickets to Trixie. Luna and Trixie then gave the tickets to the guard near the first train car, and entered the nice and somewhat posh interior of the first train car. “This car is usually reserved for royalty, but now we have it to ourselves! How exciting, isn’t it, Trixie!?” Luna beamed as Trixie was lost in wonderment over the inside of this train car. “It’s beautiful, Princess!” Trixie said with amazement. “All right, everypony”, announced a voice over the intercom, “We will now be departing for Canterlot. Please go to your designated cars, and prepare for departure! This has been your conductor speaking; we’ll be taking off shortly!” After a few minutes, the train began rolling forward toward its destination. It then started to chug along at a fast clip, as the colorful grasslands and forests quickly became blurs of blending colors. Trixie wondered what was even in her new golden saddle bag. Her curiosity got the best of her as she opened the bag to try and look inside. In it, she found a small cylinder, what looked like a small cape, and a strange looking lens that looked like an Egyptian eye seen from the paintings inside the Egyptian pyramids. There was also a note that happened to fall out of the bag as well. Trixie tried to catch it as it fell to the floor. When she picked it up, she saw that it was from Pandora. She unfurled the note as she read it to herself: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How to Use My Magical Artifacts- Dear Trixie, I have given you three of my magical artifacts in this golden bag. You will find that they consist of a cape, an eye, and a canister. I know they look small, you whelp! However, when they are activated by your magic power, they will grow to their normal sizes. I have them shrunken down like that so they can easily fit into the bag. The bag’s interior is virtually limitless, and will respond to your magic, as you choose in your mind which item you want to retrieve. Speaking of those items, to activate them, you must shout my name and the item while you have your magic power flowing through them. Only certain unicorns or alicorns with affinities towards magical artifacts will be able to take advantage of their abilities. Now for the important stuff; what do these magical items do? Pandora’s Cape will allow you to become invisible. In addition, it also serves as a magical armor against harmful spells and toxic gases when you’re not using its cloaking capabilities. Both of these functions will not occur at the same time. You can either go invisible, or stay visible and use the magical protection. Pandora’s Eye allows you to see the unseen, and lets you see things that may be magically hidden from pony sight. It will also let you see the strength of the magical aura of other unicorns and alicorns too. Pandora’s Cylinder can absorb magical energy fired from any type of pony. It will then fire the energy back like a cannon with double the original energy’s power. It cannot take physical attacks. Finally, I should mention that at your current magical level, you will only be able to activate one of my items at a time. I suggest you train to improve your magical capacity and your skill with my magic artifacts. Once you get used to the level of power these items can have on you, you’ll then be able to activate more than one at least. Make sure you find the items I told you about that are missing from the bag. May the light shine upon you, child, Pandora, the First Alicorn -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trixie then folded the note back up, and put it inside the bag. She felt she understood how they worked, but now, she needed to test them in a real fight. When she would get to do that was up in the air as far as she was concerned. “This is your conductor speaking; we are now arriving at Canterlot! Please stay in your seats until the train comes to a full stop!” A few seconds later, the train lurched to a stop, and the exhaust sprayed as the brakes were released. Trixie put her golden saddle bag on her back, as she and Luna walked out of the posh first class train car. When they left the train, guards in golden armor were waiting under the pristine-looking Canterlot Station. They were amazed as Princess Luna came to them and told them about Trixie. They hurried away as they went to summon an escort for them to Canterlot Castle. Trixie gulped nervously as they were being escorted. Of course, she liked being in the spotlight when it was her time to shine, but she became quite embarrassed, especially when it came to the impending glares from the highly proper public eye of Canterlot because Trixie thought a traveling show magician would never be seen next to a regal princess. It would be appalling to the elites, who appreciated only the best talent in Canterlot, and Trixie wasn’t at that level yet. As the escort closed in on the entrance to Canterlot Castle, Trixie’s eyes shimmered in the bright sunshine as she looked up at the massive and beautiful white structure with gold trim, and many flags dotting the points of the roofs where inside laid the beautiful, fancy rooms fit for royalty. It had been ages since she first gazed upon the castle as a filly going to Canterlot’s fantastic magic school for all the budding unicorns. Despite having a father that was away most of the time, Trixie’s mother had always wanted the best school for her child to become a well-rounded user of magic, especially since unicorns were usually heralded for their wisdom and flexibility in many situations. The escort marched on inside to the foyer as Trixie and Luna humbly gazed at the amazing view of the rotunda of the castle. The designs were simply magnificent as Trixie’s eyes moved about looking at each one of the very detailed pictures of the princesses, Celestia and Luna, as well as some of the past generals of the Royal Army and other members of royalty that resided in Canterlot Castle in the past. Waiting for them at the top of the large staircase close to where the throne room is located, was a regal-looking pale fuchsia pony with a sun as her cutie mark. She had a flowing mane similar to Luna’s mane, but was colored with lighter shades of blue with only one section having a light purple streak. She also had a golden ring around her neck with a purple diamond-shaped stone in the middle, and fancy golden covers for her hooves. “Sister!” Luna exclaimed with joy. “Luna, my dear sister, I am glad to see you are all right!” she said as she embraced Luna, “I was afraid we would not be able to find you, but as soon as I saw the moon rising and lowering, I knew you were okay somewhere.” Luna’s sister then looked over to where Trixie stood. Trixie appeared calm, but on the inside, she could feel the butterflies in her stomach as she looked upon the humbling gaze of this majestic alicorn. “Ah, sister!” Luna pointed to Trixie, “This is the one who rescued me. Please, Trixie, come and introduce yourself to my sister, Celestia.” Trixie walked up the stairs to greet Princess Celestia. She bowed to Celestia to show respect and said, “It is an honor for the Great and Powerful Trixie to meet a wonderful princess such as you.” Celestia was flattered by Trixie’s kindness. “Ah, yes, I have heard of you, Trixie. You are a traveling magician that had a little tussle with my faithful student. Please, come inside to the throne room. We have much to discuss.” Princess Celestia then opened the double doors behind her leading to the throne room. As Celestia, Luna, and Trixie walked in, Trixie noticed all the stained-glass paintings that lined the room. They were just as beautiful as the paintings she saw in the foyer. Celestia sat down on her throne as Luna found her empty throne, and sat down next to her sister. Standing near Celestia on the other side of her was a pale, purple-coated alicorn with a navy blue mane with two streaks of a violet and a brilliant rose color. Trixie’s mouth dropped open as she locked eyes with her. “Twilight Sparkle!” Trixie said in shock, “Trixie cannot believe you’re a real princess, now! After all that you and I have been through…” “Yes, I know, Trixie”, Twilight said calmly, “I’m still getting used to it myself, but I hope to be of help for all of Equestria now.” “The Great and Apologetic Trixie would like to say she is sorry she couldn’t make it to the coronation ceremony”, Trixie stated as she put her head down, “I was working at the only job that would take me in Fillydelphia, so I couldn’t have made the trip. I do want to congratulate you, Twilight Sparkle. I know I’m still paying for the pain I’ve caused you and your friends, but I am working towards a better life for myself, and I want Princess Luna to help guide me through that path!” Twilight couldn’t help but smile at Trixie’s words. It reminded her of the first time Trixie apologized to her back in Ponyville. Celestia, having heard enough sentimental talk, cleared her throat before she began to speak. “Speaking of Luna, what happened to you on that night after the coronation ceremony, dear sister?” Luna closed her eyes as she tried to think about what had happened after the ceremony. “After the ceremony, I went to go raise the moon on the massive hill overlooking the castle. Afterwards, I could hear someone crying for help towards Fillydelphia, so I flew over there to see where the sound was coming from. As I was flying over a forest, I felt a blunt pain on my back, and then the next thing I remember, I woke up near the campsite next to Trixie’s trailer home.” “Are you all right, Princess!?” Twilight gasped, “Were you seriously injured!?” “No, Twilight”, Luna said reassuringly, “I just felt my wings were really sore, so I was not able to fly for a while. I’m sure they will feel better after some rest here.” Celestia was trying to figure out how such a thing could happen to her sister. She had sensed something was amiss in Equestria, but she couldn’t put her hoof on it. “Luna, you must be careful, now”, warned Celestia, “Something is not adding up about this, and I do not want you getting hurt or anything worse.” “But, sister, I…” “With all due respect, Princess Celestia!” Trixie shouted over the royal sisters, “Luna can take care of herself! Trixie has been with the princess, and she has gotten to know Luna! Trixie sees no reason why anyone would target her! She saw nothing that could have harmed the princess!” “Even still”, Celestia spoke, “There are bad ponies out in this world that would love nothing more than to dismantle and ruin the bond of friendship and love the royal family has for Equestria. I believe even you, Trixie, had it out for one of us at one point. Am I correct?” Trixie clenched her teeth in anger. “How many times does Trixie have to prove that she has changed!? That’s why she’s here in the first place; to show that Trixie can be a good pony!” “Yes! I’ve heard your wish, loyal subject”, Celestia smiled, “However, you must prove yourself if you want to be the change that you see now!” Trixie took a deep breath, and then put on her vintage smug grin as she leered at the throne through the brim of her pointy hat. “Fine, I’ll show you what the Great and Powerful Trixie can do for Equestria! PANDORA’S EYE!” Suddenly, the right flap of the golden saddle bag flew open and out came the strange lens that looked like the Eye of Horus. As it enlarged to its proper size, Trixie then levitated it over to her right eye. As she focused her eye to the lens, Trixie could see the magical aura of all the alicorn princesses standing before her. She could see the shining, golden aura Celestia emanated. It almost was like the sun was right in front of Trixie the way the aura shone. Luna’s aura in contrast was a glorious cobalt blue color. It was considerably large in volume, but not as large as Celestia’s massive aura. Trixie then glanced over to Twilight Sparkle. While her magenta-colored aura was not as large as either one of the celestial sisters, it still looked quite formidable as it pulsated rapidly around Twilight. “Luna, what is that eyepiece Trixie is using?” Celestia asked as she tried to squint to see what Trixie had on her eye. “That is one of the Artifacts of Pandora I was researching about for a while”, Luna answered, “It allows her to see our magic aura, as well as invisible objects hidden by magic.” “Oh, wow!” Trixie yelled in excitement, “Trixie can see all of your magic auras! This thing really does work! Now, for my next display, I’ll need a little help from the audience!” “What do you want us to do?” Twilight asked. Trixie put away Pandora’s Eye, and summoned Pandora’s Cylinder. It was a large can that looked like a cannon, and was black with gold trim. “Here, Twilight, fire a magic beam into this cylinder!” Trixie called to Twilight. Twilight charged up magic with her horn, then fired a beam into the cylinder. The cylinder absorbed all of the energy, and was primed to fire back. Trixie noticed it was ready, and used her magic to teleport the cylinder outside so that nothing inside the castle would be damaged. She had the cylinder pointed at the sky. “FIRE!” Trixie bellowed. BOOM! The cylinder shot out the beam now powered with its own magic as it doubled its collected energy with Twilight’s magic beam. The princesses watched in awe as the beam traveled like a rocket towards the sky. Luckily, there weren’t any pegasi or other flying creatures in the sky when the beam was fired. The cylinder was then transported back inside using Trixie’s magic. Trixie panted from exhaustion after using so much of her magic power. “You said that I should have a student of my own, sister”, Luna said, “She may need work, but I would like to mentor this unicorn before you.” Celestia mused at the possibility of having Trixie being taught by Luna. She felt it was about time for her sister to have someone look up to her as a mentor. Luna had always gone into the dreams of young ponies to help them defeat their nightmares, but she never interacted with them in a greater capacity. For a unicorn to be able to wield the Artifacts of Pandora with ease takes a special kind of unicorn. “I see now, sister”, Celestia said warmly, “There’s not much I can offer as advice for you, Trixie, but I ask that you please listen to Luna and just be there for her when she needs it. I do not want her to feel lonesome because of me. You two will get along great!” Luna looked elated at the sound of her sister’s approval. Twilight was also smiling for the happy news. Trixie weakly smirked, still trying to catch her breath. “Thank you, Your Majesty”, Trixie uttered before she collapsed to the floor. Trixie slowly opened her eyes. She could smell very fine cuisine near where she laid. Luna was at the small table eating her share. She munched quietly as she then noticed her friend starting to stir from the cushion she laid on. “How long was I out?” Trixie wondered. “It was only for a couple of hours”, Luna said as she put down her fork, “Since you passed out, I laid you down on my cushion inside my bedroom. I decided to sleep for a little bit myself because I have to return to my nightly duties tonight, which starts in about thirty minutes. The royal kitchen fixed us a lovely dinner!” Trixie rolled from the cushion, and got up to see the food. The display was so divine, too divine for Trixie to fathom. It was quality-made angel-hair pasta served with Alfredo sauce, breadsticks, and two bowls of salad for each of the ponies to enjoy. “Whoa, this is too much!” Trixie gaped, “Are you sure Trixie can have this?” “Of course, Trixie!” Luna laughed, “It’s for us to enjoy. Besides, I don’t want my new student to learn on an empty stomach!” Trixie smiled one of the biggest smiles she ever had in a long time. The sheer joy on her face lit up the whole room as she began to eat the wonderful Italian feast. Trixie tasted the pasta, and it wasn’t like anything she had ever tasted before. The texture and the richness of the sauce and the pasta pleasured her tongue. She tore off a piece of a breadstick and ate it. Trixie was pleased with its taste as well. The royal kitchen must have been the best if it made this food so delicious. “So, I guess I showed off a little too much, huh?” Trixie asked Luna as they continued to enjoy their dinner, “It is a force of habit for the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Luna nodded as she slurped up the last noodle from the bowl, “It was quite the display, but you pulled it off very well. Sister and Twilight were in awe as well. They didn’t think they would see someone wielding the Artifacts of Pandora with such ease. It reminded Celestia of someone that used to fight and command the royal army.” Trixie stopped eating for a moment. “Do you think she was talking about my mom, Luna?” Luna pondered that question in her mind, “I’m not sure, to be honest. I’ve only heard a few mentions of the heroics of Beatrix the Powerful from my sister.” “Would you mind if you shared a few of those stories with me?” Trixie asked, “Mom never shared any of those stories with me.” Then Luna started to share a story that Trixie had not heard from her mother. As Trixie was quietly listening to her friend, she began to admire the scene she was in now. Just having a conversation with a friend so wise and so much like her was a good sign that things seemed to pivot towards a positive direction. Trixie now had a goal, and someone to help guide her towards that goal. Luna then finished up, and had to hurry on to her tasks for the night. She had given Trixie some reading material, which Trixie had groaned at, but Luna assured her it was interesting. As Trixie drank some water that came with her food, she started to read one of the books Luna had left for her. Trixie was thinking that at this point, she couldn’t have asked for anything better. The road would be tough; that much Trixie knew in her mind, but she also knew that it would be a journey that she would remember for many years to come.