The Most Powerful In Equestria

The sun hung overhead as Trixie followed Evertrot towards one of the towers.

“Why did we wait unit l noon to start this?” Trixie asked as she watched Evertrot create the door into the tower.

“Well I slept in.” Evertrot said as he finished the doorway. “This is the light. In order to harmonize with it you’re going to have to pierce through the illusions it surrounds itself with.” Evertrot held up a necklace with a medallion upon it. “If you fear for your life simply touch the medallion. The light is a liar take nothing from him except knowledge.”

“How can the light be bad?” Trixie said as she took the necklace and put it around her neck.  “Wait the light is a male spirit?”

“Just because the light is good in this world does not make it so in other worlds and yes the light is male.” Evertrot said as Trixie began to ascend the stairs.

-*

Trixie considered that by the end of this training she was going to have lost a lot of weight.  The blue mare rounded the final flight and emerged onto a plain of shimmering crystal. In the distance she could towers that shone in every color of the rainbow and then some. Creatures of pure light arced through the sky.

“It’s so beautiful!”  Trixie whispered as she gazed on everything seemed so perfect.

“Isn’t it just though?” Trixie jumped away from the sound of the voice. “Oh it seems I’ve startled you…” standing behind her was a stunningly handsome unicorn. His body was pure almost blinding white and his mane and tail were a vibrant rainbow corona. Trixie couldn’t help but notice in addition to have powerful but slim build his horn was easily taller and sharper than Celestia’s. “I am Prisma of the light no need to be alarmed.” He had a deep voice calm and cultured.

“Why did you sneak up on me if you didn’t want to alarm me?”

“You assume I wasn’t behind you to begin with.” Prisma said with a smile. Trixie shuddered the light spirit had that kind of smile that is completely devoid of warmth. It was also at that point when she realized that while this area was a shining beacon it was also devoid of warmth.

“A bit cold here isn’t it?” Trixie said as she cast a cloak of magic flames around herself.

“Is it? I didn’t notice it being any colder than usual.”

“I am here to learn how to cast light magic.” Trixie declared. “I notice that you’re blocking the exit any reason for that?”

“None at all but if you want to learn the power of light then we might as well go further in instead of backwards.” Prisma said as he gestured towards one of the distant spires.

“I was told you were a liar.” Trixie said as she gazed into Prisma’s eyes. “I think you want to keep me here.”

Prisma gasped and put his left hoof to his chest. “I am shocked that I would be accused of such a travesty as lying.” He sat back on his haunches and put his right hoof to his forehead.

Trixie rolled her eyes that performance was pure melodrama. “Now I know your lying.”

Prisma leveled a glare at her and Trixie realized his pupils were draconic barely more than black lines on his otherwise blank white eyes. “Oh I’m much more than a liar.” Prisma lay down with his fore hooves crossed in front of him. “You want the power of light you must find the truth of light.” His voice was much colder and harsher.

“It’s obvious to me your hiding your real face under a spell.” Trixie paused to gauge the light spirit’s reaction. Going by the fact his glare became more intense she decided she’d hit right on the mark. “The real question is why you would hide your face?” the mage waited a moment before she realized Prisma wasn’t going to answer. “What do you gain from hiding your real face behind that beautiful façade?”

“Trust.” Prisma said scarcely above a whisper. “Most everybody automatically trusts a pretty face.”

“So you’re not just a liar but vain.” The magic mare considered aloud. “Hmm let’s play a bit of a game. For every truth about you I uncover you reveal more of what you really look like the game ends when you’re fully revealed.”

“You failed to put forth either a prize or a way for yourself to lose. Thus I propose both if I win you will surrender that medallion to me.  If you win you can leave and will have the power of light. As you try to discern my nature I will try to discern yours.  In contrast to your goal I shall conceal parts of you from sight. I win when you are no longer visible. You may go first.”

“Then let’s play.” Trixie said with a nod. “You are predatory as revealed when you chose the ambush instead of meeting me head on.”

“You have a discerning eye.” Prisma smiled and the illusion of flat teeth designed for grinding vanished and sharp teeth designed for slicing neatly through flesh and bone were revealed. “You are a proud pony your posture speaks volumes.”

Trixie’s tail vanished from sight though she could still feel it. It was disconcerting not to see it. “You are not a pony you merely have a similar form.”

“Humph a lucky guess.” Prisma’s tail twisted and became thick three foot long bundle of muscle and bone with tuft of hair at the end.  “You have less talent than you believe.”

“You missed your mark.” Trixie replied as no part of her body vanished. “You’re some sort of draconian creature.”

“How?! How did you know that?” Prisma roared as his coat was replaced a by stark white scales that seemed to glow with their own light.  “you are cheating somehow you’re not that smart!”

“Wrong on both counts and that’s two turns.” Trixie said as she gazed at the creature before her. “You don’t have hooves on your forelegs and that horn isn’t what it looks like.”

Prisma leapt to his feet as the hooves on his forelegs split apart into four draconic claws. “You cannot be guessing you know somehow.” His horn spread and thinned and became a giant razor shaped like a bolt of lightning jabbing into the air.

Trixie gasped as her left hoof vanished. “Your mane is not as it appears.” She declared

“This is all wrong I can’t lose.” The light spirit roared as the changes to Trixie vanished.  His mane went from a streak down his back to more like a lion’s mane though it also traced clear to his tail along his spine. “How did you win?”

“Your spell of illusion falls apart on the ground.” Trixie said as she pointed a hoof at the light spirits ‘shadow’. Prisma’s jaw dropped as he examined the dancing lights on the floor. “Games over and I win now let me pass.”

“So the whole time my own spell helped you defeat me.  How did you discover the claws?” Prisma said as he tossed continued to glare from his position in front of the stairway.

“You gouged marks into the floor.” Trixie backed away and pressed her hoof to the medallion. “You said you’d let me go.”

“As you said I am a liar.” Prisma had barely finished his sentence before he lunged at her claws outstretched. And promptly passed through her body as if she no more than illusion.

“Well I think we’ve had a lovely chat but it’s time for me to be going now ta-ta.” Trixie said as she bolted down the stairs as fast as her hooves could carry her.

-*

“Why didn’t you tell me he was evil?”  Trixie said through gritted teeth as she stepped out of the tower of light and in to the crisp night air.

“Learn from experience.  You wouldn’t have believed me if I told you he was evil.”  Evertrot said as he headed towards the main doors. “He’s not completely evil he’s just not as good as everyone expects him to be.”

Trixie nodded the light spirit was not what she had expected at all. “Let’s get an early start tomorrow.”