A Tale of Fantasia

The next morning began as per usual for Twilight and Spike. The lilac mare dragged herself out of bed and down the stairs, taking note of the fact that Trixie was still fast asleep with her head lying atop Spike’s visual novels. She chose not to wake the sleeping mare and immediately began magically lifting up the books in the pile that Trixie had not fallen asleep on. The showmare did not shift, no matter how close the books came to touching her. Within minutes, Twilight had finished cleaning up all books that Trixie did not block from her access.

At that time, Trixie had begun to wake of her own accord. Her eyes flickered open as she came face to face with Twilight Sparkle and proceeded to close them again. “You’re having that weird dream again, Trixie,” she mumbled.

“Um...I’m pretty sure you’re wide awake, Trixie,” Twilight stated, poking Trixie’s left foreleg.

The showmare’s eyes shot open once more, finally taking notice to the fact that Twilight was not a conjuration of her dreams. She stood up swiftly, hiding a blush behind her mane as she pushed Twilight away rather angrily. “Get your hooves off Trixie, Sparkle. Trixie is perfectly capable of waking up herself.”

Twilight could barely stifle a giggle. “Well, considering you passed out on my books, it seems to me you had no problem falling asleep either.”

“Trixie does not need your mockery or sarcasm,” the showmare scoffed. “As you know, the Great and Powerful Trixie is only helping you for the glory of returning Celestia’s long-lost magics.”

“Well, you could at least pretend to be pleasant,” Twilight muttered, picking up the remainder of the books. “This journey isn’t going to be easy.”

“Do you take Trixie for a foal? Of course Trixie knows it’s not going to be easy!” the showmare shouted.

“That wasn’t the part I meant for you to pick up on,” Twilight grumbled.

“Trixie heard the first part. She just chose not to acknowledge it.”

“But you just did that now,” said Twilight with a grin.

“T-that doesn’t count!” Trixie stuttered. “Do not try and trip Trixie up with fancy wordplay!”

“Whatever you say, Trixie.”

Twilight moved over to the table where Grimoire Fantasia’s book still sat, along with Twilight’s travel-size satchel buried behind stacks of notes. She lifted up the bag over her back and promptly slotted the book inside, tying the two leather straps into place. “All right,” Twilight declared. “I’m ready. I just need to make sure Spike knows what to do to take care of the library.”

“Very well. Trixie will be waiting outside. Take no more than several minutes. We cannot afford to waste time.”

Trixie swung the door open with her magic and was immediately buried beneath a mound of snow. Twilight was unable to hold back a roar of laughter as the showmare’s head popped out of the powdery white pile. “Cease your laughing at once, Twilight Sparkle! This is not amusing!”

“I’m sorry, Trixie,” the unicorn scholar managed as her laughter died down. “But you should have expected that.”

“Or p-perhaps,” Trixie said through a shiver, “you should have w-warned Trixie about it yourself.”

“Why don’t you warm up by the fire? I can push the snow away and make a path, but it’ll take a while.”

Trixie stomped out of the snow in a huff, shaking her coat clean of excess flakes as she sat down before the fireplace. Twilight’s horn lit up and she began to force the snow out the door and down a straightforward path. At the same time, Spike came treading carefully down the stairs, not wanting to trip up in his half-asleep daze.

“What’s with all the racket...?” he mumbled sleepily. Rubbing the sandman’s gift from his eyes he immediately took notice to Trixie lying before the fireplace. “Oh, you actually came inside! That’s great!”

“Trixie...chose to accept your generous offer only because it meant Trixie would not freeze to death...that is all.”

The young dragon gave Trixie a deadpan stare. “You know, you could try to be a little more grateful. If Twi hadn’t had me invite you in, you’d be buried out there with your box.”

“Trixie...supposes so. Trixie thanks you, then.”

“There!” Spike crossed his arms with an approving grin. “Now was that so hard?”

Trixie grumbled unintelligibly as Twilight walked in through the door, sighing in defeat. “Well, the train is completely buried. It won’t be freed for a couple of hours.”

“You must not be thinking at all, Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie jeered. “Did you actually think we’d be traveling where other ponies could see us with the book?”

Twilight’s gaze met with the hard wood floor of the library. “I...guess I didn’t think about that.”

“We travel on hoof,” Trixie continued. “It is less of a danger to us if we take a path nopony would ever think of. We must be especially certain to avoid Celestia’s royal guard. If they find us and recognize you, it’s all over.”

“But...we don’t even have a map to go by! How will we know where we’re going?”

“You are lucky, Twilight Sparkle, as Trixie has thought ahead.” The showmare levitated her hat up off her head, revealing a map safely slotted in a fold of the hat’s insides. Trixie unraveled the parchment, revealing a full world map with a course marked by blue sparkle dust. “This is Trixie’s own personal world map. The path has been marked with Trixie’s patent-pending everlasting stardust cloud mixture. Using the very same formula as Trixie’s illusion cloud dust, Trixie has created an ink-like dust that can be used with any quill pen.”

Twilight pawed at the map, testing the dust’s durability before all else. “Wow, Trixie, I have to admit, I’ve never seen anything like this,” praised the unicorn scholar. “Ink without ink...this could revolutionize the world of literature!”

“Yes, yes, Trixie is a genius,” the showmare bragged, hiding how giddy she actually was having been legitimately complimented on something she’d done. “Now, take a look at the path. Trixie drew out as safe a trail as she could possibly find.”

Twilight eyed the map and took notice to where they’d be headed. “...Everfree Forest to Las Pegasus...past the Diamond Dog’s gemstone mines...over the Swirling Sea, past the gates of Tartarus, through the gryphon capital, around the Gilded Claw feeding grounds and to the Stones of the Arcane? Trixie, how in Celestia’s name is this the safest path?!”

“Simple,” Trixie replied calmly. “All other paths that kept us out of Celestia’s radar led through dragon nests.”

“...I’ve got a few other questions.”

“Very well,” Trixie replied, annoyed. “Ask.”

“When did you draw this up?”

“Last night, after Trixie left,” the showmare replied. “Trixie uses this map to travel the world for her shows.”

“How long will this take us?”

“A few weeks,” Trixie answered. “This is not only the safest path, but the least time consuming. Any other paths would have taken us several months.”

“Why couldn’t we just teleport around all the dangerous-”

Trixie bolted toward Twilight and swiftly placed a hoof over her mouth. Their eyes met, and Trixie glared daggers at the lilac unicorn. “Do not even speak of using your magic, Twilight Sparkle. That is the most important part of this. You must not cast a single spell while we are on this journey. Your magic is the most recognizable in all of Equestria.”

Trixie’s glare intensified as her hoof descended from Twilight’s vision. “If anypony, or any creature at all for that matter, recognizes you as the Element of Magic, Celestia only knows what may happen, in both senses of the phrase. Word carries far, Sparkle. If we are discovered with this book at any point during our travels, Celestia will have both of us locked away. Teacher’s pet or not, despite your positive intentions, doing this would carry multiple counts of treason unless we return to Canterlot with the book in its original, pristine condition.”

“T-treason?!” Twilight stumbled back, tripping over a forlorn book and landing on her back. “I never wanted to go against Celestia! That wasn’t what I wanted at all!”

“You wanted to repair this book, Sparkle,” Trixie said with a shrug. “Trixie does as well, but at least she is willing to accept the risks of taking on this quest. If you cannot, then Trixie must go on her own.”

“I...I...” Twilight was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Her mind was locked in a paradoxical conflict. On one hoof, if she just brought the book to Celestia, she’d have to answer a number of questions as to how she came across it and how she eventually found out what the book was, in which case, she’d be incriminating not only herself and to an extent Spike, but Trixie as well. Treason meant the worst possible punishment: banishment.

On the other hoof, if she took on this adventure, there was much more danger than treason involved. Passing through Everfree without magic was dangerous enough, but the safest path possible led the two mares through diamond dog territory, gryphon land and one of the shadiest cities in all of Equestria. Death was beyond likely, but Twilight argued in her mind which one was more worth it: death or banishment?

“Twilight Sparkle, you must make a decision right now. You could try to turn this book over to Celestia and pray that doing so does not seal your fate. However, if you actually wish to take a risk for once in your sheltered life, join Trixie and follow this path with her.”

“Twilight, you don’t have to listen to her,” said Spike, rushing to console his big sister with a half hug around her neck. “Celestia would never punish you for something you didn’t know anything about.”

“I...I know, but...this magic was stolen from her...”

“If she hasn’t gone looking for herself, then it obviously isn’t anything she cares about anymore,” Spike stated.

“Or she doesn’t know where to look,” Twilight mused in reply. The lilac mare pulled away from Spike and took a few steps toward Trixie. “I’ll go.”

“Are you certain?” Trixie asked, head held up high. “This seems to be a difficult decision for you. If you need more time, I-”

“I said I’ll go,” Twilight interrupted, stomping a hoof down before Trixie and startling the showmare slightly. “I need to find these spells. As the princess’ student of magic, this is something I just have to do. I’ve got no other choice.”

Trixie’s blank stare turned into an impressed grin. “Well...the bookworm has a backbone, it seems. Very well, then. If that is your decision, then we leave immediately.” Trixie turned back to the door and began walking out.

“Wait a minute.”

The showmare turned a full one-eighty degrees and glared at Twilight. “Oh, what now?”

“What are we going to do about food?” Twilight asked.

Silence. The showmare had been rendered speechless.

“...You didn’t think about that, did you, Trixie?”

Trixie’s expression shifted to an embarrassed red. “T-Trixie may have...left that minor detail out of her plan.”

“Minor? Trixie, dying of hunger is a lot worse than dying from...whatever else we’ll be dealing with out there.”

“Well, what do you plan to do about it, Sparkle?” Trixie asked. “I suppose you’ve got a better plan?”

Twilight thought for a moment, then as the idea clicked, she beamed. “As a matter of fact, I do.”

Twilight arrived at Sugar Cube Corner, satchel over her back, and noticed immediately that it was bustling as usual. The winter season was the most hectic time of year for the bake shop, but the Cakes and Pinkie Pie, with some extra help from the Apple family, managed to keep everything together and flowing rather well. Ponies were flying in and out with different pastries and cookies, and each had a smile on their face, just as Pinkie had always planned. Twilight trotted in hoping Pinkie had forgotten about her question last night. The line was rather long, but not nearly as bad as most other winter days had been. The wait was a mere fifteen minutes before Twilight was next at the counter and her hyperactive pink friend was invading her personal space.

“Hiya, Twilight!” Pinkie shouted happily. “How are ya today?”

“I’m fine, Pinkie,” Twilight replied with as believable a fake smile as she could put on. “Sorry about that awkward question I asked you last night. Water under the bridge?”

“Of course!” Pinkie chirped. “You were probably just stressed out again. No biggie! Now, what can I get for you today?”

“I need to stock on my usual breakfast order. I’ve got a big research project I’m working on and I probably won’t be able to leave my lab. Could I get a couple of weeks worth of muffins?”

“What kind?” Pinkie asked, leaning over the counter and pushing her face even closer into Twilight’s. “We’ve got blueberry, apple cinnamon, cranberry, banana nut, chocolate chip...”

“Surprise me,” Twilight replied.

“You got it, Twilight!”

Pinkie bolted into the kitchen as Twilight stepped aside to the pickup counter, where Applejack stood, greeting each customer with a smile.

“Well, howdy there, Twi. Ya feelin’ better after last night?”

“Oh, yeah, completely,” she lied. Twilight could feel Applejack’s eyes practically reading her soul.

“Twi, y’all know ah ain’t an easy mare ta fool. Ah can tell yer full of it.”

“What? Whatever gave you that-”

Twilight stopped her dialog dead in its tracks as the Element of Honesty’s eyes locked with hers. If she was any more nervous, she would have been sweating bits.

“Look, Twi...ah dunno what yer plannin’ ta do about...well, you-know-who, but if ah can’t actually stop ya...just be careful, would ya?”

“I’m not doing it alone,” Twilight admitted. “I have a bit of...unwilling help. A little showboat who’s just as curious as I am.”

Applejack shot her friend a skeptical stare. “Twi, yer not talkin’ bout who I think you’re talkin’ bout, are ya?”

“Yes,” the lilac unicorn replied. “Unfortunately. But she has a map plotted out with the safest path to find what we’re looking for.”

Applejack sighed in defeat. “Like ah said, ah can’t stop ya. Just be careful, ‘specially ‘round that little con artist.”

“I know, AJ. I’ll be careful.”

Pinkie Pie popped up from behind the counter, startling both mares. “I’ve got your order, Twilight! That’ll be eighty four bits!”

Twilight levitated a cloth bag from her satchel and poured out a pile of golden coins. She was lucky. She had just enough to cover the order. Applejack pulled the gold coins into a box behind the counter and Pinkie presented Twilight with her order: three boxes of muffins, approximately five hooves wide and long and two hooves tall each. Twilight stacked them atop her back and held them steady in her violet magic aura.

“Good luck on your project, Twilight!”

With a nod of thanks, Twilight was off. She didn’t know how this journey would work, but she knew three things for a fact: One, she had a mission she felt she had to do. Two, she had a path to lead her way. Three, she had an ally, however unwilling, to walk the path with her. Thoughts of this treason she would be committing faded away as the vision of her intended goal was presented before her. She would return Celestia’s stolen magic to her. She would do wrong by her conscience to do right by her mentor. She would uncover the legend of Grimoire Fantasia.