Wild awoke slowly to the same sight as what he went asleep to. The same massaging table underneath him, the same frosted glass window in front of him. He still felt like he was floating in the warmth of a pleasant embrace of... whatever it could be. It didn’t matter because he felt good.

However, it was then when something intruded on his peace and calm, making a slight frown appear on his face. He opened his eyes, then got off the massaging table. There was a... feeling. Undefined, vague. He would be wrong if he said it was some sort of a call because it wasn’t. It was more like... a warning. There was nothing critical about it, at least not yet, but he had to find out what it was.

He exited the massaging room and went to exit the Ponyville Day Spa. He only briefly exchanged goodbyes with the owners, where he was also told it would be a weekly thing for him, to which he agreed. He put it to the back of his mind as he exited the building, and now the vague warning was at the forefront.

He looked around - the atmosphere was tense, and he could see ponies whispering between themselves before they either went away or went towards the center of the village. Wild followed those who did the latter. He, however, hanged back, unwilling to put himself directly in the path of possible danger, certainly not until he knew what it was. He hoped it wasn’t like the Changeling Invasion or the Nightmare. However, he had a feeling that it wasn’t. He needed to investigate it further...

Or he could leave right now and possibly warn the princess. It would mean going around Ponyville, which would take him more time, but he would then avoid the center of the village where the warning originated from.

He weighed the two options. If he were to approach the danger... then what? He had no plan. He didn’t know what to expect. He didn’t have a weapon, and there were certainly no knives conveniently within his vision. His magic was not very strong either, and he couldn’t escape using it without something being seriously wrong - he still didn’t know how to teleport. He didn’t even know if blocking teleportation was possible - he should have looked it up immediately upon learning teleportation was possible. However, he didn’t plan ahead - planning was just not his strongest suit - and so he was now reaping the consequences.

Going around the village it was. Warn Princess Luna that something was wrong, and he felt this situation would concern her even though he didn’t know why he felt that way. Either way, Princess Luna knew him and would know he wouldn’t have went to her unless he was very worried, which he was.

He needed to do the sensible thing, and the most sensible thing right now was to evade the danger and warn someone who could deal with it about it. And so he went, first turning right around, exactly away from the center of the village. He walked until the houses grew sparse, then changed his direction to go around the imagined perimeter. As he went, he saw more and more ponies heading towards the center of the village, although some hid inside their houses, closing and locking their doors and windows. Whatever it was, it was at least worrying enough that ponies decided hiding like this would be safer, so Wild silently congratulated himself on not going with the crowd towards the center. However, he still needed to make his way around to the path to the Royal Orphanage, and this would take him more time than getting from that path to Ponyville Day Spa took. Hopefully, whatever it was in the center would not reach him.

He shifted from a walk to a trot. He didn’t know if going any faster would be a good idea, so he did his best to seem not too out of place. He frequently looked around as he went, but aside from regular ponies there was no one there. He couldn’t hear any screams or yells, although there was something at the edge of his hearing, something coming from the enter of the village. Despite his curiosity, he maintained his pace and direction, making a wide circle around the center. His breath was steady, his hooves hitting the ground at regular intervals, and he was focused on making his way without incident.

Wild really hoped it was nothing too serious, and he had a feeling it wasn’t anything on the scale of the Changeling Invasion or even the Nightmare, but... it was not something to disregard despite that.

It would have been funny if Wild was not, despite his outward appearance, growing more and more afraid by the minute. His second outing away from the Royal Orphanage, and he had already gotten in trouble. Maybe fate or destiny or whatever it could be that influenced this magical world had a laugh at his expense. With his luck, it could be exactly that. And this time he, once again, had to rely on luck in order not to get hurt. Perhaps if he actually learned how to teleport, he would have already been back at the orphanage and on his way to warn the princess. Or, if he had more power, if his magic were stronger, he would have been able to go and see what the danger was and easily deal with it. However, from what he knew, it took an alicorn level of power to do this kind of thing easily, and he was certainly far from that. It appeared it was possible to become an alicorn, but he had no idea how, and he very much doubted it was even possible for someone like him. And even if he did become one, all alicorns were members of royalty, so did that mean he would become some sort of a prince as well? He simply couldn’t see that happen. He wanted and needed power over his own life, but power over the lives of others? He neither wanted it nor deserved it. Considering how messed up he was, he could only ever pass it on to others if he were given this much power.

His musings were interrupted when he caught something happening in the corner of his eye. A burst of magic flashed in red, and in an instance a huge transparent glass-like dome was conjured over the entirety of Ponyville. It started lowering quickly, and Wild did not hesitate, turning entirely away from the center of the village and galloping as far as his legs would allow. A second passed, and the dome was over a quarter way down, and Wild could see he would not make it. He made himself go faster anyway. Another second passed, and the dome was already halfway to the ground, the edge of it too far away, and Wild pushed himself even harder. A third second, and the dome was almost there, not giving him time, and on the fourth second, it landed with a final thud that shook the ground. Wild slowed down, then stopped - between him and the edge of the dome, a few dozen meters were. He would have never made it.

Did the dome seal off the outside air? Would everyone slowly starve of oxygen? Or would this dome be filled with deadly gasses or even simple water?

Wild had a very, very bad feeling about this. He needed to escape, the sooner the better. Whoever conjured this dome had to be very powerful to do it so easily and so quickly. He had no idea why Ponyville was under attack, but he had to warn Princess Luna that something wrong was going on.

He approached the edge of the dome and studied it with his eyes. It clearly wasn’t glass, something was... off about it. Wild looked around and saw a loose piece of gravel. He spun it around, then hurled it at the dome with as much power as he could muster. It bounced off in a flash of red light, landing still on this side of the dome. The red light - it had to be some kind of alert system, Wild realized. He swiftly made his way away from the spot, cursing that he couldn’t easily hide in the grass because his fur just wasn’t the right color. Thankfully, no one immediately arrived to check on the disturbance, so it seemed he was safe for the moment.

Hiding behind some odd old-looking shed next to an overgrown plot of land, he stopped to think. Perhaps this barrier only didn’t let physical objects pass, so likely his spirit would. And if not, he could try to move through the ground underneath - it didn’t seem like the dome dug into the earth. However, if he did that, he would have to leave his body behind, and he wasn’t sure what would happen with it.

Then he recalled that Lina had a new body made for her. Right this moment, he wished if it were finally a success, that it was possible to make a new body and to move one person, one soul to another. It would have made things... easier.

He could try to teleport. He cast his mind back to when he teleported first, and he definitely remembered the sensation of it. How he accomplished it, however, was another thing entirely. Likely, first he needed to imagine his destination. He closed his eyes and picked a place with enough open space for him not to accidentally make any mistakes. There it was, the space just behind the gates to the Royal Orphanage, where there was just the road and grass by its sides. He imagined the details like the distance between that point and the main building, then the lake, then other places. It was still somewhat vague, but it was likely enough. Next, he willed himself to go there. He wanted to go there. His magic was there, he needed to use it.

He stood like that for a couple of long seconds stretching into half a minute, then a full minute. Nothing happened except his horn started itching a bit. With a huff of frustration, he ceased his efforts and then rubbed at his horn, making the itch go away. It appeared he needed to go with a different plan.

The very same shed he was hiding behind was tilted a bit, and the padlock on it was rusty, and one of the things that the U-shaped part of the padlock went through was barely nailed to the side of the doorway. He grabbed it with his magic, wrapping it around the thing, and then pulled. It came out, nails and all, with a surprising amount of ease, and so Wild slipped inside the old shed and closed the door behind him. It easily stayed closed, so he didn’t need to worry about it opening on accident.

The insides were sparse: the floor was simple packed dirt, and the only things inside were broken pieces of wood and handles for tools, as well as some rusty shovel and hoe heads and other things. Wild settled himself down on the ground, then left his body. It slumped as his awareness shifted, his form a vague smoke-like cloud with a pair of red holes for eyes and red cracks all over it. Was it his imagination or were the cracks now lesser, thinner, not as pronounced?

It didn’t matter. Hopefully, he’ll be able to leave Ponyville now and warn the princess. However, a logical part of him supplied that he didn’t even know what the danger actually was. He needed to investigate in order to bring complete and accurate information to Luna so she could deal with it. He would stay hidden just in case - he didn’t want a repeat of what happened to Celestia.

***

The Great and Powerful Trixie sat in her carriage and waited impatiently for those fools Snips and Snails to drag her Great and Majestic carriage to the sight of the disturbance in her magical force field. She was perfectly aware, of course, that those two weren’t earth ponies, and they were pretty weak even for unicorns, but that was no excuse.

“Pull, you fools! Faster!” she yelled, snapping her whip over them. It was likely her imagination that the carriage went just a tiny bit faster. At this point, she would never get where she intended, and she did not like that, not one bit. The Great and Powerful Trixie was not the Great and Patient Trixie. She had been patient enough already.

“But...” Snips said between gasps of exertion, “Wouldn’t it be faster if we had some... wheels?!”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie does not trust wheels,” she declared, “Now pull faster!”

Those fools have caused her humiliation. They were the ones that forced her to confront Ursa. Had they not done that, her lie would not have been exposed. Now it was time for them to experience humiliation.

So what if she lied? Everyone lied! At least her lies added to her performance. She entertained people. She led a good, mostly honest, life. She was loved by many, crowds of ponies gathering to see her perform, to gaze at her, to appreciate her. All for it to be ruined because some ponies had to go dig where they should not have! Snips and Snails had to be absolute idiots to disturb any ursa, minor or major, and she was the one who paid for it. Then no one wanted to see her, no one wanted anything at all to do with her. Her reputation was in ruins, in tatters, unrecoverable. She almost had to use royal support, and the Great and Powerful Trixie did not need support! Even working at a rock farm was better than that.

Now, she had all the power in the world to do what she wanted. With the Alicorn Amulet, she would rule everything... eventually. The Great and Powerful Trixie could not let insults such as the existence of other fools who called themselves great and powerful pass. With this amulet, she could easily confront all the princesses Equestria could throw at her. For all their power, it was not true power, for none of the would be able to take this amulet off. And the Great and Powerful Trixie herself, well, she would not take it off. Oh, how she imagined they would beg and plead and try to reason, of all things, but the only reason that was true was hers.

Everyone would obey... or else.

Her ear twitched - someone was watching her. Had been watching her for quite a while, in fact. Something inside her head itched, but the moment she focused on it, it disappeared. Nevertheless, she looked around, tuning out the groans of Snips and Snails as they continued to pull her carriage. A pony was at the window watching her, and she raised her eyebrow imperiously. Moments after, the pony retreated out of her sight.The Great and Beautiful Trixie appreciated being gazed at, naturally, but not like this. Everything in due time. Once she learned what the disturbance was, perhaps there would be a gathering of appreciation for her. Voluntarily mandatory, of course.

Suddenly, screams rose in the air from in front of the carriage.

“Just what are you two...” Trixie snarled, only for it to die off as she saw the thing forming in front of her. Snips and Snails, the fools, quickly ran away. Trixie stood up, glaring imperiously at the smoke-like black-and-red being in front of her, “Well? Present yourself to the Great and Powerful Trixie or face punishment!”

The voice, when it appeared, sounded as if it came from inside her own head.

“I am the creator of what you wear around your neck,” it said to her, prompting her to look down at the amulet.

“You made the Alicorn Amulet?” Trixie said, remembering all the things she had accomplished so far. Teleporting straight from Canterlot to Ponyville was beyond her wildest dreams before, but now it was as easy as going on a brisk trot - not that the Great and Powerful Trixie needed to trot like a peasant anymore. She had nowhere to hurry, the world would hurry to her instead. And then humiliating the oh-so-good Twilight Sparkle with magic even she could not do... That was euphoric.

“You have only begun to discover its power,” that thing continued, “And yet it remains... incomplete.”

“Incomplete?” Trixie felt powerful enough already. But more power... she would not say no to that.

“Yes. Age and disuse have lessened it, and it needs to be... reawoken.”

“What does the Great and Powerful Trixie have to do to become more powerful?” she eagerly asked.

“Come with me.”

Trixie hopped down from her carriage and removed it. It was ugly anyway, all made of wood without a single speck of paint. She would make a Great, no, the Greatest and Most Majestic carriage the world has ever seen once she has the promised power.

Where she was led was not impressive.

“A shed?” she asked, puzzled.

“Every great thing comes from a small beginning,” the being told her, and she nodded, “This may become your palace.”

A palace of her own... she hadn’t really thought about it before, but now it felt appropriate. She could and she would rise above even the princesses!

“Now, give me the amulet, and I will unlock its full potential.”

“And you can’t do it with it still on the neck of the Great and Powerful Trixie... why?” she asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“You are afraid I will steal it,” the being said, “My powers do not require this amulet.”

That was... true. With some hesitation, Trixie undid the clasp of the amulet, then moved it over to the being. It reached out with a tendril of black smoke, wrapped it around the amulet, and took it. Silently, the being slipped into the shed, taking the amulet with it. Trixie saw a glimpse of something inside, but it was too fast to truly register as the door swung shut. Perhaps it had some sort of a magical forge or something.

With the amulet no longer on her, she felt... uncertain. There was now something different to... everything.

Did she really do what she did to Snips and Snails? They were annoying, they did put her life in danger, but...

She didn’t get to complete her thoughts when the door swung open, someone walked out, and the last thing she remembered then was a blast of red to her chest.

***

Wild felt the power coursing through him, churning inside him, flooding him pleasantly, filling a part of him that he didn’t know was nearly empty until then. The warmth of power deep inside him was intoxicating and welcoming, and he breathed it all in. Knowledge of a thousand spells and how to perform them filled his mind, years of wisdom earned in less than a blink. He stood straight as he felt his magic rejuvenate his body, filling him to the brim with boundless energy.

The ‘Great and Powerful’ Trixie was a fool to part with this for a mere unsubstantiated promise. Knocked out and bound, locked in that shed, she was now no one and nothing.

The dome surrounding Ponyville disappeared the moment she became unconscious, and Wild felt no need to conjure it up again - and he could, he knew he could. He was right - this magical force field did have an alert system as the caster was fully aware of what happened to it at any point and at nearly any distance. He would have to remember that spell, it seemed very useful. It also did not forbid the air from entering or leaving, and neither did it prevent anything other than sapient living beings from moving through it. Ingenious design.

However, with this power came... an awareness. Wild noticed it in Trixie at first, something that seemed to share a space within her, something that was not her but wanted to be a part of her. Now he felt it within himself, the... the thing, the compulsion, the...

He needed to get to Princess Luna. Whatever that thing was, it wanted to influence him, it wanted to get into his mind. He had pushed it back, and he sensed no real intent to it, but it was like... he didn’t even really have words to describe it. Remains of a mind? Lingering piece of a soul? Something was not right about it.

Teleportation was easy. First, focus on destination - that step was simply natural, and he got it right the first time. The destination came to him in sharp clarity, nothing like before. It was like a photo except he could look around and it was inside his own mind. It was honestly fascinating, but he didn’t have time to think about it. Then he needed to use his... horn muscles... in a particular way? He wasn’t aware horns had any muscle, but apparently they did have them. In fact, they were responsible for casting spells - they vibrated in some way that made it possible, and every spell was a pattern of vibration.

He pushed his magic as he performed the spell, and in a blink of an eye and a flash of light, as well as a whoosh of displaced air, he arrived exactly where he wanted to be.

Now, he only needed to reach Princess Luna and tell her about all this.

The presence inside the amulet was growing insistent, pushing on him. It tried to mask itself as a part of his mind, but he could see the difference as clear as day. Anger flooded him - how dare anyone, anything try to get into his mind? He would never let it happen again, and now he had the power to do so!

Like a claw, he gripped that oily, disgusting presence, and felt it squirming in his grasp. He would not allow anyone to control him, not now, not ever. With a mighty pull, he yanked it out, tore it from its place like a weed.

A wave crashed against him, throwing him, spinning him, nothing and everything, and his awareness ceased in an overwhelming, all-consuming flash of red.

Author's Note

I know we are technically, canon-wise, between Season 2 and Season 3, but I decided to place the Alicorn Amulet episode right here. It was apparently originally slated to release in Season 2 instead of 3, so here we are.

In the end, I am only loosely following the canon timeline, so I am going to switch some stuff around as I see fit and as long as it still makes sense.