[Ponyville]Dark Paths

[Ashton]

Trixie Lulamoon

Outside, the sun was reaching it's apex, the sky was clear except for a few easy-going nimbus clouds, and overall everything seemed to be on the upswing. There had been no storms lately, foals were out playing, really nothing could be said that would deem this an abnormal day, nor that would even hint at what might be looming just over the proverbial horizon, the stormclouds that invisibly brewed behind the veil of innocence that was today. To those out in the sun, it was just another day, one of many past and many to come. Little did they know...

Castle Harmony, while standing in the same place and in fact housing all that could be recovered from the golden oaks library, still seems a little more imposing and ominous than that simple tree that had stood in that place for countless centuries. Some said that the tree had been planted when ponyville was founded, some said it was planted during the Nightmare Wars, and still others believe it had been one of the first trees that had sprouted when the sisters first walked the land eons ago. But that was gone now. The Rather massive edifice that now resided in the center of ponyville had been there only weeks, and housed the princess of the kingdom of harmony (which, sadly some ponies were still trying to find on a map...) as well as being Twilight's laboratory, library, and much much more --- some that even she was still finding as she explored all the nooks, crannies, and hidden passages. However, this was the most true for the castle core, where everything sprang from, the lock to every door, even those which did not exist or should not be opened...

Twin sets of hoofsteps quietly rang out as the pair descended down the stairs, unlike much of the castle, these stairs were not covered in carpet, so every hoofall could be heard echoing. The torches that lined the hallway always blew in an invisible breeze, and everything seemed so perfect and undisturbed. Perhaps because this hallway had been hidden. Formerly, only Twilight Sparkle herself had known of it's existence, but with the arrival of her once rival, perhaps even enemy, Trixie, things began to change. Twilight had learned that Trixie had harbored a... liking... of the princess since the misadventure with the alicorn amulet, possibly even reaching back all the way to the cerulean mare's first visit to ponyville, when Twilight had been able to handle the ursa that Trixie could not. It was because of this interest that despite somewhat slow business, that the showmare had stayed in ponyville. Twilight had grown to be friends, albeit casual ones, after that awkward night when Trixie showed up in ponyville and proceeded to get drunk and peep in Twilight's window. Unfortunately for trixie, the friendship was not as... emotional... as the mare had hoped. However, it was at the least a starting point. From that point came Twilight's proposal that would fulfill Trixie's dreams, though not in the way she had always expected. Being appointed Royal Magician had always been the pony's dream, ever since she learned her first spell as a filly. Though, being appointed the Royal Magician of the Kingdom of Harmony left quite a bit to be desired... in fact her duties seemed at first to be secretarial, pouring over collections of spellbooks and tomes of power, trying to determine which held real magic and which did not... it was not quite what Trixie had hoped for. Twilight soon though did grant trixie more research privileges, specifically to test some of those books' spells. But even then it usually was a failure. She had no idea how many crazed wizards that could fling around lightning bolts, were also trying to create spells for making snow globes that shook themselves, or brooms that could also cook one dinner, or even though they could find a recipe to turn buttermilk into gold! For every interesting spell there were a thousand boring ones, most of which were failures...

"Remember, Trixie, this is official royal business, you are not to tell anypony what you are about to see"

"Trixie has yet to see anything but a staircase inside your thrown, trixie doubts many ponies would really care even if she were to tell them"

Twilight sighed "Trust me, you will"

And then it was more of the same. The passage seemed to wind deep underground. Trixie kept looking back and watching as that brightly-lit doorway in the throne room dimmed and eventually faded from her view. They walked for what seemed like eternity, and Trixie found herself wondering if this was less a stairway and a path to the infernal realm itself. However pulling a watch from inside her cape she realized they'd only been walking for five minutes. All the monotony was getting to her.

The path came to an end at a landing with a large door bearing the crest of magic, surrounded by the crests of Loyalty, Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, and Honesty, with a single small hole in the very center.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the tree of harmony that you mentioned to trixie, would it?" she asked "Even if trixie feels like she walked for miles, the everfree certainly is not this short of a trot away, at least not the castle of the sisters"

"In a way, yes, it does" said Twilight as she inserted her horn, and a purple aura spread out. She removed the horn and watched as the symbols of her friends's cutiemarks slowly glowed and a split appeared in the door, which slowly slid open by magic, revealing a pedestal that was part of the foundation of the castle itself, and sitting atop it was the familiar box that had been the seed from which the castle sprouted.

Trixie stared in wonder "The box... it's still part of the castle?!"

"It's the heart of the castle" said Twilight "The central hub, where all the magic is concentrated and controlled. This room has the power to warp reality itself... if you have the proper key that is" she winked as she drew out from under her wings a key in the shape, strangely, of a beaker, and placing it into one of the keyholes, turned it.

The stone glowed and the walls around them took the shape of multiple doors. The first was a brilliant white and shown with the symbol of harmony. The second was black with a crystal above it that seemed to pulse ominously, and the final was, well, just a plain door.

"Trixie is impressed, but what..."

"We're getting to that" said Twilight as she walked over to the first door and pushed it open, a complete lack of a lock, but then after going through all the other locks, it was somewhat redundant to have one on this door as well, one would argue.

Inside there were beakers bubbling, a cauldron on the fire, and several machines spitting out readings, but in the center of the room, what would catch the eye the most was a large platform. On it sat six glass bowls, each one filled with a different liquid, one was purple, one blue, one white, one yellow, one pink, and one orange. These bows were set atop a pentacle with the corresponding cutiemark etched into the stone below them, the purple liquid in the center, but what was so ominous was the pulsating black crystals that floated above each bowl except the center one, where the crystal was partly submerged, occasionally producing a bubble of black.

"These are samples of the essence of the greatest heros Equestria has Seen since the princesses themselves. As I have told you, the stories about the threats to the land being squelched by the sisters are false, it was these six ponies and in turn the elements of harmony that worked together to save our world time and time again"

"Trixie found that a little hard to swallow, but has accepted it. What of those crystals though, they look like the product of black magic"

Twilight nodded "These crystals _are_ black magic, however because of that they contain a tremendous power, I am trying to find out if it's possible to use that power, in connection with the element-bearers, to fashion new elements of harmony that do not depend on the tree of harmony for their power"

"But you have a new power now, do you not, Trixie saw the battle with the monkey"

Twilight nodded "we had the elements as well, but one day we had to give them up, who's to say that we wont have to do the same with our current powers." she explained "However... the effects have not been as I had hoped... While I was able to create powerful gems, they seem... incorrect... somehow..." she walked over to a drawer and opened it to reveal more than a few in the shape of the Element of Magic, but a green color with a dark purple energy oozing around inside "If anypony were to try to use these, the results could be disastrous" she explained as she placed it back. "Not only that..." she pulled out a photo of herself, attempting to wield the new element, her mark was partly turned to the same color, and the aura of evil from her glowing green and red eyes showed the consequences...

"Why show trixie this?" asked the mare, suspicious, wondering if she were about to be used a guinea pig.

"Because I need help, I've hit a brick wall, you are a unicorn of great talent, trixie, and you have traveled far and seen much, I think that between us, we can solve this!" she smiled as she began walked back out the door and up the stairs

"Even when you yourself....?"

"Especially when I myself" smiled Twilight

Trixie smiled as she followed her friend up the stairs, finally exiting the throne, where twilight used her magic to turn the gem atop it back upright, making the passage close

"When do we start?" asked the caped unicorn

"Right now" smiled Twilight.

[Ashton]

The rest of the morning was spent with Twilight going over her research notes, as well as the known history of the elements of harmony, with TRixie. To prove that she was serious and trusted her, Twilight ended the morning with a demonstration of the magic that created the crystals, the blakc magic of anger and hatred... and much to trixie's shock, Twilight trusted her un-winged counterpart enough to teach her the spell!

Trixie staggered back, the purple aura fading from around her eyes as she rubbed them "Trixie has a headache... I don't know if this is such a good idea" she said, the mixture of third and first-pony making it clear that she was tired and weakening, but she was keeping to her hooves, determined to master the spell before she gave up.

Twilight nodded, smiling "This is where the magic for the new elements is coming from - these crystals, that means it's very important for you to learn how they are created and how they function so you can assist me" she explained "Besides, you'll never know when you will need power like this, I sure didn't..." she admitted

Trixie sighed, nodding as she closed her eyes and her horn was covered in that familiar green and purple glow as a purple arura trailed from her eyes, she opened them, green and red with a slitted pupil and gave an enraged rawr as she blasted the ground again... and again staggering afterwards...

This time, there were several small black crystals on the rug, but they were tiny, not even as big as a foal's marbles. Still, it was progress.

Twilight smiled "Trixie, I want you to keep practicing this spell. I don't know why but I have this feeling that you will need it"

Trixie sighed "TRixie will master it! She will not let some old spell beat her!" she said, even though she was gripping the nearby table for support "...though trixie does require dinner before she finishes mastering the spell"

Twilight giggled "Alright, I'll see to it, keep practicing, if you need to, you can look at or use this as an amplifier" she placed one of the large black crystals on the ground "It might help you to cast through it, like a lens, and then as you get more and more comfortable, use it less and less"

The blue mare *humphed* "Trixie does not need a lens to focus her great power!" she said "...though... if you insist, you *are* trixie's employer... and a princess... so Trixie will do as you request"

Twilight giggled, knowing this was as close as she would ever come to getting ad admission of needing help from trixie "I'll go see about lunch" she said as she headed for the kitchens, leaving trixie in the room to practice.

[Ashton]

Trixie watched Twilight go, once the purple mare was gone, Trixie *humph*ed to herself again "Trixie does not need help! Trixie will prove she's worthy of you! I mean, just as skilled as you!" she said, blushing a little at the slip even if it was in private. Though she stared at the crystal and sighed "well... maybe Trixie needs some... inspiration! Yes, Trixie is merely using this to learn proper technique, she doesn't *need* it!" she said as she levitated the crystal. as she did her aura darkened and she shuddered, it reminded her of the Alicorn amulet... and even if she did like the power it provided, deep down she could almost feel her soul rotting as she used it... it was corrupt magic, foul in every possible way... and this crystal was no different... Was twilight really doing this? was she _really_ experimenting with a power so vile? Were they still on equal ground - that is, if twilight were still simply a unicorn and not a princess - Trixie might have found herself tempted to contact Celestia, or at least Luna, but now, with Twilight being int he same 'inner circle' Trixie felt it was not her place... though deep down she knew she should...

With a sigh, Trixie pushed these thoughts aside, it didn't matter right now, Whatever Twilight was doing, she had instructed Trixie to learn this spell, and as corrupt as it was, there was no doubt it had *some* use... Trixie focused her magic, trying to cast it through the crystal like a lens... a beam flashed up, hit the crystal... then flashed back and hit Trixie right in the face, making her tumble backwards, the crystal falling safely on the carpet, though casting a dark reflection as it did...

-----

Twilight shook her head, she wondered if Trixie really had the potential she had hear... there were mutterings that Trixie's power had no hard limits, that with the proper motivation the blue mare might even rival twilight herself! But from what she'd seen this day, Twilight wondered... If knowledge were all it took, she would have felt herself on somewhat even footing with Trixie - both had studied magic long and hard, and though their spellset was different, both had reserves of magic to match one another... but their levels were far too different, at least right now...

"Spike!" called twilight "Spike!" she walked down the hall "SPIKE!" she sighed, had that dragon gotten lost in the castle AGAIN? despite her disagreement with his choice of how much hot sauce to add to meals, he really was a much better cook than she was, and she really should get back to Trixie, but, it seemed he once again had either run off or gotten lost... She snorted as she headed to her kitchen, when she found him she's make him pay... on she'd make him pay... he would... he would... he would have to dust the whole castle for a week! That's it! She'd increase his cleaning chores tenfold! she smirked, her eyes taking on that sickly green color ever-so-faintly for just a moment before she reached the kitchen and busied herself with preparing a proper lunch for herself and her court magician.