Author's Note:
I still have a knot in my stomach from exam anxiety; if I read my study books for more than an hour, I get a migraine.
I'm not kidding: I get a terrible headache every study session. The human body and the methods for healing it are complex.
Anyway, as a Genshin Impact fan I'm very happy: I read that there will be a big update on August 12th and Snezhnaya will be available.
Once I see what all seven Archons look like, I might write a fanfiction about how they end up in the DC/Marvel world, or some one-shots about Lumine/Aether having to manage a harem of the seven Archons.
I am a neurotic with a vivid and twisted imagination.
PS I'm also "lost in my own world": I had the day off today, but I still went to school. It's not the first time this has happened to me!
It makes me laugh, but at least this way I had time and silence to write this chapter and prepare the draft for the next Kaleidoscope Adventure (AEMH): Flamechaser, the Calamity of the Sun.
XXX
Story Arc: Welcome to the Crystal Empire
Episode 1: The Arrival of the Chosen "Hero" (V)
Chapter 5: Useless Obstacles on the Road to Treasure
Plot: After a surprisingly soft landing, our quartet of heroes—well, one anti-hero, a small sidekick/mascot, and two low-level companions, one of them reluctant—set out to brave the traps of the late King Sombra to reach a certain treasure precious to the Crystal Ponies.
XXX
POV Narrator
A Dark Planeswalker, a white faerie, and two anthropomorphic mares, a simple commoner, and the former slave of a now-deceased tyrant, held hands as they plunged into the darkness.
Instead of descending the seemingly endless spiral of steps, Traveler had chosen the shortest route: the void between the flights of stairs.
After a minute, which seemed like an instant to the outsiders and an eternity of pure terror to the two inhabitants of the Crystal Empire, the bottom of the secret passage came crashing down.
But instead of crashing to the ground and dying instantly, which wouldn't have happened to the Planeswalker and the faerie anyway for very different reasons, the four landed on a huge cube made of a soft, puffy material.
Upon impact, their grips loosened, leaving them to bounce and scatter across the soft surface.
"Are... are we alive?" Autumn Gem stammered. She found herself facedown, breathless and her body still shaking from the shudder of the sudden fall.
Beneath her, the surface was not the cold marble of the Crystal Palace, but a supple, alien softness that seemed to welcome her weight like an embrace.
Beside her, Emerald Scroll had landed heavily on her back.
Her fingers still convulsively gripped the golden chalice, but the amber liquid had now spilled, staining her white dress with a dark stain that spread like a bruise across the fine fabric.
"Whether we're alive or have slipped into another hell, I can't say," Emerald muttered in a depressed, resigned voice, revealing her deepest turmoil. She didn't even try to clean herself; she remained motionless, staring blankly into space.
"What have we walked on?" Autumn Gem asked, driven by a curiosity that overcame her fear. She stood shakily on her hooves, feeling the surface beneath her give and bounce.
It was like trying to balance on a mountain of thick gelatin; the material vibrated with his every movement.
"It's amazing… it's softer than my bed," Autumn declared with almost childlike wonder.
She tried a little leap and the surface responded with a springy, rubbery push, making her undulate as if she were on a magic trampoline.
"A pocket-sized inflatable air mattress! When turned off, it's the size of a small bag of chips or gummy bears, but once activated, it expands into this giant, squishy thing," Paimon explained.
The little fairy floated lazily above their heads.
Autumn Gem gasped, feeling the surface beneath her hooves vibrate slightly.
'An Arch-Sorcerer must have literally everything in his coat pockets,' thought the blue-coated mare, letting her imagination run wild.
In her mind, Autumn Gem pictured the Traveler, as casually as one might nibble on a snack, pulling a miniature dragon from his belt, ready to grow to the size of a house.
Paimon suddenly lowered himself and brought himself close to Autumn Gem's ears, but his words reached Emerald Scroll clearly as well.
"This isn't the first time the Traveler has done something like this: the pocket-sized inflatable air mattress is a constant in his standard adventurer's kit," the fairy whispered with a knowing smile.
"Are you serious, Paimon?" asked Autumn Gem, very curious to learn more about the Arch-Sorcerer.
"Despite having over ten thousand spells memorized, he always prefers to show off his toys when he has an audience. He's an incurable exhibitionist, but he won't admit it because he wants to remain mysterious and shrouded in shadows for practicality's sake," the fairy said with an amused smile, enjoying such small talk.
"I wasn't showing off. I simply preferred a light show and a quick trip, rather than a boring, slow descent that only scares children," Traveler retorted, as if all his actions were dictated by logic.
His androgynous voice rang out clear and steady, effortless. He had already stepped off the mattress with feline grace: his magitech boots hit the solid ground with a sharp metallic click.
The Dark Planeswalker began moving through the darkness with methodical movements, retrieving the gadgets he had left behind during his fall.
Autumn Gem leaned over the edge of the mattress, feeling the cold air nipping at her muzzle.
He looked up, where the ceiling faded into shadow, his eyes following the spiraling trail of neon lights that marked their descending path like an artificial constellation.
"Could we… could we do this again?" Autumn Gem asked timidly, her blue eyes shining with a strange, euphoric amusement.
The fear of falling had been swept away by the adrenaline and the beauty of that chromatic vortex. Traveler and Paimon's actions were making the blue-coated mare an adrenaline junkie.
Emerald Scroll, from her position, observed the way Traveler moved: he was silent, fast and precise, and it made her uncomfortable.
"If you're looking for thrills, I can offer you endless variety. You just have to resign yourself to the idea of being near a natural magnet for chaos and the bizarre," Traveler replied in an ambiguous tone, making it difficult to know whether he was happy or sad about his lot.
"You're not kidding! Sometimes we can't even leave the house to go shopping without getting into trouble," Paimon confirmed, crossing her little arms over her chest.
The fairy shook her head, remembering how a simple grocery store visit had led them to witness a murder, which in turn had led them to uncover the plot of a wealthy family with a wealth of dirty money and shady connections.
Autumn Gem giggled, a crystalline sound that echoed off the walls of the place.
"The more I get to know you, the funnier you become," exclaimed the blue-coated mare, wagging her pale purple tail with growing enthusiasm.
Traveler didn't respond to the joke; he preferred to study his surroundings. With his good eye, he analyzed every shadow and every grain of the rock.
"This is Traveler: on the outside a mysterious and intimidating ice prince, but on the inside he's just a big puppy looking for cuddles," the white fairy declared in an amused and sincere voice.
It circled around Bruce's head, heedless of the danger, its star-spangled cloak leaving a trail of glowing dust in the thick air of the room.
"Paimon, if it weren't for you talking such nonsense, you'd definitely be in need of a prosthetic for some missing limb by now," Traveler retorted in a passive-aggressive voice, but not too much, since he was addressing his dear fairy.
With a fluid flick of his wrist, Traveler summoned his walking stick: the weapon appeared out of nowhere between his gloved fingers, an object of ebony and silver that he gripped with a firm, authoritative grip.
The fairy touched her chin with a tiny finger, her dark purple eyes narrowing as she searched for a better way to describe it.
"Okay, I'll rephrase that," Paimon conceded with a sly smile.
"Traveler is a cuddly dog, funny and protective to his friends… but to everyone else he's a three-headed Cerberus capable of unleashing mayhem," Paimon said, as he walked away from the Dark Planeswalker.
"But honestly," added the fairy in a whisper, but in such a way that her voice buzzed clearly in the ears of the two mares.
"He would much rather have his head patted than have the entire planet burned down," Paimon said with a smirk, knowing a great deal about the Arch-Sorcerer.
'Burn the world? Can he really do that?' The thought shot through Emerald Scroll's mind like an electric shock.
"No, that's impossible. Not even Princess Celestia, who rules the sun with a single wave of her horn, would have such power," thought Emerald Scroll, convinced that the fairy was either grossly exaggerating her partner's abilities or using a metaphor.
"Do you… do you consider us friends?" Autumn Gem asked, her voice filled with timid social hope.
She pressed her small breasts together against the white fabric of her winter suit, trying to read a sign of warmth in the Traveler's face.
Clearly, the blue-coated mare wanted to strike up a sincere friendship with the two strangers.
"I only have five true friends: Luz, Othinus, Mash, Paimon, and Stelle," the Dark Planeswalker replied.
Paimon nodded, knowing the names of those five women intimately; being a friend of Traveler's was like being part of one of the most exclusive clubs in the Omniverse.
"You're unlikely to become number six, if anyone ever does," said Traveler. He hadn't added a new name to the list in five centuries. Yes, the Dark Planeswalker was certainly not a sociable person.
"And Shepard? Remember that great adventure across the galaxy a few years ago?" Paimon interjected, cocking his head to the side.
"Commander Shepard almost succeeded, but he didn't take the final step: returning from the dead," the Dark Planeswalker conceded in a tone that betrayed his tsundere side.
"But it remains in the 'almost friends' category, the only true position Autumn Gem should aspire to," Traveler added, his gaze remaining fixed on the darkness, refusing to meet the mare's blue eyes.
"Being an almost friend… is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Autumn Gem asked, sliding off the air mattress.
His hooves hit the rock with a dull, uncertain sound, as he tried to interpret that strange hierarchy.
Paimon sighed and walked over to Autumn Gem.
"You see, Traveler has taken too much to heart the philosophy of Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes: to possess all the treasures in the world, but only one friend. For him, 'True Friends' are rare, almost mythical gems. On the other hand, he has hundreds of 'almost friends' who, by normal people's standards, would be considered full-fledged friends, with bonds forged in unorthodox situations," Paimon explained, knowing the subject well.
If Traveler were the protagonist of a dating sim, he would be the final boss: a Kuudere-like character with a steel armor around his soul.
Paradoxically, winning his heart romantically would be child's play compared to the herculean task of climbing the ladder of his trust to the point of being called, sincerely, "True Friend."
Emerald Scroll listened silently as he climbed off the pocket air mattress.
"My lord... I did not drop your treasure," Emerald Scroll murmured. With a slow, trembling movement, he held out his arms, offering the golden cup to the Dark Planeswalker.
Her posture was that of a beaten dog bringing the newspaper back to its owner, with eyes downcast and muscles tense. Emerald Scroll is a mare in serious need of a vacation and a lot of therapy.
"You did well, but don't worry. You wouldn't have lost him even if you wanted to," Traveler replied stoically, as Paimon nodded.
"Helga Hufflepuff's Cup is enchanted to return to me at my command; no matter where it ends up, it will always answer its owner's call," Traveler explained calmly.
The Planeswalker would never lend his "toys" to anyone without assurances of some kind: magical, scientific, or legal.
"Unfortunately... its contents spilled," Emerald added.
The green-coated mare abruptly lowered her muzzle, closing her eyes and hunching her shoulders, expecting a severe punishment or a beating. She was accustomed to King Sombra's cruelty, where even the smallest mistake was punished with physical pain.
Traveler, however, put on a bored expression, as if he had just heard a worthless complaint.
He made a vague movement with his right hand, and in an instant, the dark stain on Emerald Scroll's dress vanished into thin air.
The white fabric not only returned to its original pristine condition, but it seemed to regenerate, becoming smoother and more impeccable than when it was new, as if it had just been washed and ironed by invisible hands.
'Such magic would make housework a breeze,' thought Autumn Gem, watching the scene with her ears pricked up in surprise.
His admiration for Traveler was growing into full-blown fan devotion.
"Don't worry about the liquid," Traveler concluded, turning his back on her to continue studying the cave.
"That chalice is an inexhaustible source. It can produce any drink you desire; it simply draws on the magic of those who touch it or absorbs residual energy from the surrounding air," Paimon said, knowing the capabilities of the treasures Traveler uses most often.
The metal of the cup, in Emerald Scroll's hands, emitted a faint, pulsating heat, confirming that Traveler's "toy" was already ready to be filled again.
"A real treasure for drunkards!" Autumn Gem exclaimed teasingly, shaking her head and swaying her lilac mane.
"Oh, you have no idea!" Paimon chuckled, happy to be able to tell that story.
"In Mondstadt, that tone-deaf bard of a Venti, when he discovered that Traveler possessed such a treasure, literally fell to his knees. He cried and begged Traveler to marry him... just to have free access to the chalice!" The fairy clapped her hands to her mouth to stifle her laughter, recalling the ridiculous scene of the wind god reduced to a beggar for liquor.
Emerald Scroll, however, wasn't laughing. She was observing the fairy with an analytical, almost clinical gaze.
"A monster sending forth a small, harmless creature... the perfect bait to lower its victims' guard in exchange for protection. A symbiotic relationship between predator and parasite," thought the green-coated mare, trying to make sense of this strange pairing.
In her mind, the lessons of biology and tactics she had learned in school as a child and young adult resurfaced like the remnants of a shipwreck.
Oddly enough, his memory had been improving recently: the gray fog that King Sombra had cast over his mind seemed to be clearing like smoke in the wind.
Images of leather-bound books, the smell of fresh ink, and the sound of familiar laughter began to resurface.
Fragments of her life before the darkness were coming back together, causing her to feel a sharp but vital pain at the base of her skull.
"What happened next?" Autumn Gem asked, her eyes wide and her ears pricked, enthralled by the tale of that absurd marriage proposal.
"I slapped him right in the face, then kicked him in the ass until he rolled into the fountain in the square," Traveler recounted with a deadly, almost chilling calm.
As he spoke, he delivered a sharp kick to the side of the air mattress.
Upon contact with his magitech boot, the gadget emitted a sharp, violent hiss: the enormous structure crumpled in on itself in a matter of seconds, sucked in by an invisible force until it was once again a small, wrinkled husk, the size of a snack bag.
The Dark Planeswalker picked it up from the ground with two fingers and made it disappear into one of his coat pockets.
"Then I broke the harp over his head. And to top it all off, I put a curse on him that turned every drop of wine he touched into plain water. I told him not to speak to me for a week and went to live in the library with Lisa," Traveler explained, unperturbed.
Paimon pressed his hands over his mouth, his body shaking with small, convulsive jolts in a desperate attempt not to burst out laughing.
The memory of the desperate bard trying to drink from a bottle of wine, only to find his mouth full of cold water, was for her the height of comedy.
Emerald Scroll felt a shiver run down her spine, finding that story less funny and more cruel.
The ease with which Traveler had described the punishment inflicted on a "suitor" made her more agitated and careful not to make mistakes.
"Why did you do that? Didn't you like it at all?" Autumn Gem asked, leaning forward with an almost gossipy curiosity, fascinated by the Arch-Sorcerer's amorous secrets.
"On the contrary. Venti is exactly my type when it comes to men," Traveler replied. His voice lost some of its usual coldness, becoming softer and warmer.
"Short, petite, effeminate... just silly and optimistic enough. Pretty much the polar opposite of what I look for in a woman," Bruce said, knowing he preferred opposite characteristics for the two sexes.
As he spoke, Bruce raised his right hand to his face. His ring-adorned fingers began to play absentmindedly with the four beads hanging from the braid on the left side of his face.
The metallic clicking of the beads hitting each other produced a delicate, rhythmic sound, like a little music box playing back her memories.
"Venti and I had a relationship... not too serious, but sweet in its own way. Whenever my travels took me to Mondstadt, I always found time to visit him. He would play me his latest tunes, while I told him about my latest travels," Traveler said, showing a more human and sensitive side.
Paimon stopped laughing and looked at his friend with a tender gaze, not wanting to ruin that sweet moment.
"So you punished him because he made you angry, not because you didn't want it," Autumn Gem concluded, trying to understand Traveler's nature.
The blue-coated mare was deluding herself deeply at that moment: several professional psychologists had tried to understand it and had given up, or had ended up like Harley Quinn or Malcolm Long.
"If she speaks so highly of him, why did she reject him so brutally?" thought Emerald Scroll, confused. But the answer was not long in coming, and it was not at all tender.
"To do such a thing in broad daylight, so carelessly and simply out of lust for a cup of wine, is an unpardonable insult to my person," said Traveler, the tenderness fading from his voice.
The Planeswalker slammed his walking stick hard against the rocky ground, and instantly, the air around him turned frigid.
"Does Twenty really think that being pretty, playing the lyre well, and holding the title of Archon of Anemo and God of Freedom is enough to have me? Do you think that picking a few flowers in a hurry and kneeling without an ounce of dignity or style is enough?" Traveler straightened his back, his four bat-like wings partially unfurling.
"A god should know how to woo someone of my rank. I'm an Arch-Warlock and an Archduke, not some random barmaid to be seduced with rhymes in a tavern!" Traveler exclaimed, the air around him growing even colder.
"I told you, Traveler is not an easy man. In all his travels, over many, many years, he has attracted the attention of many, many women and men, but few have managed to get a real romance; even fewer have ended up living in his castle and making things serious. But no one, I repeat, no one, has ever managed to actually drag him to an altar. It is an impregnable fortress," Paimon said, certain that she will never witness her wedding.
"Did you just say… God of Liberty?" Autumn Gem asked, focusing on this aspect of the conversation.
"Yes," Traveler replied, crossing his arms over his chest, his scaly tail moving with a sharp rustle against the rock.
"Venti looks like a sissy fifteen-year-old, but he's actually an elemental spirit over two thousand six hundred years old. He can unleash tornadoes that can tear apart mountains or play melodies that free your soul. When he feels like it, he takes on an adorable six-inch-tall form or an angelic form with feathered wings and a decidedly... exhibitionist, white dress, which I don't like," Traveler said, wrinkling his nose with a look of pure tsundere annoyance.
"Have you been... with someone of the same sex as you?" Emerald Scroll suddenly interjected.
Her voice was a strangled breath and her pale green eyes widened in shock.
The revelation seemed to have hit her harder than anything Traveler had done so far; to her, the concept of a homosexual relationship was alien, almost inconceivable.
Paimon brought a small hand to his forehead, sighing deeply, while his eyes showed a little concern.
'Medieval world, closed medieval mentality... that's where the trouble begins,' thought the white fairy, observing Emerald Scroll's face and noting how the tremor of his lips had changed from fear of punishment to pure confusion.
"Actually, Venti is more of a spirit who doesn't have a true biological sex; he simply takes on a male form that conforms to his identity. I've sometimes seen him take on a female form, but there's not much difference," said the fairy, trying to save the situation, but to no avail.
Traveler snapped his head towards Emerald Scroll and didn't look happy.
"If you have a problem with this, say it here and now. In front of me," Traveler declared. His voice was no longer icy, but burning with a white-hot threat.
In the palm of his left hand, a spark of flaming red ignited, until a sphere of living fire burst forth.
The sudden heat hit the frozen area, instantly evaporating the cave's humidity and making the air thick and suffocating.
"Fire is a bad sign. Bruce usually prefers the cold precision of ice; remembering Venti's disastrous proposal must have set his system ablaze," Paimon thought, knowing the Dark Planeswalker's warning signs.
The white fairy flew quickly behind the Traveler, waving frantically at Emerald Scroll to signal her to be quiet, her face twisted in pure alarm.
"No... no, my lord! I would never dare do that!" exclaimed Emerald Scroll, terrified at the thought of being burned.
"I live to serve... it is not for me to judge how you choose to live or what makes you happy!" Emerald Scroll's words came out almost between sobs, her entire body shaking uncontrollably.
Traveler stood still for a moment, then, with a sharp swing of his arm, he hurled the fireball upward.
The magic ball shot through the darkness of the hollow vault, settling five meters above them and transforming into a small artificial sun that flooded the entire room with a harsh orange light.
Paimon let out a long sigh of relief, feeling his heartbeat slow.
'She's safe. Bruce isn't angry enough to kill anyone... he's just in a bad mood,' Paimon thought, putting a hand to his heart.
Autumn Gem watched that suspended sun in awe.
"I don't kill for no reason or for trivial reasons, but don't you dare lie to my face again," Traveler said coldly.
Emerald Scroll opened her mouth, trying to form an apology or a plea, but the words died in her throat.
Traveler's gaze seemed to pierce her soul and froze her in place. She felt the muscles in her legs go rigid as stone, unable to obey her.
"I know true loyalty," the Traveler continued, taking a slow step toward her.
"I have seen men and women willing to die for me, to live only to serve my cause, and to swear that their children would do the same... even to continue their work beyond death. You are not like them. So do not pretend to be," Traveler said, turning his back on her abruptly.
Emerald Scroll felt a urge to vomit rise up her esophagus in sheer terror, but she managed to force it back with a painful effort.
He stood still, his knuckles white with tension as he clutched the golden cup to his chest, as if the enchanted metal were his only lifeline in a sea of flames.
'I must be careful... I must not lie anymore,' thought the green-coated mare, a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead.
She was certain that, at the next lie, the "little sun" above their heads would descend and instantly burn her to ashes.
Autumn Gem watched the scene, her heart pounding against her ribs.
"Paimon... what just happened?" Autumn Gem whispered, seeking comfort in the little fairy.
"Traveler values loyalty above all else; he considers it the supreme virtue," Paimon explained; his voice was unusually serious.
"At the same time, the worst sin for him is betrayal, followed closely by pact-breakers and liars," Paimon said, knowing full well the things that make the Traveler see red.
"Understandable," Autumn Gem muttered, certain that betrayal was a bad thing.
"A word of advice: never try to lie to him. He'd know instantly. Nothing, absolutely nothing, escapes that eye," Paimon said seriously.
The Dark Planeswalker began to move in a specific direction.
"Now that we've reached the end, what's the plan?" Paimon asked with disarming casualness, as if he hadn't just witnessed the near-charring of Emerald Scroll.
"Should we find another secret passage or something?" Autumn Gem asked, forcing a cheerful tone and wisely deciding to ignore what had happened before.
Behind her, Emerald Scroll tried to disappear: her muzzle low, her paws trembling imperceptibly against the ground and her body curled up to make herself as small and silent as possible, like a shadow frightened by the artificial sunlight.
Traveler didn't answer. He raised his ebony staff and pointed its silver tip at a section of the rock face.
In response to his gesture, the fireball hovering above them pulsed violently, casting a beam of golden light that revealed the outline of an old, solid wooden door, set into the stone like a rotten tooth.
"Too easy!" Autumn Gem exclaimed, almost relieved. She trotted toward the entrance, but as soon as her hoof was inches from the threshold, the door slid aside with a slimy hiss, as if it were made of thick smoke instead of wood.
"What...?" Autumn Gem froze, confused. She took another step to the right to chase after it, but the door slid open again, still maintaining the same, identical distance from her.
It seemed to mock his movements, sliding along the wall with a preternatural fluidity that made no mechanical sound.
"Hey, stop!" cried the blue-coated mare, quickening her pace, but the faster she moved, the more the door danced across the rock, shifting with a frustrating swiftness that resembled a desert mirage.
"A door that surfs on a wall... that was missing from my collection of absurdities," Paimon commented, watching with a smirk as Autumn Gem tried to "stalk" the entrance as if she were chasing a crazed butterfly.
"That's enough," Traveler cut in. He raised his ebony staff and, with a sharp flick of his wrist, unleashed a jolt of electricity.
BIRI BIRI!
A violent blue bolt shot from the silver tip of the staff, striking the center of the lock with a deafening crash. The door gave a violent, almost organic jolt, emitting a smell of ozone and burnt wood.
Like an animal hit by a tranquilizer dart, she froze instantly, remaining anchored to the rock while small electric arcs continued to dance across its surface.
"Nothing and no one can stop Team Paimon and Traveler!" exclaimed the white fairy, puffing out her chest and flying at full speed towards the now motionless window frame.
But just as her small hand was about to touch the wrought-iron doorknob, she froze in midair. Her body shivered suddenly.
"No, no, no!" she cried, her voice rising in pitch with each word as she frantically backed away.
"We're in a scary place, and scary places have scary traps! I almost forgot rule number one!" the fairy exclaimed, then flew out the door as if it had become red-hot, taking refuge at the side of her Dark Planeswalker.
"Good fairy. You've learned your lesson," said Traveler.
His voice softened imperceptibly as he reached out his right hand. He caressed Paimon's little head with unexpected tenderness.
Autumn Gem stared at the door with a mixture of fear and wonder, while Emerald Scroll, still huddled in the shadows, observed this rare moment of tenderness.
"King Sombra has proven himself, once again, to be inept. Hiding the entrance near the throne with such a thin veil... even the descent was devoid of any notable obstacles," Traveler declared, his voice filled with icy contempt.
He approached the door with a stride and inclined his head, studying the structure with his right purple eye; the dragonlike pupil narrowed, focusing on a small, opaque gem set in the stone frame, which pulsed with a sickly light.
"The only impediments are a door playing tag and a jewel programmed to hit a single target that grazes the doorknob. Amateur stuff," Traveler commented, shaking his head in profound disappointment at his opponent's competence.
'The way he belittles King Sombra is almost more terrifying than his actions,' Emerald Scroll thought worriedly.
His limbs were still heavy with fear; he struggled to reconcile the image of the tyrant who had brought the Empire to its knees with the merciless criticism of that stranger.
Yet, seeing how Traveler dominated the environment, his words seemed like indisputable truths.
"Autumn Gem, open the door. I didn't bring you along just to watch," Traveler ordered, pointing to the doorframe with the tip of his ebony staff.
"But... isn't it cursed?" Autumn Gem stammered. Her voice was a hesitant whisper; she stared at the wrought-iron handle as if it were a snake ready to bite.
Her hooves remained planted on the ground, as a shiver ran down her spine, making her purple tail twitch nervously.
"Curse is a strong word. I'd rather call it a neutral-category defensive spell?" Paimon speculated, crossing his small arms and looking smug.
Living side by side with Bruce had allowed her to absorb bits of arcane theory, even if its practical application remained mostly theoretical.
"At first glance, it seems like an illusionary spell, devious and slightly sadistic. But you would have no problem handling it," Traveler added with a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"But I don't know anything about magic!" Autumn Gem exclaimed, pointing to the door with a shaking hand.
"How can I face a spell when I don't even have a horn? It's like asking a colt to challenge a sleeping dragon!" said Autumn Gem, slightly frightened by the idea.
Bruce didn't move, just watched her with a calm that brooked no reply.
The artificial sun above them cast the door's long shadow towards the blue-coated mare, like a silent invitation to push one's limits under her gaze.
"Actually, I knew a ten-year-old girl who killed a creature that you would probably consider a dragon," Traveler explained.
"What kind of little girl could do such a thing?" asked Emerald Scroll.
"My dear daughter, Adara B. Kurata. She has a penchant for hunting dragons and monsters; I've had her with me since she was little, and as she grew older, she began doing it herself," Traveler said with paternal pride.
"But I'm not her," Autumn Gem said, sure she wasn't as special as Traveler and his family.
"Here's a tip. What do you wear around your neck?" Traveler asked, as Paimon, with a dramatic gesture, repeatedly tapped his fingers against his sternum to give her a hint.
An imaginary light bulb seemed to flicker above Autumn Gem's head. She lifted the gold medallion Traveler had lent her with one hoof, feeling the smooth, heavy metal beneath her skin. She remembered the Traveler's words: that object would protect her mind from any intrusion.
"Good... I can do this. I can open a door," the blue-coated mare declared, straightening her back. Her trust in Traveler was now a solid anchor; so far, he had never let her down.
Autumn Gem stepped forward, her heart pounding in her chest, and gripped the iron handle firmly.
Instantly, a burst of dark magic, thick and cloudy as black smoke, burst from the gem on the frame and hurtled straight at his forehead.
However, the spell did not penetrate. It crashed against an invisible force, producing a vibrating metallic sound, as if the fog had hit a massive iron barrier.
Before the darkness could even recede, a dozen invisible swords were hurled from the amulet at the gem, splitting the air with a shrill whistle.
Autumn Gem sensed absolutely nothing of the violent magical clash.
For her, the only tangible sign was the locket emitting a faint emerald green glow against her fur and the sharp sound of a crack appearing on the surface of the gem set in the wall.
"Congratulations! You just broke your first spell!" Paimon exclaimed, twirling around with joy and waving his little arms.
"Anyone with a neck and the strength to turn a doorknob could have done it," Traveler commented with his usual icy precision.
'An amulet capable of shattering a spell from King Sombra without its wearer ever having opened a book of magic... must be a National Treasure,' Emerald Scroll mused.
In his mind, objects of such magnitude were meant exclusively for the regal necks of the Alicorn Princesses.
He shifted his gaze, still clouded with terror, to the locket hanging from Autumn Gem's neck. The metal of Salazar Slytherin's artifact seemed to absorb the ambient light, casting a cold, ancient glow.
Then, her green eyes slid to Helga Hufflepuff's cup, which she clutched in her own paws: the gold of the goblet was not only precious, but it emanated a pulsating heat, a vital beat that made her feel small and insignificant.
'And he... entrusts them to just any mare with this disarming lightness,' thought Emerald, feeling a lump in her throat.
The questions began to chase each other in the mare's head, becoming more and more insistent.
'Where do such relics come from? He presented himself as an Arch-Warlock and an Archduke... are they the legacy of an ancient dynasty? Or perhaps he forged them himself? Did he bend master craftsmen to his will, or, worse yet... are they trophies taken from the bodies of his fallen enemies?' Emerald Scroll thought, conjecturing.
Emerald Scroll looked at Traveler's back, noting how his bat-like wings moved with a rustle of leather and magic.
He began to fear that King Sombra, with all his tyranny based on brute force, was only an amateur compared to this foreigner.
"Let's go," said Traveler, leading the way through the door.
XXX
Beyond the threshold, the group found themselves immersed in a vast room, flooded with a white, aseptic light that seemed to emanate from the walls themselves.
At the center of the room stood a colossal pillar of white marble, so smooth it reflected their silhouettes like a mirror. Around it wound an endless spiral of stairs, a hypnotic succession of steps that wound upward, disappearing into the soft glow of the ceiling.
"Did that Black Unicorn, with more magic than brains, never contemplate defeat? Or did he simply hope that such a staircase would cause cardiac arrest in anyone who attempted to challenge him?" asked Traveler.
His voice echoed against the marble, filled with a contempt that made the entire structure seem like a pathetic misdesign.
"But... that's a lot of stairs," Paimon muttered. His pale complexion seemed to become almost transparent, while his small wings beat less vigorously.
"Yes, endless," Autumn Gem agreed. She tilted her neck back until she felt her muscles tense, trying to glimpse the end of that winding path, but the summit remained hidden in a vortex of impossible perspectives.
"I wonder where they lead… and how long it will take," Emerald Scroll muttered under her breath.
"We've got a long climb ahead of us," Traveler declared, straightening his shoulders. The sound of his metal boots on the marble floor made a sharp clang, demonstrating that he wasn't the least bit intimidated by the physical challenge.
"Can't we find a quicker alternative? Some of your tricks?" Paimon suggested, looking at the ladder as if it were a monster ready to devour his energy.
"They're just steps, Paimon. And you, by the way, fly," Traveler pointed out, giving her a sidelong glance that exuded disappointment at her laziness.
"Walking or flying makes no difference! It would take us forever either way," the white fairy retorted, crossing her arms resolutely.
"Paimon wants to be able to have a snack and dinner in comfort, not spend his time counting stairs until midnight!" exclaimed the fairy, not wanting to waste her time.
XXX
"I know you don't like to take flight unless absolutely necessary, but could you do us this small favor, Traveler?" Paimon asked, softening his tone and batting his eyelashes pleadingly.
"Don't you like flying? But... you have huge wings!" exclaimed Autumn Gem, letting her gaze wander to the four bat-like wings that stood out on the Traveler's back.
The dark membranes seemed strong and flexible, capable of cutting through the air with brutal power.
'It's like watching a fish hate water!' thought Emerald Scroll, but she didn't dare express the thought.
"You can be excellent at something without it bringing you any pleasure," Traveler replied, crossing his arms over his chest. His wings quivered involuntarily, folding like a cloak behind him.
"If it's swimming, diving, or exploring the bowels of the earth, I'm the man for you. But lifting your feet out of the mud with my wings, or doing it on a rug, a broom, or a stick... those are just not things I enjoy," explained Traveler, who preferred to fly only in real vehicles.
"Oh, come on, Traveler! Please! How many times have I asked you to do something you didn't want?" Paimon insisted, circling his nose and losing count of his past requests.
"Five thousand seven hundred and eighty-four times," Traveler replied stoically. His voice held no hesitation, as if he had a ledger in his mind.
Paimon froze in midair, a visibly embarrassed expression that brought a flush to her pale cheeks, and scratched the back of her neck.
"Well... then we can get to five thousand seven hundred and eighty-five, right? That's a much luckier number, I'm sure!" suggested Paimon, wanting to avoid climbing the stairs.
Emerald Scroll, watching the scene, noticed how Traveler's wings, despite his words, were perfectly manicured, with the amethyst-colored scales shining under the white light of the pillar.
The Traveler sighed, slid away his staff, and gazed up the spiral staircase that stretched into infinity; then he looked at the two mares, knowing that Emerald, with her legs still trembling, would never be able to climb that steep hill.
"The next time I decide to raze a building or brutally eliminate someone, you will remain silent and not dare argue," Traveler declared in an authoritative voice, spreading his four bat-like wings.
The membranes stretched with a sound like a sail being struck by the wind, casting a massive shadow that made Emerald Scroll shudder.
"Paimon understands perfectly!" exclaimed the fairy, nodding vigorously and secretly hoping that this "compromise" would not have to be collected before the end of their vacation.
Without another word, Traveler sprang into action. In a fluid, predatory motion, he wrapped his long, scaled, amethyst-colored tail around Paimon's torso, securing her in a grip of muscle.
Then he reached out with his mighty arms and grabbed Autumn Gem and Emerald Scroll by the waist, lifting them off the ground as if they were two weightless sacks of potatoes.
"One final warning," Traveler added, his purple eye now glowing with a bright neon light. "If any of you dare vomit on me during the ride, I'll drop you without a second thought."
Before Autumn Gem could even promise to keep her stomach steady, the Dark Planeswalker flapped his wings with explosive force. The impact of the air was so violent it made the entire marble chamber reverberate. In an instant, the ground disappeared beneath them.
Emerald Scroll closed her eyes in terror, feeling the wind whistling wildly through her scarlet mane.
The central pillar became a blur of white as Traveler spiraled up at breakneck speed, each wingbeat a cannon shot propelling them higher and higher into the unknown.
XXX
After a few minutes of a mad, acrobatic ascent, Traveler rocketed out of the tower's shaft, landing with a hard, safe impact in the center of a large circular area overlooking the top of the structure.
Here, the wind howled violently, lashing the open walls and bringing with it the biting chill of the high altitude.
In the center of the room, suspended above a massive black obsidian disk engraved with circular runes, floated a pulsating artifact: a blue crystal heart.
The object emitted a low, steady hum, vibrating with a cold light that seemed to absorb the heat of its surroundings.
Traveler released his grip without further ado. Paimon, freed from his tail's grip, resumed her flight, swaying noticeably; her tiara hung to one side as she tried to steady the horizon, muttering how the world had begun to spin again.
The two mares, however, collapsed heavily to their knees on the freezing floor.
Autumn Gem pressed her hands to her stomach, her muzzle taking on a greenish tinge beneath her blue fur.
Emerald Scroll stood still, her scarlet mane tousled by the wind and her eyes wide open, trying to catch her breath after a journey that had been anything but smooth.
Traveler had not offered a graceful flight, but a violent, straight trajectory, similar to that of a rocket tearing through the atmosphere.
"Are we… are we still in one piece?" Autumn Gem croaked, feeling the bile rising in her throat with every breath.
Traveler did not deign to answer.
He simply shook his wings, folding them with a metallic rustle against his back, his fluorescent purple eye fixed on the blue artifact.
"You three have exactly one minute to recover. Not a second more," Traveler declared. With a fluid wave of his right hand, he conjured a simple snowball out of thin air.
As the mares tried to steady their breathing, the Planeswalker approached the edge of the tower, letting the strong wind blow her long lilac braids.
His gaze wandered over the frozen landscape that stretched out below them, beyond the walls of the Palace.
"The idiot had at least enough sense to install a one-way, illusory defensive barrier around this spire," Bruce commented, his tone a razor-sharp blade of contempt.
"He wanted to make sure no one could take flight and bypass his useless obstacles. A basic but effective system to keep amateurs away." These were perhaps the most complimentary words he would ever bestow on King Sombra, albeit spoken with a bitter sneer.
Then he turned to the blue artifact, watching the Crystal Heart floating lazily above the black disk.
"However, placing the most precious object in the kingdom at the top of a tower is an irritating old cliché," Traveler continued, shaking his head with palpable boredom.
"I would much rather have had a proper showdown up here, as I have in the past, than find myself unearthing a magical artifact I know absolutely nothing about."
"Autumn Gem, Emerald Scroll... any idea what that thing is?" Paimon asked, nodding at the blue crystal.
"That's the Crystal Heart," Emerald Scroll replied. For the first time, her voice lost its note of desperation and became clear and vibrant with reverence.
"An ancient and powerful artifact, present since the founding of the Empire. It is the very symbol of our people's hope and love; it serves as a protective shield for the entire kingdom, keeping the darkness at bay." For a brief moment, her pale green eyes shone with a light that seemed to reflect the artifact's ancient splendor.
"The Crystal Heart of the Crystal Ponies who live in the Crystal Empire... wow, you guys aren't exactly creative with names, are you?" Paimon commented, crossing his arms with an amused grimace.
"Finally, something that catches my attention. When crystals of great power and mythical origins appear, it's always a sign of something interesting," Traveler murmured.
"So what are we waiting for? Let's go get him and put him back where he belongs!" exclaimed Autumn Gem.
The blue-coated mare lunged forward eagerly, but Traveler's long, scaly tail lashed out like an amethyst whip, wrapping around her waist to pin her in place.
"When an artifact is displayed like this, there's always a trick, a trap, or an enemy lurking. Paimon speaks from personal experience, believe me," the fairy said, looking wise.
To demonstrate the concept, Traveler forcefully threw the snowball towards the center of the black disk engraved on the floor.
As the object touched the space above the circle, a long, blade-sharp black crystal shot out of the marble and pierced the snow from side to side.
"Do you think it works by weight sensors or motion sensors?" Paimon asked, studying the black blade that was now vibrating with an eerie energy.
"That unicorn was inept, stupid, and deluded, but at least he tried his hardest to be the Dark Lord. It's time to ruin this trap and get back to business," Traveler said, remembering that he was on vacation and needed to give Paimon some time to himself.
"Emerald, it's your turn," Traveler declared. His gaze fell on the green-coated mare, deciding it was time to test her usefulness in the field.
"What... what must I do, my lord?" asked Emerald Scroll.
She clutched the golden cup between her hooves, regarding the artifact with a mixture of suspicion and devotion, confident that she was about to face a test of courage similar to that of Autumn Gem.
"You just have to wash the dirt off this floor," Traveler replied with disarming simplicity.
He snapped the fingers of his right hand: in an instant, the crystalline liquid inside the cup changed consistency, transforming into a thick, bubbling, fluorescent green substance that gave off a pungent odor similar to carbolic acid.
Paimon, floating protectively behind the Planeswalker, gestured with his small arms like someone tipping a bucket of water, nodding encouragingly.
Emerald Scroll, bracing himself and trying not to be blinded by the fumes of the substance, hurled the contents of the chalice straight at the black disk engraved in the marble.
SPLAP!
As soon as the green substance touched the stone, a violent reaction was triggered.
The black crystal that had leaked out earlier began to sizzle and melt, turning into a dark mush that evaporated in a trail of grayish smoke.
The magic trap seemed to be literally "eaten" by Traveler's magic liquid.
"That's right! Keep spraying!" Paimon exclaimed, cheering with little jumps in mid-air.
Emerald repeated the gesture five times, moving with a precision dictated by terror.
Each blast of fluorescent acid covered a new section, until the entire surface of the black disc was reduced to an inert, smoking puddle, finally obliterating the Black Unicorn's last threat.
"Now... what shall I do, my lord?" Emerald Scroll asked, returning to Traveler's side, panting. She positioned herself a step behind him, her head down and the empty goblet clutched to her chest, acting like a faithful dog driven more by fear of error than by true training.
Traveler looked at the finished work, seeing the Crystal Heart now floating above a completely harmless floor.
"You cleaned well," he commented with a coldness that left no room for compliments, but which to Emerald sounded like the greatest of concessions.
"Paimon, it's finally your turn," said Traveler, pointing his gloved finger at the Crystal Heart with the same solemnity with which one orders a final attack.
"Roger, Traveler!" the white fairy exclaimed. She rushed toward the artifact with a concentrated expression, as if she were about to accomplish a legendary feat, even though it was actually the simplest task of the day.
Paimon wrapped his small arms around the large blue crystal, hugging it tightly and holding it to his chest, while the blue light from the artifact made his starry cloak shine.
"Task completed! The Heart is safe!" the fairy declared proudly, floating in midair with the heavy artifact in her hands.
"Now we have to put him back where he belongs!" Autumn Gem exclaimed, wagging her tail with an enthusiasm that almost made her forget the terror of a few minutes before.
Traveler looked around the perimeter of the summit, where the wind whistled between the battlements.
"Luckily, that idiot's wards are one-way: excellent for keeping intruders out, but completely useless for preventing anyone from leaving," Traveler commented, spreading his four bat-like wings.
The sound of the membrane stretching resounded like thunder in the quiet of the tower.
"Another flight?! No, please!" screamed Autumn Gem, her legs beginning to tremble at the mere thought of abandoning the solidity of marble again.
He would have preferred to walk down a million stairs rather than relive that brutal takeoff.
But Traveler didn't give her time to protest.
With a speed that surpassed visual perception, it moved like an amethyst-colored lightning bolt.
He grabbed the fairy with the precious load and once again encircled the waists of the two anthropomorphic mares with his iron grip.
Without a moment's hesitation, he dived into the void over the parapet.
The leap was so violent that Emerald Scroll's stomach seemed to rise up into his throat.
Traveler didn't glide, but launched himself into a controlled vertical dive toward the base of the palace, where a crowd of dull, terrified crystal ponies was beginning to gather.
XXX
On a more comical note, these actions would be interpreted in the future in a much more epic manner.
A heroic sorcerer and his fairy companion helped a lonely and frightened girl by caring for her; she later discovered a talent for spell-breaking.
The heroic sorcerer would later defeat the evil ruler and free a brilliant alchemist.
The fairy would find the secret passages and traps along the way, the mare would break the "door of nightmares," and the alchemist would dissolve the last trap, allowing the fairy to safely carry the Crystal Heart.
A fairy tale far from the truth of events, but fairy tales are fairy tales, not history books.
Continues...