However different from each other they were, the ponies of Equestria had one thing in common. They all relished the quality time they could spend with their friends after a long week of working towards the harmony maintained across the land. Some of them had quite an abundance of acquaintances and thus had to plan ahead so that nopony would feel abandoned, while the others—like young Trixie, from whom our story begins—had not so many. It doesn’t mean she had none, not at all. She had a reasonable number of friends, and they would all be there for her whenever she needed.

One Saturday afternoon upon completing all her chores, Trixie was doing fine on her own with only a small satchel for a companion. She didn’t need a bunch of ponies to go on an adventure and seek glory, and truth be told she would rather not share it with anyone but herself. After all, only a truly dedicated explorer could reach the top of That Mountain towering over the grassy valley below.

That Mountain was a hill no higher than a cherry tree, and not very steep, but for a filly-sized Trixie everything appeared bigger and more outlandish. A mere pile of rocks was like a long-forgotten castle which used to house brave ponies protecting the land from the threats surrounding it, while each flower seemed to be a magical plant as likely to help as to lead you to your untimely demise. Even a single pebble tumbling happily down the hill brought to mind a destructive avalanche swallowing everything in its wake.

Trixie would emerge victorious from such an encounter, for she was smart, bold, and pretty much destined to achieve greatness—or so she believed. Once she reached the peak of That Mountain, the impossible happened and put her conviction to a test.

Someone else had beaten her to the top!

“Fear not, little one. I mean you no harm.”

The assurance was delivered in a soft but confident tone complementing the impressive physical traits of the one who spoke it. There stood a winged mare whose mane sheened with delicate shades of turquoise, cerulean, and pink akin to the changing colors of the sky, while a long horn protruding from this multicolored sea right next to a golden crown only added to the already royal stature of the alicorn. She smiled gently, in a benevolent promise that everything was going to be just fine.

One would have to be living under a rock to not instantly recognize the one and only Princess Celestia in all her majesty. Trixie lived in a windmill next to a secluded cherry orchard which was not that far from the said hermetical habitat in terms of integrating with the rest of the world, but that didn’t stop her from guessing who the strange visitor could be. She was already choosing to see things in her own way, so meeting a pony she had never seen before was just another opportunity for the adventure to unfold.

“Are you an angel?” Trixie asked.

Celestia let out a surprised gasp. “Me? An angel? How so?”

“Mom says there are angels watching over us from their invisible castles in the sky, but they sometimes get bored and come down to help other ponies. They have both horns and wings, and they are beautiful, wise, and above all very great and powerful. That’s why I want to be an angel too when I grow up!” Trixie exclaimed. “So, how are you going to name it?”

“Excuse me, but name what exactly?”

“That Mountain of course! This is the biggest mountain in Equestria and you’re the first one to have ever reached the top, so you can pick a new name. You kind of beat me to it, so congratulations, I guess.”

“I did not intend to do so, I assure you,” Celestia replied. “Also, this does not seem like the highest of peaks to me. It’s more of a hill, and not very steep.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Well, duh! You’re from up there. It obviously doesn’t seem so big to you, but I’ve come from the valley below. I had to climb a thousand miles to get here. Like, that many miles!”

When she stretched to the skies to show the length she had in mind, Celestia's initial astonishment turned into understanding.

“I see. I would be honored to give That Mountain a proper name, but first I would like to learn yours. My name is Celestia. Who are you, young lady?”

“I’m Trixie! I’m an explorer!” the filly replied. She gazed upon her reflection in the polished gorget, then sauntered around Celestia to inspect the rest of the golden regalia. “Are you some kind of a queen of all angels? You certainly look like one.”

“I am actually a princess, but—”

“Oh! Nice to meet you, Miss Angelic Princess Celestia! Is it okay if I call you that? Dad says that whenever I don’t know I should always say Miss because it makes ponies feel younger. I just don’t understand why is it such a big deal to them,” Trixie said with a shrug. “Why would anypony want to be younger when it’s clearly better to be older? I, for one, can’t wait to get old. Then I’ll be big like you!”

“How old do you think I am?”

“I’m almost six and a half!” Trixie said proudly. “You must be like twenty!”

The corners of Celestia’s mouth twitched with a mirthful giggle. “Oh, now you’ve definitely made me feel younger!” she replied. “You’ve mentioned you are an explorer. I wonder, would it be difficult to become one?”

“Not at all, but you have to be brave! Then you have to find yourself a special quest. It’s like a very important mission during which you travel across the land, visit places no one has ever been to, and face super dangerous monsters. I don’t want to brag, but I’ve been on at least a hundred such adventures this week and they were all successful!” she said, then looked around and sighed. “Well, almost all of them.”

Celestia crouched to level with the filly. “I would like to make it up to you for taking away your chance to be the first one to climb this place. Is there any other quest I could help you with? Any adventure during which I could tag along?”

Trixie’s eyes shined. There was one challenge she would rather not tackle on her own. There was one place she feared to tread.

She cleared her throat and began her tale. Her voice was the one of a master storyteller creating a palpable aura of mystery and eeriness with every spoken word, effectively taking the listener to a whole new world—or the very same, but seen through the eyes of an imaginative filly.

“Legends tell about a sacred place known as the Glade of the Ancients. For generations, many brave ponies have set off on a journey to find it, lured by the promise of immeasurable wealth for them to claim,” Trixie said. “Only a handful has ever returned. They came back telling stories about a fearsome creature of the night protecting the treasures of the Glade. Beware, ponies of Equestria, for his claws are so sharp he can cut down half of the forest in a single swipe, and his teeth are strong enough to grind mountains into ashes. He is fierce, dangerous, and will bring a terrible end to anypony entering his domain. His name... is Boniface.”

Despite the vastly exaggerated theatricality of Trixie’s performance, Celestia managed to keep a serious look.

“Do you think you could defeat this Boniface with my help?”

“Defeat, no. He’s invincible, but I know a powerful spell which may drive him off for some time so we could take the treasure and bring at least some safety to the Glade,” she said. “We should head to Cerise Woods. If you’re not afraid to venture there, that is.”

Her horn gleaming with a golden mist, Celestia looked up at the Sun. A miniscule alteration in the blazing star’s path wasn’t going to matter in the grand context of the universe, but it would grant her a slightly longer day she needed.

“Lead on. I shall follow.”

“Ha! I knew you’d agree! You angels always help others in need! Let’s go!”

For Celestia’s every step Trixie had to make three of her own, but the youthful determination sparking in her eyes made it clear that she would travel Equestria back and forth if it mattered. With that attitude they quickly made their way downhill, leaving That Mountain still unnamed for the time being, for the quest of even greater importance lay ahead. Completing it, or even surviving alone was going to outshine many of Trixie’s spectacular achievements up to date—or so she believed.

When they reached a cobblestone bridge Trixie frowned.

“The waters of the Cursed Creek made the stone weary,” she said. “It would be unwise to step right onto it, but the railings should support our weight. Can angels climb, Princess?”

Celestia looked at the pleasantly splashing stream, the waters of which suggested anything but hazards justifying its dreary name. She would be able skip it with little effort, or use her magic to reappear on the others side, while the maximum spread of her wings could easily connect the two banks with a feathery passage for Trixie to use. Somehow, none of these options felt appropriate.

“I should manage if you show me how to do it.”

The two ponies climbed up—Celestia giving Trixie a boost—and slowly followed the narrow path. To their right, the deck of the ancient bridge ready to crumble upon anything heavier than a feather touching it, and to their left, the contractual nothingness of the baneful stream.

“The vile Boniface was involved in the Clash at the Cursed Creek, you know,” Trixie said. “He had corrupted the river when he first came here from the Dragon Dominion to make our peaceful land un-peaceful.”

“So, is Boniface a dragon?”

“Correct. That’s why you have to be extra careful in the Woods. One false step and—wah!”

Trixie stumbled.

“Gotcha!” Celestia said, nudging the filly back onto her path. “I'm not going against a dragon without you!"

One perilous squeak later Trixie landed safely on the other side. She turned to the alicorn with gratitude and veneration one would receive after saving a life, which was exactly what Celestia did, from a certain point of view.

“Thank you, Miss Angelic Princess Celestia! I am forever in your debt now!”

“I shall gladly relieve you from it as soon as you tell me about that windmill over there. Is that where you live?”

Attached to the windmill stood a house with blue roof and a single chimney inviting for a meal soon to be served inside. The same kind of tiles crowned the four-armed giant which remained motionless in the absence of the wind, watching over the backyard where a partly disassembled traveling wagon was parked. It was no mere building for Trixie, but something infinitely nobler instead.

“This is the Lulamoon Manor,” she declared. “Do you like it?”

“I admit, it is an utmost impressive architectural achievement.”

“Thank you! It's hardly a castle but it's home,” Trixie replied. She then pointed at the aggregation of cherry trees growing less than a minute’s walk from the house. “We’ll be entering the Woods soon. Be prepared for anything.”

Within the boundaries of the orchard Trixie proved how invested in the journey she was. Living a tough life of an ace explorer required leaving no stone unturned, which in the local context meant slaloming between the trees and taking the longest route possible as she guided Celestia deeper into the orchard, or Cerise Woods as it was grandiosely called. Such trek was a no mere stroll, so whenever Trixie encountered a big enough rock she had to climb it—conquer it—while every bush had to be crawled through. Celestia simply walked around those, thank you very much.

On what felt like yet another week of tearing through the traitorous jungle, but was actually a third minute of thereof, Trixie and Celestia had finally reached their destination.

The Glade of the Ancients was a clearing formed by skipping a dozen planting spots in the otherwise highly structured orchard. Instead, a single cherry tree thrived in the middle, its thick branches bending towards the ground under the weight of fruits. They were notably bigger that those from any other tree, and like little rubies they shone in the sunlight making its way through the crown domineering over the Glade.

“Oh, this place is lovely!” Celestia exclaimed. “I cannot imagine such a well-groomed orchard to be a lair of a dragon as nefarious as you’ve described him. Just look at all these cherries!”

Before Celestia was done appreciating the fabled treasures of the Glade, she spotted a pair of green eyes lurking in the shadows next to the lone tree’s trunk. Though she had never seen Boniface before, she was willing to bet one of her golden hoofboots that this white as a ghost monster was the one everyone feared.

The creature spotted her as well and let out a threatening roar.

“Meow.”

“Hide, Princess! He’s about to breathe ice!”

They dashed to hide behind the nearest bush. It provided enough cover for Trixie, but even with Celestia’s curled up crouch her head still protruded over the foliage. Boniface gazed at her with scorn, then sat up and yawned. Where she saw the cat yawning, however, Trixie witnessed a stream of frost pouring from the dragon’s armored mouth and turning blades of grass into miniature icicles. She barely shrugged off the overwhelming sensation of dread. Her hooves trembling and heart hammering like a buffalo stampede, she took out a ball of white yarn out of her satchel.

“Change of plans!” Trixie shouted. “This is silversilk yarn. We can use it to distract him! Your magic is obviously greater and more powerful than mine, so the moment I get to the right flank you—”

“No! Let me be a distraction so you can smite him with your spell!”

Fear only grew in Trixie’s eyes. “But I’m only a filly, and you’re an angel! I don’t know if I can!”

Celestia smiled, reaching out and ruffling Trixie’s forelock. “Of course you can. One doesn’t have to be born an angel to have a courageous heart of one. You have already proven yourself to be a dauntless explorer, and that is why you shall succeed. Now go!”

Jumping over a trail of sharp icicles and sneaking to the side, Trixie felt oddly empowered. If Miss Angelic Princess Celestia was saying she could take the dragon down, then she should at least take a shot!

While Celestia was doing her best to interest the lazy feline with a string of yarn, Trixie got a chance to flank him. Out of her satchel she fished out a paper ball which looked like a failed arts and crafts project with miles of duct tape involved. Clasped in the pale mist it hovered unsteadily over the dragon’s head. Another push of magic sufficed to inflate it and tore in half with a muffled pop, releasing a rain of colorful confetti all over Boniface’s white fur. He snorted at this outrageous invasion on his living conditions, then toddled away to demonstrate how little he cared about the ponies and their derogatory toys.

Trixie stood triumphant in the aftershock of an earth-shattering explosion of kaleidoscopic energy released by her spell. With the forces of evil gone, the Glade was safe once again thanks to her wit, bravery, and a little help from an angelic princess—or so she believed.

“Congratulations, Trixie,” Celestia said. “I knew you could do it.”

Trixie deadpanned. “He’ll be back. I can feel it,” she said, then shook her head and brought a wide grin to her face. “Ha! The treasure is ours! Let us be swift!”

After filling their stomachs with ripe cherries the two ponies headed back to where they had first met, chattering about their grand adventure and the skirmish soon to be known as the Battle of the Glade.

“I have to tell you something,” Trixie said when they reached the top of That Mountain. She nodded at Celestia in a conspiratorial manner to which she crouched and lent her ear to the filly. “Boniface is really my cat, not a dragon. And he’s not really breathing ice.”

“Oh, the lack of scales betrayed him, but I think the dragons would accept him as their own.”

“So you aren’t mad that we didn’t fight an actual dragon? Dad says I’m too old for making up things like that, but I can’t help it. It’s so much fun!”

“Facing a dragon is one thing, but choosing to see the world differently requires even greater courage. I believe you have a wonderful gift from which you should not abscond. Not now, not ever,” Celestia said, then bowed to the filly. “I am honored you let me share in this adventure, but I’m afraid I am needed elsewhere now.”

“I understand. You have other ponies to help, right? You angels surely are busy!”

“Right you are, Trixie.” Celestia spread her wings and shot to the skies. “Stay great and powerful!”

“Thanks! I will!” Trixie replied, waving her goodbyes. “Hey! You forgot to name the mountain! Come back!” she shouted, but the alicorn had already breached the cloudscape above. “Oh. Another time, then.”

Down the hill and over the perfectly safe to cross bridge Trixie galloped to tell her parents all about her latest journey—an extraordinary adventure during which she teamed up with an angel, fought a terrifying dragon, and won the prize greater than even the shiniest of rubies.

“Mom! Dad! I’ve made a new friend!”